As we approach midterms, I often take this time to reflect on my study habits and create a plan as to how I can best prepare for my exams. Frequently I implement the same study tactics, but it can differ from class to class. As a general rule, I suggest focusing on three concepts:
First, practice using study questions. If there are practice tests made available by your professors, be sure to make use of them! Practicing with study questions can be productive as they simulate the test experience and can help you focus your studying. Professors may also create study guides that can contain questions that apply to the concepts learned in class. Professors craft both practice tests and/or study guides with the concepts that are expected to be understood for the test. After all, professors want to see you succeed!
Luckily, classes using Hawkes Learning have access to Practice mode. This is a great tool to use when studying, in part due to the Explain Error feature. When questions are presented, Practice provides the Tutor button at the bottom left. If you are confused, Tutor can provide step-by-step instructions on how to complete that question or a hint. The Learn button can also refer you to the textbook to review the concept before answering. If you still aren’t sure, you can click on ‘Solution’ to see the answer and get an explanation; this can be a great feature for reviewing topics and relearning skills or concepts that you may have forgotten.
After completing a study guide or Practice mode, you may realize you are confident in one topic and struggling in another. In my experience, focusing on the areas where you struggle may be a better use of your time – especially as a busy college student. By going over your answers, you can see which lessons should be reviewed and revisited. Whether you review notes from lectures or watch videos to better understand the material, try to focus on these areas and then retry the questions once you feel more confident.
With this in mind, another valuable tool offered by Hawkes Learning is the Practice Test feature. This can be found under the WebTest section. By pressing ‘Create Practice WebTest’, students can choose topics by the lesson that they want to include in their own practice test. These provide a number of practice questions to complete that are only based on the chosen topics. Once the test is done, Hawkes Learning presents a bar graph with the number of correct and incorrect answers per topic. This instant feedback can be valuable in helping to further focus your studying. Learn more in the video below.
Sometimes, it can feel overwhelming trying to find a place to start studying. One way to begin is by finding key terms or concepts from lectures and creating a Quizlet. Quizlet is an online resource that hosts virtual flashcards/study sets and allows for reviewing terms in engaging ways. After creating a set, I usually use the “Learn” or “Test” feature to match terms with their definition.
For every lesson within a chapter, Hawkes Learning has its own study set. Since these sets are verified, students can feel confident that they provide accurate definitions. It also saves time that would be used creating your own Quizlet and allows for studying right away.
Overall, Hawkes Learning provides a number of resources to help me achieve my study goals. This saves time and effort in looking for or creating valid resources and provides instant feedback. By using Hawkes Learning to assist with studying, students can apply their knowledge and be prepared for potential concepts or questions that may appear on tests.
Author: Matthew Albert, Long Island University – Post
