How Do You Study for An Essay Exam Text

Jonathan Friesen - Writing Coach

In certain ways, the same principles for writing good out of class essays apply to writing good in class essays as well. For example, both kinds of essays are more successful when you take into consideration your purpose, audience and information when you develop a thesis with support when you prove your assertions with evidence when you guide your readers with transitions, etc. Usually you write a research paper, for example, to learn more about your selected topic however, you write essay exams to demonstrate your knowledge. You are not only conveying information, but also proving to your audience the examiner that you have mastered the information and can work with it.

Your instructor is not looking for a collection of unrelated pieces of information. How the generalizations or concepts create the framework for the specific facts, and how the examples or details fill in the gaps. If your instructor has given you the questions themselves or a study sheet in advance, practice answering those questions. Otherwise, try to anticipate questions your instructor is likely to ask and practice those. At the very least, outline how you would answer the test questions however, its better to actually write out the answers.

Again, while youre taking the exam, remember that its not simply what you say or how much you say, but how you say it thats important. plan your time. although you will be working under pressure, take a few minutes to plan your time. You will want to devote most of your time to the questions that are worth the most points, perhaps answering those questions first. On the other hand, you might want to answer first the questions that you are best prepared for. read the questions thoroughly. take a few minutes before writing your essay to read the question carefully in order to determine exactly what you are being asked to do. Most essay exam questions, or prompts, are carefully worded and contain specific instructions about what you are to write about as well as how you should organize your answer.

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If you see one of these terms, try to organize your essay to respond to the question or questions indicated. write out your essay, using good writing techniques. as was said earlier, essay exams are like other essays, so use the same good writing strategies you use for other kinds of writing. Keep in mind that your purpose is to persuade your readerthe examinerthat you know the material. Often, you can turn the questions stated or implied on the exam into an answer and use it as your thesis. For example, suppose you are given the following prompt in your psychology class: define procedural knowledge and describe its relationship to the results of studies of amnesic patients.

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The implied question is: what is procedural knowledge and how is it related to the results of studies of amnesic patients? note how you can turn the answer to that implied question into the thesis of your exam essay. Procedural knowledge is knowing how to perform a task, such as tying a shoe or driving a car, and studies of amnesia have shown that this type of knowledge or memory is often retained by amnesic patients. Even in anmesic patients who have lost most of their declarative memory capacity, the ability to form new procedural memories is often intact.

Narrative Essay on a Wedding

Then, proceed immediately to explain, develop, and support your thesis, drawing upon materials from text s , lectures, and class discussions. Be sure to support any and all generalizations with concrete evidence, relevant facts, and specific details that will convince your reader that your thesis is valid. Make your main points stand out by writing distinct paragraphs, and indicate the relationship between them with transitions. For example, in response to this prompt from a social work class, identify and give an example of four alternative solutions available in cases of family conflict. Note the transition phrase and the generalization supported by specific evidence. The fourth alternative open in cases of family conflict is violence, and this is not an uncommon response. When the son takes and crashes the family car, for instance, the father may explode and beat him.

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Coercive violence, on the other hand, is pointed and intentional it has the goal of producing compliance or obedience. Thus, a blow delivered with a threat not to repeat certain behaviors would be coercive. Finally, sum up your argument with a brief conclusion that lends your essay a clear sense of closure. proofread your answer. reserve a few minutes after completing your essay to proofread it carefully. Its better to cross out a paragraph that is irrelevant and to replace it with a relevant one if you have time than to allow it to stand. produced by writing tutorial services, indiana university, bloomington, in by grace fleming. Homework study tips expert grace has worked with students for many years as an academic advisor and college enrollment counselor.

She currently works as a student success coordinator at a university in georgia, where she teaches courses to help students improve academic performance, enhance research skills, and expand information literacy. You’ve packed your brain full of definitions, dates, and details, preparing for a marathon of multiple choice and true amp false questions, and now you’re staring at a single, solitary, terrifying essay question. continue reading below essay questions are based on themes and overall ideas. Teachers like to use essay questions because they give students the opportunity to express everything they’ve learned over the weeks or months, using their own words. When submitting essay answers, students are expected to cover lots of information in an organized, sensible manner. But what if you prepare for an essay question and the teacher doesn’t ask one? no problem. If you use these tips and understand the themes and ideas of the test period, the other questions will come easily.

Look at each relevant title and think of smaller ideas, chains of events, and relevant terms that fit within that theme. as you take notes, look for teacher code words. if you hear your teacher use words like once again we see or another similar event occurred, make note of it. think of a theme every day. every few nights as you review your class notes. practice your essay questions. as you do, make sure you use vocabulary terms found in your notes and text. Continue reading below if you take effective notes and think in terms of themes as you study each night, you’ll be prepared for every type of test question. You’ll soon find that, in understanding the theme of each lesson or chapter, you’ll begin to think more like your teacher thinks. Roell, your guide to test preparation, never met a person she couldn't motivate, and gets a kick out of cheerleading people to their fullest potential.