By Tristian Evans/reporter
When taking a test, students should strive for a grade that shows they have a competent understanding of the subject, South Campus counselor Annie Dobbins told students during the How to Take a Test and Pass seminar Nov. 18.
Dobbins encouraged students to pick a specific study method and to take good lecture and textbook notes. Dobbins also said students should be confident.
“A man without vision will perish,” she said. “You have to believe you can do it.”
With any test, Dobbins said students should answer the easiest questions first. When it comes to dealing with true-or-false questions, test-takers should first assume all questions are true until they can be proved false.
To illustrate, Dobbins displayed a mock true-or-false test on a PowerPoint presentation while students followed along on their handouts. Dobbins said extreme modifiers such as “always,” “only,” “every” and “never” usually appear in false statements.
When it comes to multiple-choice tests, Dobbins said students should get rid of extra answers.
“The basic strategy for answering multiple-choice questions is to eliminate the distracters,” she said.
Students should never assume an unfamiliar term is the correct answer, she said.
They should pay attention to the phrases “all of the above” and “none of the above,” Dobbins said.
“Whenever you see ‘all of the above,’ that is correct,” she said. “Whenever you see ‘none of the above,’ that is incorrect.”
With essay questions, Dobbins said students should pretend they are writing to a friend or family member to help reduce stress.
Dobbins ended her presentation by telling students to have the right attitude when studying for tests and to eat properly to prevent hunger-related distractions.
“You put in the right information, you’ll get [the grade] you want,” she said.
South student Bobby Graham enjoyed Dobbins’ tips.
“[The seminar] was pretty good,’” he said. “I learned things that can help me.”
He was also impressed by Dobbins’ energetic and enthusiastic way of presenting the information.
“She’s a good presenter,” he said. “It was entertaining, and [her enthusiasm] helped me get the point.”
