Issue 13

Test Taking Tips

Junior Editor's Note
by Brittney S.


Hi, I’m Brittney S., the junior editor of WannaBet. Well, it’s time to go back to school, isn’t it? Believe me, I feel the same way you do - back to staying up to odd hours of the night doing homework, cramming for tests. While it can be exciting to meet new people and get a fresh start, if you’re like me you know it’s hard to get yourself back into the study routine. Here I have some advice for studying, and it comes from experiences where I wished I‘d studied better or more or studied at all !

Cramming: A Definite Don't

I’m sure we’ve all put off studying for a test before. We say it’ll be easy, or that we’ll have time later. But procrastinating only makes it worse. You end up staying up into the morning, peering at your books and notes, trying desperately to remember everything you need to know. If you’re plain good at memorizing, you may remember facts and figures, but won’t have any clue what they mean or how to explain them if asked an essay question. Besides that, you’re likely to forget most of what you did learn by the next week. Here are some better ways to study:

  • Study day-by-day; it’ll be less work each day and less strain and pressure on your mind.
  • Plan what you’re going to study for each day, so you don’t end up not knowing what to do and then putting it off for tomorrow.
  • When you study, make it worthwhile. There’s no sense in reading a chapter or a list of definitions if you’re not concentrating, because ou’ll have to do it again.

Timed Exams

Ugh. Timed tests - the panic of finishing it on time and answering correctly. When we’re rushed, we tend to forget things we otherwise would’ve remembered. But they key is remaining confident and yes, taking your time. But not too much time.

  • When you receive your copy of the test, look through all of the pages right away. If you see any directions or questions that you are unclear of how you should answer, now’s the time to ask your teacher.
  • Start at the beginning and skim through all of the questions, answering only those you’re completely sure of; if you spend too much time on a question you don’t know the answer to, you may run out of time with more questions you could’ve answered left blank.
  • After answering all the one’s you’re sure of, you can go back and think about the questions you skipped before. Re-read them, and make sure you know what they’re asking. Knowing all of the questions you did know are answered, you won’t feel quite as rushed and panicky.

Most Importantly...

...be yourself!!! Start of the school year confident that you are who you are and you like it. Really, it’s a lot more fun (and easier to concentrate on schoolwork) if you feel free to be yourself around everybody else.

Good luck!

Brittney S.
9th Grade
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