Tips for Online Course Success: Importance of the Test Review

Taking an online course requires just as much time and hard work as an in class course would require. One good tip to make your progress in the online course successful is to utilize all resources that the professor will provide.

One great resource that some online professors will post up is a Test Review. This will be very handy to use as you study for your exam. Also depending on the amount of test that the course will have, this test review document may be the key to making a high mark.

Two weeks prior to the date of the test would be a great time to read and print out the test review document. Once you have read the document compare what you have already studied with the course syllabus to make sure that there are no errors. Then come up with a study plan that involves the review sheet.

One good way to study with the review sheet is to divide the topics or questions on the review sheet ( some professors will have possible test questions as the test review document) into sections. Most people study well when the work is broken up into small sections. For example, if the review sheet has fifty questions and you have fourteen days until the test (not including the test day) study and review four questions per day. Then as each day goes by , study four more questions and then review the previous four. Do this until you are completely done, so that the night before the test you are reviewing the material and not finding answers and learning them for the first time. Most people learn by repetition and this is a great way to incorporate repetitious work.

Also, if you can use this strategy if you have to learn a large number of terms. One great way to learn many terms is by the use of index cards. First, write down the terms in your notebook. Then section the terms into groups by how many terms you will learn per day. Again if you have fifty terms to learn then learn four terms per day ( if you have fourteen days to study prior to the test date), by writing each term on one index card. It is also a good idea to write the definition on the opposite side of that card to insure a better way of learning the terms well. On the night prior to the test, you should be reviewing the terms and not learning new ones. Also to make sure that you are not conditioning your brain to remember sequences of which words are coming up next as you quiz yourself, shuffle the cards up every time you review. Remember that with each day add four new terms and then review the previous days terms.

These tips may seem time consuming but in reality they are not. Most students wait until two days before a test to start reviewing. Even when using a study guide this is too much stress and overload of information for a person to process and retain that quickly. By beginning your test review two weeks before the exam you are not just memorizing the information, you are putting that information into your long term memory. Also, you are reducing your level of test anxiety and stress by giving yourself plenty of time to study. Try these helpful tips and see for yourself. They have worked for me. Happy Studying