Studying in Australia: The Study Abroad Student's Guide to Success

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Question preparationPreparing for multiple choice question (MCQ)examsA very common form of exam question type.With MCQs people often feel comforted by theknowledge that at least ‘the answer is there’.However, study for an MCQ exam should beas rigorous as for any other exam; don’t let thepresence of answers limit your revision efforts.One good strategy in dealing with MCQs is tocover the possible answers (options) and workout a likely solution before looking at the options.Another good MCQ strategy is to narrow theoptions down by firstly eliminating clearly incorrectanswers.Time is another factor to consider with MCQexams. Most MCQ exams are set up for youto answer the questions at a fairly quick rate,so you’ll need to work through the questionsmethodically and at a good pace. If you areunsure of an answer, take your best guess (unlesswrong answers are penalised), highlight thequestion and come back to it if you have enoughtime. DON’T leave an MCQ question unanswered;you may not have time to return to it and willdefinitely miss out on the available marks if youdon’t providean answer.Back home you get 20%assignment, 20% mid-term andonly a few percent for the final –the final doesn’t weigh that muchso I’m a little worried about myfinal right now – it’s 75%, so I’mreally stressing out about that.Susana, CanadaPreparing for problem solving examsSimply reading through sample problems is apassive way to learn and does not test whetheryou can reach a solution on your own. Try towork through the problems that have been setthroughout the semester, under exam conditions.Problem-solving exams are conducive to activelearning methods. Modify your problems andexperiment with different variables. Don’t justmemorise definitions, play around with thematerial: can you identify the concept from itsdefinition only? Can you provide an example ofeach concept, or show where someone has usedthe concept in a practical way? Can you explainthe idea to someone else? This type of preparationcan also be done successfully in study groups, asexplaining a problem to a friend is a great way torevise it yourself.Preparing for essaysThe best way to prepare for essay-based examsis to write essays under exam conditions; i.e.timed and with a word limit. Make sure you don’tjust stop there; have someone whose opinionsyou value check the essay for you and give somefeedback.Preparing for take-home essay examsTake home exams are commonly used inHumanities subjects. These are usually longessays (up to 3,000 words) which you have ashort time to complete (usually 3-7 days).The key to doing well in any essay-based examis to answer the question asked without simplyregurgitating material you have learnt on the topic.Allow yourself some time to brainstorm the essayquestion and plan a response. The stages arethe same as those required for an essay (seeChapter 4 Writing), only your research phase willbe more limited.34 http://services.unimelb.edu.au/academicskills
Using your memoryIt’s important to be able to apply material,but part of successful exam performance isalso in recalling information. When recallinginformation, the emphasis is on working withthe ideas, not merely cramming as many factsor ideas as possible into your head.Theories are important as they help to organiseideas. Once the principles are understoodother concepts may become clearer.Understanding and organising ideas aretherefore keys to memory. For example if youunderstand the principles of why and how anengine works, it is easier to identify a problemand repair a broken-down car.Repeating things over and over is one wayto remember material, but other strategiesand factors can influence how you retaininformation. For example:Motivation: a real interest in something makesdetails easier to recall. Think how well you canremember the characters and plot of a movieyou like.Understanding: by understanding something,you can more easily recall the details withoutlearning it by rote; it is also more meaningful toyou as real knowledge, not just data.Organisational patterns: understanding howa certain system is organised allows easierrecall of the separate parts that contribute tothat system.Linking: by associating related items orrecognising similarities or links between ideas,you will remember them more easily.Visualisation: imagination enhances memory,and being able to visualise something in athree-dimensional image is a good way toembed knowledge.Memory aids: a good way to remember itemsin a list is to use some type of memory aid withother words; for example, FANBOYS representsthe seven conjunctions - For, And, Nor, But,Or, Yet and So – that are used as sentenceconnectors, not sentence starters.Tips for exam dayOrganise getting to the examCheck all exam information yourself. Do notrely on others for details such as day, time andlocation of your exams, where you must sit andwhether you are allowed to take in any materials(e.g. calculator). Use the Student Portal, LMS orexam noticeboard to check and double check thetimetable information.If you have some time, it is worth going to thelocation prior to your first exam so that you knowexactly where it is. Have a look around; the lessmystery there is about the day, the better you willfeel.Maintain a sensible study routine prior to the examperiod. If you have morning exams, then makesure you are doing some morning study (between9am and 12pm) so the exam is not outside of yourdaily routine; the same goes for afternoon exams.Allow extra time in your journey for any mishaps(flat tyres, cancelled trains, peak-hour traffic etc.).If you arrive early, use the time to gather yourthoughts and calm your nerves. Avoid talkingabout the exam with other students; comparingstudy notes could affect your confidence andundermine the positive approach to the exam thatyou have developed.Use your reading timeMost exams include 15 minutes of reading time;however, this may vary from subject to subject, socheck instructions for each exam. Note that thistime is only for reading, as the name suggests,so you cannot write during this time. Readingtime also generally begins 15 minutes before theadvertised start time.Use this time to get an overview of the entirepaper by skim reading through it first. Read theinstructions carefully and work out what you needto do; how many questions you need to answer;marks for each question; and the amount of timeyou should spend on each question.Time management: keep an eye on the clockEffective time management during the exam isan important component of exam success: takein a watch to keep an eye on the time. The morequestions you attempt, the more marks youhave access to. Thus you need to have a plan tomanage your time – and you must stick to thisplan. The amount of effort you put into an answershould be proportional to the marks it carries, soyou should spend most time on the questionsStudying in Australia: The Study Abroad Student’s Guide to Success35
Page 1 and 2: Study in AustraliaThe Study Abroad
Page 3 and 4: Studying in Australia:The Study Abr
Page 5 and 6: 1. Studying in Australia:what to ex
Page 7 and 8: Back home in all my classesyou’re
Page 9 and 10: The marking system was a bitdifficu
Page 11 and 12: Getting help and gettinginvolvedStu
Page 13 and 14: Attitudes to authority andrulesNoti
Page 15 and 16: A good place to meet Australian stu
Page 17 and 18: Succeeding in study in any situatio
Page 19 and 20: In America, we have much longercont
Page 21 and 22: Motivation: how to stayenthusiastic
Page 23 and 24: 4. Tips to maximise yourstudy succe
Page 25 and 26: • To create a basis for your writ
Page 27 and 28: SpeakingThere are two main academic
Page 29 and 30: WritingIt is common for subject ass
Page 31 and 32: Research resourcesThere are many re
Page 33 and 34: Australian academic writingstyleThe
Page 35 and 36: Writing with support: using sources
Page 37: Exam preparation essentialsLike mos
Page 41: 6. Heading HomeWhen your exams and

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