STRATEGIES to SUCCEED in PSYCH 105

STRATEGIES TO SUCCEED in PSYCH 105

Prologue
A number of students do very well in PSYCH 105 every semester. Unfortunately, some students also struggle. I asked two students who excelled in the course (earning over 100%) to share the strategies for success. This is what they wrote:

Topics
Class
Studying
Taking Exams
Research Participation
ANGEL Quizzes
Writing Papers

Class

• Be disciplined and motivated

This is perhaps the most important key to succeeding in PSYCH 105. Without discipline you won’t do the best you can in the course. You have to put in the work and you must take the course seriously. You MUST put effort into this course; it is worth it. The semester isn’t that long; you have to remain motivated throughout it. Set goals and reward yourself for being disciplined. For example, if you spent a large amount of time studying on Saturday, make sure to do something nice for yourself, whatever that may be :-).

• Coming to class ISN’T enough!!

While coming to class regularly IS important and essential to acing a course, it’s not enough to just be a “body in a chair.” Your MIND has to be there, too….not just your body. If you zone out, do other homework, text, daydream….or anything else besides focusing on the material and lecture, you might as well have stayed home. Instead, pay attention to the lecture and absorb what is being said. You don’t have to fully “understand” what is being said the first time you hear something new in a lecture in order to “get it” (comprehension of the new material will come after you’ve reviewed the material before the next class).

• Take notes

Filling in the blanks on the slides and ignoring anything else that comes out of Dr. Peck’s mouth (or any other professor for that matter) won’t get you an “A” in Psych 105 (or any course). Sometimes, the most important information said in class isn’t said when the professor is in “lecture mode.” Often times, exam questions, important material, or information that can help you “tie everything together” is hidden in what the professor says AFTER making reference to something on a slide. Take notes in the margins of Dr. Peck’s slides because they can turn out to be a HUGE benefit to you. Not only will these notes help you better understand the material when you go back and review, but they will also help you to write a better essay on the next exam. By having this extra information, you’ll be able to write an essay that has more depth than an essay written based on the sentences provided in the lecture notes. Likewise, taking extra notes will FORCE you to stay focused and engaged during class and will allow you to comprehend the material in a way that YOU understand (rather than how it may be worded on the slides).

Studying

• Learning/Studying doesn’t have to be boring!

You will remember material MUCH better if you make it relevant to yourself. This does NOT have to be serious. For example, when reading about Dr. Line Crosser, imagine him (or her) looking like a friend or celebrity. Think about that friend or celebrity acting out the part of Dr. Line Crosser. You are much more likely to remember this image than the plain definition of Dr. Line Crosser. Be creative; the more fun you have with the material and the more you can relate it to your interests the better you will remember it. YOU have to make it interesting. Do this with friends and have fun doing it.

• Discuss the material.

When studying, don’t just quiz your study buddy, have an actual discussion about the material (both with and without notes). By discussing the material you can really access what you do and don’t know. You may know what something “means” in your head, but when you have to actually explain it to someone it may be more difficult. Also, a discussion will help you gain new perspectives on the material that you can tie into your own understandings of the course’s content.

• Bring PSYCH 105 into your home.

A really good way to remember lists, definitions, and people’s accomplishments is to put up study papers in your dorm or apartment. For example, write the names of different psychologists/philosophers on a piece of paper with their accomplishments next to their names big enough so that you can read it from a little distance. Put this piece of paper somewhere where you will see it every day, such as on the door, a mirror, the refrigerator, ect. Put it above the tv and stare at it during commercials or put it next to your bed and stare at it before you go to sleep. Do this a week before the exam and it will become drilled into your brain. Just make sure you actually read the paper when you see it otherwise it won’t work. Writing in bold, bright colors helps!

• Study when you get a spare minute.

Study before class and whenever you are just hanging around waiting for something/someone. A key way to be successful in this course is to consistently review your notes (yes, everyweek, not just exam weeks). If you have ten minutes before class, look over your notes. If you are waiting for your friend for lunch, look over your notes. Already that is twenty minutes of study time for PSYCH 105 that day! Make efficient use of your time so that way you can have free time at the end of the day.

• Don’t move on unless you understand the current material.

It is essential that you take the time to understand the material before you move on. PSYCH 105’s content builds on itself, which means if you don’t understand something, it can escalate into confusion within a few lectures. However, if you take the time to understand the material before moving on, you can avoid feeling lost.

• How to conquer the dreaded essay exams.

Writing essay exams is stressful….and when you throw in an added multiple choice section that needs to be completed in 50 minutes, the task can become even MORE daunting. RELAX!! If you prepare for the exam the right way, you’ll feel calm and confident when it’s time to take the exam. Here are a few tips for preparing for essay exams:

-Psych 105 is unique in the fact that Dr. Peck is so organized and actually GIVES you the study guide ahead of time. Do NOT take this for granted!! Take a moment to look over the study guide before class. Look at what the exam questions are. Keep these questions in mind when listening to the lecture. Does anything jump out at you when an essay topic is discussed in class? Write down LOTS of notes that can later be used in your essay. You can NEVER have too many notes!!

-It’s NEVER too early to begin thinking about essays or to practice writing them. These “mock” essays will help “train you” for taking the actual exams. It’s impossible for anyone to go into an essay exam without giving at least SOME thought to the material beforehand. It’s a great opportunity to be able to actually PRACTICE what you’re going to write about before the exam!!

-Time management. Because you only have 50 minutes, you will need to use your time wisely (because you will want to go back and review your test and re-read your essay….yes this can be done). Time yourself when writing mock essays. Set a time limit. Don’t worry about going over the time limit a little bit during your first attempts, because your time will get better the more you practice writing your essay. Budget your time so that you allocate enough time to not feel rushed during the exam. Keep an eye on the clock and be disciplined when following your allocated times.

-Once you’ve thought about some of the essay questions, go back and look at your lecture notes, and all of the notes that you took on your own. This is where it becomes important that you understand the material in your own way and don’t just understand the material by reading what’s on the slides.

-Brainstorm!! Whether you like to jot down notes on a piece of paper or just spend a few days thinking about the questions, try to come up with a basic structure of how you want to answer the proposed questions. This is why it’s important that you begin to study EARLY!! Not only will you have more time to practice writing the essay, but you’ll feel less pressure and anxiety when taking the exam.

-Writing the actual essay for the first time can be a little daunting, which is why it’s better to mess it up, throw it in the trash, and start over on a PRACTICE essay and not a REAL one!! WRITE the essay, DO NOT type it, if possible. You want to make the practice essay seem as close to the real one, as possible. And time yourself. As it gets closer to the exam, try not to use your notes when writing the essay. Instead, act as if you are taking the actual exam and cannot use them.

-Practice makes perfect. By practicing each essay, you’re training yourself how to focus for when you take the exam. Before you know it, you’ll train yourself on how to get into “the zone” of writing essays because you’ll have a general idea about what you want to write about. You’ll feel as if you’ve “gone through it all before.”

-Practicing the essays does NOT mean copying them over and over again. Practicing essays should NOT be about memorizing one essay. Instead, have an idea of how you want to answer the question and practice answering it using different words….you have to be FLEXIBLE and ready to explain your ideas in different ways, not just one. Don’t become too rigid with yourself. You do NOT want to lock yourself into memorizing a bunch of words. You won’t learn anything that way. Instead, you want to be able to write freely when answering the essay.

-Make sure you have a CLEAR point of view in your essay. Take a position!! Make sure you argue WHY you stand by your position. This is your chance to prove that you’re right about something. Be convincing. Act as if you know what you’re talking about and are trying to convince the reader that YOU’RE right. If you don’t fully agree with your position, you STILL have to stand by the position you’ve taken in the essay and argue its strong points. Do NOT let your ego or pride get in the way. Suck it up and ACE the essay.

-Believe it or not, one of the BEST ways to help you understand the material is to explain it to someone else. Have someone ask you one of the essay questions and then EXPLAIN it to them. It’s important that you can express your answer freely and comfortably.

-By practicing writing (or orally expressing) your answer, you’ll be able to see where you need to have more clarification on certain material, where you have “gaps” in certain information, or where you may not fully understand some concepts. You’ll also learn how to avoid getting into those, “Ahhhhh!! I don’t know what to write!!” moments that may happen on exams.

-DO NOT wait until the last minute to study!! Allow AT LEAST a week in advance to begin seriously preparing for the exam (you should always be “preparing” for the exam).

Taking Exams

• Go over your test!!!! Do NOT hand it in without looking it over!!!!

When first given a test it is normal to blank out. You are nervous and your brain isn’t warmed up. Answer the questions you initially know the answers to and circle the ones that you are currently confused about. Then, after you have gone through the test, go back to the questions you have circled. And then (yes, there is more!!) GO BACK AND REVIEW THE ENTIRE TEST IF THERE IS TIME! Be observant; sometimes other questions can help you answer something you are unsure about. Use the test itself for information to help you trigger things you have forgotten. There is no reason to rush through the test. It’s tempting to leave class early, but getting a good grade will be much more enjoyable. People make mistakes: CHECK OVER YOUR TEST!

• Tie information together.

This course requires that you can effectively write essays, which means you have to be able to tie information together. Do not just isolate facts and memorize them; that will not help you in PSYCH 105. This course is about understanding the material. You have to understandhow certain things relate to other things and what overall messages Dr. Peck is trying to tell you. For example, why did you learn about thephilosophers that you did and how do they relate to one another? What is Dr. Peck trying to get across? If you approach the material critically the essays will be much easier to write.

• Print out the review guide and use it.

In addition to writing practice essays, write short essays (or bullet points) relating a few of the separate key terms together. For example, on Exam One, how do the terms “recipe knowledge,” “public paradox,” and “misconceptions of psychology” relate to one another? This is an efficient way to truly understand the material. Writing definitions for solo terms is also helpful.

Research Participation

Check the subject poolALL the time. Last semester, most studies seemed to “appear” somewhere between nine and one. On a few occasions they appeared later in the afternoon and a few did appear around eight at night. If you actually attend a research obligation (not an online survey) it is possible that it won’t take the entire time you have signed up for, so don’t necessarily avoid the longer studies. Research participation is worth doing and pretty painless. Check the subject pool on your phone or computer whenever you get a spare minute. Make it an obsession and you can complete the hours long before the end of the semester.

Angel Quizzes

Read through the readings right before you are going to take the quizzes. Some of the questions will refer to specific facts; with the material fresh in your mind you will know where to locate the answers in the book. Also, highlight definitions, important statements, and the names of people in the readings. “People” include anything from psychologists to professors at universities; it is best to just highlight anyone’s name. This way, if you are given a question with multiple choice answers, you can easily locate the names you have to choose from and see which answer is the best choice. These quizzes don’t expect you to memorize the readings. Your best bet is to understand the main points of the reading and to highlight the facts (literally, with a highlighter) so that you can locate them when you are taking the quiz.

Writing Papers

There are three papers in Dr. Peck’s Psych 105 course. All three of them can be a lot of fun and really enjoyable if you handle them the “right” way. I can’t stress enough how important it is that you DO NOT wait until the last minute. You will need time to think about the paper, write the paper, and re-read and revise the paper. Here are a few tips to use when writing the papers:

-Before beginning any paper, you want to think about what you’re going to write about. This means spending time outside class thinking about what you’d like to do your paper on. This doesn’t have to be boring or tedious. This “brainstorming period” can be done while listening to music, going for a jog, waiting for a class to begin, during lunch….pretty much any time in which you have a spare moment to think about your intended topic. Be creative!! You’re ALLOWED to daydream when considering topics. It will help you come up with more abstract ideas that are salient to what YOU want to write about. In relation to Dr. Peck’s class, this would be the time when you would begin thinking about which movie you’d like to use for your “Movie Analysis” paper, or what type of study you’d like to perform for your “Myth Busters Paper.” In order to allow for this “brainstorming period,” it’s essential that you begin thinking about your topic as early as possible.

-Pick a topic that’s interesting to YOU!! Essays don’t have to be boring. This is your chance to share something that you find interesting with someone else!!

-After deciding which topic you want to choose, go ahead and do anything that needs to be done for that topic. Whether it’s watching a movie, performing an experiment, or researching careers, it’s IMPORTANT that you have Dr. Peck’s questions with you while doing these activities. Keep these points in mind. Take notes regarding the points that are stressed in the essay handouts, which can later be used when writing your paper.