Y = Yes; Frequently S = Sometimes N = No; Never

Name______Date______Block/Day/Ribbon______

The following self-evaluation will give you an idea of how familiar, or unfamiliar, you are with some of the topics and terms discussed' in this chapter. After reading each statement, circle the letter Y, 5, or N to indicate the answer that is most appropriate for you. Answer honestly. Rate yourself at the end; then complete the information on your SelfCheck Progress Chart.

Y = yes; frequently S = sometimes N = no; never

1. Before the day of a test, I know what y S N

material will be covered.

2. Before the day of a test, I know what y · S N

type of test will be given (multiple choice, essay, and so on).

3. I try to eat healthy foods, get enough sleep, and exercise regularly. / . / y / S / N
4. I know the difference between memorizing and learning. / y / S / N
5. I avoid cramming for tests. / y / S / N
6. I do my most difficult and challenging work first. / y / S / N

7. I study for a test a little each day for several y S N

days or weeks before the testing date.

8. I am good at predicting test questions y S N

from my notes and reading material.

9. When learning new information, I use y S N

memory devices.

10. I learn from my testing mistakes and y S N

take action to prevent them in the future.

Rate Yourself:

Number of Ys______x 100 = ______

Number of Ss______x 50 = ______

Number of Ns______x 0 = ______

Total: ______

. '

:_;-;J,;_·- .

. _Number-·.---:; . : \\:.; ::. - --

. • •• -'> -:·' ••

_ ....···

Activity 1

Think about all of the tests you have taken in the past. Create a list of factors that helped you perform well. Here are a few examples: "I studied with a friend," "I got a good night's sleep," and "I studied ahead of time." Work individually at first, then, with two or three classmates try to identify the most important factors. ·

Factors that Improve Test Taking Performance
11
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11

Name______Date______Block/Day/Ribbon______

Read the following situation. Then write your responses to the questions that follow.

You may work alone or in a group.

Scott wakes up one morning, climbs into the shower, and turns on the water. He then realizes he's out

of soap. He steps out of the warm shower into the chilly air, dripping water across the floor while he

gets a bar of soap from the cabinet. When he finishes the shower, he realizes that he forgot to bring a

towel into the bathroom. He trails water in the hallway as he rummages through the closet for a towel.

After his shower, Scott-looks for his lucky sweater, and then remembers it is in the laundry. Though

he is disappointed, he eventually finds something else to wear and gets dressed. He decides to eat

a bowl of cereal before leaving for the day, but finds he'- is out of milk. Then he spends 10 minutes

searching for his bus pass. Finally, he gets to the bus stop-just in time to see the 8:00 bus driving away.

1. Were any of the events in this situation successful? If so, what were they?

2. Which events were not very successful?

3. What does "being successful" mean to you?

4. What are the factors necessary for Scott's success in the future?

This situation is a simple, yet powerful, example of how lack of preparation leads to inefficiency

and poor results. It also illustrates how preparation can ensure efficiency and good results.

118 Success Skills

Name______Date______Block/Day/Ribbon______

Activity 3

Being prepared is an important success factor for performing well, especially for

taking tests.

List what you think a student has to have or do in order to be prepared to

take a test.

Think about what has worked for you. You can add these ideas to the list of

testing success factors you created in Activity 1 .

Name______Date______Block/Day/Ribbon______

With the information you just read about the different types of tests and how you are responsible for them, how would you prepare and study for each of the tests listed below? Be specific.

Multiple Choice______

True-false

Matching ______

Fill-in-the-blank

Name______Date______Block/Day/Ribbon______

Short answer

Name______Date______Block/Day/Ribbon______

Essay _

Hands-on _

Checkpoint

1. What· does "being prepared" mean for a student?

2. Name and describe the 'three types of tests.

. . . . -

·.

3. Think about your eating, sleeping, and exercise habits. What might you want to do differently to optimize your health? ·

Name______Date______Block/Day/Ribbon______

Respond to the following questions, basing your answers on your personal experience. (This is assuming you have crammed for a test sometime in your school career!) You may work alone or with another person..

1. What are some reasons for cramming? _

i•

2. What typically happens when you cram? i

3. Why might cramming not be an effective means for learning? I

Name______Date______Block/Day/Ribbon______

Suggest an effective study order for the assignments below. Pretend that math is your hardest subject. Then, state your reasons for picking the order you did. Notice that five blanks are provided in the Order of Study column, and only four assignments are shown in the Assignment column.

One of the assignments needs to be repeated.

Assignment Order of Study

A. Write a one-page essay on ways to build background knowledge. 1.

B. Read Chapter 12 in Psychology. 2. _

C. Study for electrical design test in three days. 3. _

D. Do ten math problems on pages 54-57. 4. _

5. ______

Reasons for the order I chose:

One problem you may encounter when taking short breaks is that they can become much longer than you had expected. It is very easy to become distracted and sidetracked.

1. Brainstorm to generate a list of things you can do in a two-minute break, a five-minute break, and a ten-minute break. Use your imagination.

Two-Minute Break:

Five-Minute Break:

Ten-Minute Break:

2. What are some things that you should avoid doing because they will distract you for longer than ten minutes?

Name______Date______Block/Day/Ribbon______

Put the following information in your own words. The first two are defined terms; the last two are informational paragraphs.

1. Fluorescent lights: Tubelike bulbs that are used for general illumination purposes. The major advantage is moderate price.

2. Bank cards: Third-party credit cards, such as VISA™ and MasterCard™. Individual banks issue cards to consumers who, when they use the credit cards for purchases, owe the amount charged to the bank.

3. Electronic retailing: Has arrived in many forms, affects all retailers. Electronic retailing provides consumers with the convenience of at-home shopping through web sites and TV shopping channels, which are constantly updating their merchandise. Consumers can examine product information and make purchases from their homes.

4. What is marketing? Marketing means identifying the need for goods or services, developing products or services to meet the needs, communicating the benefits to people or organizations needing the goods or services, and distributing the goods or services to the proper markets.

The American Marketing Association provides us with a more formal definition. Marketing is the process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion, and distribution of ideas, goods, and services to create exchanges that satisfy personal and organizational objectives.

To a businessperson, marketing means having the right product at the right place at the right time at the right price and at a profit.

Now it's your turn to be creative. Below is a list of miscellaneous facts and information. Using the memory devices discussed in this chapter, how would you go about remembering the information? You can work individually or in a group.

1. The Great Lakes (listed in no special order): Ontario, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Superior

2. The six parts of soil:

air, humus, mineral salts, water, bacteria, rock particles

3. Three ways to reduce rabies:

a. Immunize more dogs and cats b. Enforce leash laws

c. Educate the public about the dangers of rabies

Name______Date______Block/Day/Ribbon______

4. Ways to improve listening:

a. Listen for the speaker's main ideas b. Listen for specific details

c. Watch for nonverbal signals d. Take notes

Name______Date______Block/Day/Ribbon______

5. Where retail consumers make purchases:

a. Department stores d. Web sites

b. TV shopping channels e. Superstores

c. Specialty stores f. Discount department stores

g. Supermarkets

h. Warehouse clubs i. Catalog sales