Posted By: ashvin004 alex ! how to speed read for test - 08/21/04 10:43 PM
hai,
i read this forum and its been a pleasure .i am a med student about to take a test in 40 days and in need of some good advice .
i practice to reduce my subvocalization ,use pacers my computer pointer.
just to get an idea my test is 2days 8hrs each with 1hr break spread over like lifes more eternal moments of rescue to catch once breath.
so u can guess how need to prepare.i want some good ways to maintain my concentration for like 8 to 10 hr chunks of time with minimum breaks obviously for like 10 min to 15 per 60 min sittings
iam at 300wpm as my items on test are 48 for 60 mins were rougly i get 72 secounds per item to analyze and answer
with all these number blabla all i want is better ways to handle this load
all good advice welcome






For test taking strategies you start with Pauls advice Dana Posted it in 2001 here is the link. http://www.learningstrategies.com/forum/ubb/Forum8/HTML/000707.html

At the beginning of each test calculate how much time you have for each question and then reduce the time slightly so that in a 60 minute test you have 6 to 10 minutes to spare at the end to go back and answer any questions you had left. It also stops you from spending too long on challenging questions at the expense of 3 or 4 easier further on in the paper that you don't get to because you hooked too long on earlier questions.

For essays try to leave a little longer than 10 minutes at the end. So if you have 3 essay questions in 1 hour instead of spending 20 minutes on each spend only 15 minutes this leaves you 15 minutes to polish them by giving them the 5 minutes if necessary however if you've done it right you'll have extra time for the tricky one.

Pre test preparation. Review you material, recover anything that you seem to have forgotten since this is an important exam for you I expect that you would be willing to put in 2 to 3 hours a day for review. Break it up into 30 minute blocks and stagger your subjects. As a PhotoReader. PhotoRead all your relevant textbooks perhaps daily for a week or 2 prior to the exam.

Wear similar clothes for studying as you will for the test. Wear on you hands an wrist what you will be wearing in the test. Recreate the test environment for studying and reviewing as best you can. In many cases this will mean a desk clear of everything except the material revelant to the subject. Have water on your desk.

This may or may not be allowed in certain exam rooms however if possible have plenty of water on hand to keep the brain hydrated. Chewing also helps to feed oxygen to the brain so chew gum if it's permissible to do so. Whilst preparing for the test munch on some healthy snacks like apples, carrots and other raw vegies and fruits. Otherwise chew gum.

Since you usually are not permitted to use CD players abstain from listening to music whilst studying however in between time during breaks, this goes for studying and during the exam you can certainly listen to relaxing music. Whether the Mozart effect is true or not and whether listening to Mozart prior to an exam can increase improve your results is still debated however it certainly is preferable music to listen and avoid anything with vocals. It also helps to calm you in preparation for the next stage.

Apply Edu-K and begin with P.A.C.E for breaks these exercises help to keep the brain in a state where it can concentrate.

A nice visual site is here.
http://cc.ysu.edu/rdg-studyskills/PACE/introduction_to_pace.htm

Never study one subject for more than 4 hours (unlearning takes place and confusion tends to set in) take regular breaks.

Obviously during the exam you'll have to do the best you can so get plenty of rest beforehand. So get to bed at your normal resonable bedtime and get the sleep. Have a good breakfast keep the coffee to a minimum, a little coffee can help but remember it dehydrates and you will need to replace the water and really it ain't no fun sitting through an exam busting for a leak.

Stay away from sugared drinks opt for plain water if you can. The energy rush can leave you depleted at a bad time so give up soft drinks for a few days prior to the exams already and eat foods that give you a sustained energy level.

From the PhotoReading Toolbox.

Get to your exam table with enough time so that you can set yourself up and close your eyes for a minute to 3 and enter the Accelerated Learning State. State some positive affirmations/intentions for the exam. You can use the week or 2 prior to the exam to practice entering the accelerative learning state and stating your intention to handle the exams well and to obtain your best passing grade as a result.

Remember the tangerine You'll find it most useful here if you should happen to feel that the exams are a bit distractive. And the tangerine applies to all reading so remember to use it.

If you have the Paraliminal, Memory Supercharger and or Personal Genius. Put them to use. Try Personal Genius in the morning and use Memory Supercharger after studying. I suggest you tell yourself that you intend to remember the information that is asked of you in the exams prior to listening to Memory Supercharger.
in summery
Get rest.
Enjoy relaxing music between studying and exams.
Drink plenty of water.
A little bit of caffine stimulates the brain but too much is no good so go easy on the stuff.
Do P.A.C.E from edu-K
Chewing helps feed oxygen to the brain and can help with clear thinking.
Prepare for the exams by studying in setting as if you are in the exams
Check out Pauls Suggestions for handling actual exam questions and consider hom much time you have on each question not to stay too long with the tricky ones.
Use the tools from your PhotoReading toolbox.

These are suggestions do what you feel comfortable doing and modify according to your needs.

Good Luck

Alex

[This message has been edited by Alex K. Viefhaus (edited August 22, 2004).]





Posted By: ashvin004 Re: alex ! how to speed read for test - 08/23/04 05:20 AM
thanks alot Alex that was helpfull.
i use newage instrumentals to activate my self to get in the "zone"and similate test environment,and am good at food also complex carbs at specific times ,need to work on the extra 5 min each block
i am barly left with time for last 10 questions i am running 60 sec each
losing a lot at the end .i will leave bulky once for end i can go for 3 to 4 in each block with 5 mins extra time each block to handle them
i think even if i lose these 3-4 questions it doesnt really matter because i am focusing my time on 46 other
btw each question is 300 words with answer choices /need to answer in one min
i am timing myself like biofeed back just to make my self realize were my time goes and also to reduce wasters to minimum
thought control and balancing my emotions is important now for me
the middle path no high no low just there!
ash







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