20180321

Online reading assignment question: helpful/unhelpful Midterm 1 physics study tips

Physics 205B, spring semester 2018
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students have a bi-weekly online reading assignment (hosted by SurveyMonkey.com), where they answer questions based on reading their textbook, material covered in previous lectures, opinion questions, and/or asking (anonymous) questions or making (anonymous) comments. Full credit is given for completing the online reading assignment before next week's lecture, regardless if whether their answers are correct/incorrect. Selected results/questions/comments are addressed by the instructor at the start of the following lecture.

Describe something notable that either helped or did not help with studying for this midterm. Selected comments may be discussed in class. (Graded for completion.)

The following are all of the student responses to this question, verbatim and unedited.
"I just work my way through the problems for the subjects I know I have trouble with."

"Don't procrastinate!!! C'mon guys."

"Look at past quizzes, know how to solve a problem from every possible angle."

"The thing that helps the most is the examples of 'p' rubric answers for questions."

"I try to learn and know the material throughout each week. So that I’m not trying to study and stress right before a test. If I know it I know it and I don’t need to over study for it. I just need to preform and show what I know is all..."

"Repetition, repeatedly doing problems that are pertinent to the midterm."

"I have found that it helps to read through all of the example problems and try to figure them out in my head then do them on paper and see how close I got or if I was right. It helps me think through which equations to use for which problems."

"Reviewing the problems from past quizzes as well as some of the more difficult past homework problems. Also, taking notes on each reading assignment when they are assigned helps with studying for the midterm."

"The practice problems help."

"Going over practice problems helps a lot."

"Working through the practice problem set helps!"

"The explanations at the end of each sample problem really help me understand what I need to know or how to approach a problem."

"Just working problems and nailing concepts."

"Reviewing other midterm problems really helps."

"Reviewing old midterm and quiz questions. Reviewing the online notes with my notes to refresh for some questions."

"Going through old reading assignments on the website and going through my notes while actually practicing some of the concepts we went over and keeping them fresh."

"After the review session I was a little bummed to hear the the midterm was going to be more conceptual then actual physics type problems. The idea of trying to apply certain formulas or theories to a problem that you normally wouldn't but you just have to assume that it will work has definitely made studying a little harder for me."

"Don't study what won't be on the test."

"Practice problems over and over again until you're comfortable."

"Doing all the provided practice midterm problems on the website and checking your answer with the correct responses helps prepare for the exam."

"Going over the practice problems can be helpful when preparing for the midterm."

"The blog posts with correct solutions help me understand possible question types and answers that allow me to better prepare."

"Doing all of the review problems, being present and actively participating in lecture."

"I find that doing online midterm questions from past tests (there are quite a few) help a great deal since it helps prepare for the style of questions that might be asked. "

"Being engaged in class is the most helpful thing that can be done to prepare for the exams and quizzes in my opinion."

"I think that the practice problems will help as well as watching Khan Academy videos. My notes have only helped me a little."

"I keep the same routine to study the exams. Every week I rewrite the lesson from the blog and print it. Three days before quizzes, I do all the exercises listed in the weekly plan and label them as (easy, hardcore or reread). Three days before the midterm, I do the same with the prep list of exercises given and I add all the previous ones labelled as 'hardcore.' Two days before, I make a single page of review points. And the day before, I reread all the exercises labelled as it plus my review guide. It is not too much work but all of organization (and I kill a lot of trees too :/ )"

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