I was a
lousy high school student. I did the opposite of everything I am going to
suggest here. However, when I started university I made a promise to myself: 1)
I would attend every class unless I was really sick; and 2) I would do every
assignment to the best of my ability.
That worked
pretty well. I can’t honestly say I was a straight A student, but I was
considered for a medal awarded to the graduates with the best overall record. I
breezed through the post graduate courses because I already had a firm
foundation on which to build.
Since
university I taught for many years. Secondary school for eight years and many
one or two-day mini-courses and seminars over the years. I have also taken a
lot of courses, from assembler code for computer operating systems to advanced
income tax to music composition. Doesn’t matter what the subject of a course
is. If I take it, I will do well. The reason is that, in addition to the two promises
in the first paragraph that I made and kept, I have developed some insights
over the years from both a teacher’s and a student’s perspective that I’m going to share with you.
First, every
classroom has a sweet-spot that is worth a few marks to whoever sits there. If
the instructor is right handed, the sweet-spot is in the second or third row
(depending on the size of the classroom), about the mid-right of the room. (If
there are ten rows of seats it would be the third seat from the right.) If the
teacher is left-handed, then sit in the complimentary seat on the left side of
the room. The reason is simple: when writing on a marker board or flip-sheet,
that is the direction the teacher will be facing most often. And, you want the
instructor to notice you (for the right reasons, not the wrong ones).
You should
also volunteer to answer questions. Even if you are wrong, the fact that you
are responding to the teacher gives the teacher a more favourable impression of
you (everyone likes to know that he is being listened to). But, do not
volunteer too often. You don’t want to become one of those students who dominate
the class; even the instructor will become annoyed with you after a time; the
other students long before that. My rule of thumb is: I will pause before
raising my hand long enough to see if there are others volunteering answers. If
no one else responds, I will raise my hand. The occasional funny remark is
okay, but, don’t overdo it—and don’t become perceived as a “smart-ass;” no one
likes them.
When it
comes to assignments, it should not be necessary to tell you to do all of them
as best and as neatly as you can. Even if the teacher does not “check homework,”
she will know who is putting in the effort and who isn’t. Also, doing the
assignments is a way of reinforcing what the instructor was trying to get
across to you. If given a choice of assignments or questions, pick the most
difficult. The reason? Almost all of the other students will pick the easy
route—and you don’t want to be perceived as “just another student.” Even if you
mess up while attempting the hardest assignment, the teacher will appreciate that
you took the time and effort and is likely to spend some extra time with you
showing you where you went wrong.
Everyone
hates exams. But, they are less stressful if you review your
class notes and materials regularly throughout the course. Repetition makes the
memory stronger. And, most importantly, the night before the exam put your
books away. Relax and get a good night’s sleep. Cramming at the last minute
will not make up for the time you should have spent in the days and weeks
before; and, you will do better on the exam if you are relaxed and well-rested.
Take at least
three pens with you into the exam. You do not want to be caught without a
reliable writing instrument mid-exam. Bring whatever accessories you are
permitted: like calculators or dictionaries. Relax. Read the entire exam over
before starting to write down answers (your brain will be working on some of the questions in the background while you are focused on the one at hand). Estimate how much time you will need for
each section of the exam, and plan accordingly. If the exam is two-hours long
and there are four equally-sized sections spend twenty minutes on each section
(you will need time for review later). If you don’t complete a section within
your time limit, go on to the next section and return later if you have time
remaining. Read your answers over before handing in your paper; read them twice
if you have time. Ask yourself: Do they make sense? Do they address the questions?
If you
finish an exam in less than two-thirds of the allocated time, then you possibly
have not answered in the detail required or you could have missed part of a
question. The earlier you finish, the more time you should spend reviewing.
Let me give
you an example of what a simple oversight can cost. One year I was writing an
exam on business income tax returns. The questions were generally true-false,
but explanations for the answers were required and the explanations were to be written
in complete sentences with references to the particular tax law or ruling. Simple
enough, right? However, though the explanatory part of my answer clearly
answered the question correctly I did not specifically state whether the answer
was “yes” or “no” as asked. The result: instead of a perfect grade, I got 97%. Perfect
grades are a rare species that should be sought after with care and preparation—and
cherished when you get one.
