←back to thread

674 points peterkshultz | 1 comments | | HN request time: 0.224s | source
Show context
jackling ◴[] No.45636277[source]
Lots of good advice in this article.

My favorite pieces that I agree with 100%:

> Reading and understanding IS NOT the same as replicating the content.

This happens to me all the time. It's really important to try and replicate everything that you learn. I would go even further and constantly reaffirm that you still know how to prove facts that you take for granted.

> NEVER. EVER. EVER. Leave a test early.

Every time I find a mistake.

Some pieces that I really disagree with:

> Study very intensely RIGHT before the test.

I don't think this works, at least for me, it doesn’t. I never studied on test day unless the test was in the evening. Even in cases where I had ample time to study, I focused on preparing for my later tests. By the time test day rolls around, you either know the material or you don’t. I don’t think short-term memory is as valuable as the writer is making it out to be. I also worry that the added stress may cause you to confuse yourself when trying to frantically read through your notes or textbooks.

> If things are going badly and you get too tired, in emergency situations, chug an energy drink.

Your health is more important than the tests you take. These energy drinks are terrible for you and your brain, in my opinion. After hours of sitting, drinking such a high concentration of sugar and caffeine is terrible for you. Just go out for a walk, take a shower, and if that doesn't help, go to sleep. Trying to cram in as much knowledge as possible when your brain is fried isn't going to help you all that much.

replies(5): >>45636803 #>>45636976 #>>45640140 #>>45640687 #>>45645811 #
1. klempner ◴[] No.45640140[source]
> NEVER. EVER. EVER. Leave a test early.

It has been nearly 20 years, but my rule of thumb was that I wouldn't leave until I had done *three* review passes of the test. That is, quadruple checking, completing the exam and then reviewing my answers three times. That is pretty far into the diminishing returns for me catching my own errors.

That *almost* never happens, but there are exceptions -- sometimes they really do give way way more time than you need, especially if you are already strong at the material in question.

With that said, the key point is that the time tradeoff here for leaving early is terrible in typical college classes that have heavy weight on exams. Especially the first 10 -20 minutes of double checking is very likely worth 5+ hours of homework time or study time in terms of points towards the grade.