Exam Strategies!

Here are my top ten strategies for reviewing study materials and difficult texts

1.       As I am reading the text I underline or highlight material I do not understand. These areas I will constantly review and use other sources that may explain the text in simpler terms.

2.       When I read the text I look if there are questions at the end to test my knowledge on the subject or I create my own questions.

3.       I read actively and take notes in my own words, that way I am able to see how I express ideas effectively.

4.       I f there is a word I am not familiar with I will look it up in the dictionary.

5.        I like mapping my notes, that way the information does not look so overwhelming

6.       Also I assure myself that I might not understand all the material instantly and so I must reread the material over the course of days or even weeks depending on the difficulty.

7.       Depending on what I am studying, for example the human body, I might make up a song or create an acronym to help me memorise details.

8.       When I have a difficult text, I also connect to the web for example, Youtube or Yahoo answers in order to clarify my queries.

9.       I love to add color and graphics to my material so that I can easily memorise.

10.   Finally I love to have a study group and discuss with my peers. For example when I was studying for my chemistry exam my grades improved greatly with the study group I was a part of.¹

My top ten strategies for preparing and taking exams

1.       I begin to prepare for exams from the first day of class, where I constantly review and reread my assignments.

2.       I study in many short periods of times, so that I do not get fatigue about the subject

3.       I take proper notes, once you have good notes, most of the battle to pass the exam is over

4.       I also try to predict questions that will come on my exam.

5.       Near to the exam  date I always have some prepared flash cards to go over materials

6.       During the exam I always read the instructions carefully

7.       Preview how much time I have for the exam

8.       If I am doing an essay I will first create a draft

9.       I always work the easiest questions first

10.   I always leave some time to review my answers, edit an essay or check to see if questions left unanswered. ²

These above strategies and methods have worked for me because I proven them with my grades. Once I am consistent throughout my course using these strategies, I am assured that I will do well in my exam and this reduces the level of anxiety I will have before and during the exam.  Therefore I go into the exam confident, and leave confident knowing that I have done my best.²

References

1.        Joe Landsberger (2012) Study Guides and Strategies Retrieved from http://www.studygs.net/texred1.htm

2.       University of Minnesota (2011) Test Taking Strategies Retrieved from http://www.d.umn.edu/kmc/student/loon/acad/strat/test_take.html

Physics Time - The Television!

How is the Television Picture made?

Most persons have a television in their homes but they are quite unaware of the science that goes on. Some of the pioneers who helped to invent the television were John Logie Baird, Philo Farnsworth and Vladimir Zworykin. Without the television, communication throughout the world would be limited and we would not have the movie industry, which involves our daily entertainment

The television picture begins in the camera. There is no film in this camera. Its job is to change the picture it sees into a sort of electrical picture that can be sent through wires and across space.

1.       Light enters lens – the picture comes in through the camera and is focused on a screen that is sensitive to light

2.       And falls on screen – as the ray of light hits the screen, it gives off the microscopic charges electricity called electrons

3.       Releasing electrons

4.       Which flow to target

5.       Electron gun “scans” target – at the other end of the tube is an electron gun, shooting out a thin stream of electrons the way a water pistol shoots out water. This stream of electrons moves back and forth across the face of the target, which has light sensitive spots.

6.       And its beam bounces back to the  electron collection plate -

7.       Is strengthened

8.       And flows out of the tube – The electron beam scans so quickly that 30 separate pictures are being sent out every second. This fast enough to catch and send out whatever action is going on in front of the camera.

Television image scanning consists of horizontal lines that are sequentially displaced in a vertical direction until the whole image area is covered. When no picture information is present, the full set of scanning lines is called a raster. The scanning of a single image is called a field, and the horizontal vertical scan rates are normally synchronous with the local power line frequency.

References

Bookshelf for boys and girls (1958) Nature and Science University Society: USA

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Who_invented_the_television

Biology Time!!! - The Heart Valves

The heart consist of two pairs of valves:

1. Atrioventricular valves  -  these valves guard the opening between  the atria and ventricles.  The atrioventricular valve on the right side is called the tricuspid valve and the atrioventricular valve on the left is called the bicuspid or mitral valve.

2. Semilunar valves -  guards the exits of the ventricles to the arterial  system .  The semilunar valve  located at the exit of the right ventricle is called  the pulmonary valve and the semilunar valve  located at exit of the left ventricle is called the aortic valve.

 The human heart

Chem Time !!! States of matter

There are three states of matter solid, liquid and gas

 -The  condition of the these three states may be changed based on changes made to its  temperature, volume and pressure
-  Boyle's Law is used to calculate the unknown  pressure or volume
P1V1 = P2V2 

eg. 600 cm3 of gas at constant temperature atone atmosphere has its pressure increased to 9 atm
What is its new volume?
ANS :
P1V1 = P2V2  can be  rearranged
V2 = P1V1/P2 =  1x 600/9 = 66.7 cm3


- Charles' Law is used  to calculate an unknown volume or temperature
V1/T1 = V2/T2

eg.  A gas of volume 100 cm3 at 273K rises to a volume of  300cm3 at constant pressure. What temperature is the increased volume of gas?
ANS:

V1/T1 = V2/T2 can be rearranged to
T2=V2 xT1 /V1
T2 =100 /300 x 273K = 819K

- The General Gas Law is formed by the Combination of the Boyle's and  Charles' Law

P1V1 /T1  = P2V2/T2

eg. A 4 litre volume of gas with a pressure of  2 atm and temperature of  800K has its volume kept  constant  but its temperature raised to 1000K. What is the new pressure of the gas.

The  gas law equation is rearranged to

P2 = P1xV1xT2 /T1x V2
 =2x4x 1000/ 800 x 4
= 1.25 atm

Tips for studying the sciences and math......

Studying the sciences can sometimes prove difficult but with effective strategy this can all be surpassed.
 ... Try to review your lessons everyday even if it is just fifteen minutes

 ... Practice problems as often as you can

 ... As you read your notes make up questions that you can ask yourself at the end

 ...Try not to have a mental block towards a certain subject, please be open minded

 ... If you receive a bad grade, it is ok... just continue work hard and change your strategies for learning

 ...The internet has vast resources use them!! eg. youtube and Kahnacademy

...Be positive, Be dedicated and you will achieve!