Since coming into Optom, my grades have plateaued around 70% (B), and I rarely break the 80% barrier. I think this is partly because of online written exams. The lecturers write harder questions and mark them harshly. I would always receive average marks even when I thought I did pretty well. So, I reached out to well-performing students to find what their secret was and combined their methods with what works for me.
Below are some general tips you can do to try and improve!
(Note: this works the best for online exams since they often require a deeper level of understanding)
Tips for answering questions
- When it comes to answering SAQ, don’t overdo it. Be concise, only use examples where the question asks for examples, and don’t add unnecessary information as this will waste time and not improve your grade at all. If you can write an answer in one sentence, then do it! Do not try to reach the word count.
- Depending on the lecturer, you are encouraged to write your answer in bullet points. This is an easy way to structure your ideas and avoid unnecessary words.
- Some students use the number of marks allocated to each question as a reference as to how many points to make.
Ask your lecturers!
This is quite simple; I asked my lecturers what I could improve on and what specific things they were asking for. I asked questions on Piazza and emailed my lecturers, asking them what I could’ve done better and how to improve my answers. Here’s are some of the things they said:
- “It is not details or keywords. You need to demonstrate that you understand the contents and formulate the most important points first. Also, it is useful to illustrate your answer using diagrams.”
- “Please read and answer the questions appropriately. For example, if the question only asks for 3 risk factors, please only state 3. If you choose to write more than 3, only the first 3 I read will be marked, regardless of which ones are correct/incorrect.”
- “Regarding how to answer SAQs, I can only suggest using bullet points. Bullet points let you convey information in the fewest words, making it easier to cover everything while still sticking to the word limit.”
This was very helpful for me so I suggest you ASK YOUR LECTURERS/TUTORS for feedback and learn from it!
Ask your peers!
- It’s helpful for everyone. Whether you are asking the questions or answering them. For those asking, they will get a different outlook on a particular concept. For those answering, it is a way to formulate ideas and explain them in a way that is logical – this will pay off in exams and tests. It is a two-way street and benefits both.
- The day before exams, I went through all the key concepts/questions with a friend. We took turns explaining what each concept was and clarified each other’s understanding. We worked together to discuss and solve problems. This was one of the most productive study sessions I’ve had and greatly boosted my confidence for the upcoming test.
- Studying with someone also makes the session more interactive, and you can motivate each other!
Set yourself up for success from day one
- It is important to plan ahead. When it comes to tests and exams, if you are relying on lecture slides, handouts and lab material, all on separate documents and in different folders then you are not going to know what you have or have not studied. You can organize your notes together lecture by lecture, including content from slides, annotations, and supporting material that you may find online or in labs/tutorials.
- It’s easy to monitor progress if do this after every lecture. The lecture introduces you to the concepts for the first time. The second time is that afternoon, evening or day after, where you collate the information, making sure that you don’t move on until you understand everything.
- Revisit your notes the week after to study the previous week’s lecture – and because you understand the content, it will be that much easier.
