"But I studied hard!"

STUDENT PERSPECTIVE: I studied hard and I know all of the material but I still do poorly on the tests. I hate those tests, they don't test me over what I have learned.

Fact: There are lots of reasons why students feel this way. Often, test performance can be drastically improved if you take time to read the questions and answers more carefully; far too many easy points are lost in haste. But over the years, we have found that the most common reason is that students memorize material from the book, computer material, or manual. If questions on the exam are not worded exactly as memorized, the student is confused because she/he does not really understand the concept. When you take notes, write them in your own words. If you can’t explain a concept without simply repeating what the book says, you likely don’t understand it. Ask for help when this happens.

Fact: Some students really have trouble taking tests. Usually this problem is identified long before they get to college, but sometimes it is not. Some students who haven't had test anxiety previously might psych themselves out before a college test, especially if they’ve done poorly on the first and run into the idea that they can’t take the exam over or do extra credit to bring their grades up. The solution to that problem might involve trying consciously to relax before a test. We all would be willing to work with any student who suffers from test anxiety, and there are many strategies that can be suggested to alleviate this problem. So, if you find yourself with test anxiety, contact your instructor and see what they can do to help. Or consider speaking to someone in the Counseling Center or following their online advice about stress and/or test anxiety (toward the bottom of the page).