FINALS PREPARATION
Assessing Your Term
How should you prioritize your remaining work
and studies for the term? Before you can determine this,
you will need to assess how the term is progressing. To
begin this process, download and complete our term
assessment.
How does your term appear as a whole? Do you see
any trends or problem areas? The assessment questions are
meant to help you think critically about your performance
and the relative difficulty, importance and time commitment
of each subject. As you review your results, consider these
questions as well:
- Are there any subjects in which you are uncertain
of your performance? If so, you should speak with
the instructor or TA as soon as possible. You will need
to be clear about your progress in order to set realistic
goals. Your instructor and TA can also provide you with
additional instruction, alternative approaches to the
material and other suggestions for improvement. Open communication
is the first step.
- Are you having difficulty with one subject? Again,
the most important thing for you to do is to have a conversation
with your instructor or TA about your difficulties in
the course. Is this subject recoverable or should you
consider dropping the class and concentrating on your
remaining subjects? When you have a clear idea of how
you are doing in each subject, meet with your advisor
to discuss how your term is going overall. If your performance
in the subject is borderline, then he or she will likely
encourage you to keep this subject and make it a high
priority during the final exam period.
- Are you having difficulty with two or more subjects?
What are your realistic chances for success in each
class? Will intense effort in one class jeopardize your
performance in other subjects? If you drop a subject,
would you be able to recover in your other classes? If
Drop Date has passed, keep your preparation for a subject
that cannot be salvaged in perspective. Do not give up
on it, but do not sacrifice subjects that can be improved
for one which cannot. You should meet with your advisor
immediately to discuss how best to recover the term.
- How can you improve your grade in a subject late
in the term? After you have met with your instructor,
TA and advisor, you will have a good idea how you are
doing in a subject and where your problem areas lie. Review
these areas and redo incorrect problems from former problem
sets and tests. Do practice problems from your text and
alternative problem sets. Bring problems you cannot solve
to your TA or a tutor
for clarification. Continue practicing within your study
group. Set realistic goals for yourself, and work on making
progress in manageable steps.
- How many hours can you realistically spend preparing
for each exam given the time remaining? This is the
last question on the term assessment, and one your should
consider carefully. You will have assignments and unit
tests for which to prepare in the weeks before exams begin.
Make a list of these other commitments and their due
dates. How much time will you need to prepare for them?
How late in the term is it now? What resources will you
need (such as access to practice problems, labs, computers,
instructors or TAs), and when will they be available to
you?
- Are you feeling overwhelmed? Many
people can help you with your academic and personal
needs. Consider speaking with a counseling
dean in Student Support Services (Room 5-104,
617-253-4861). Final exams can be stressful, and the counseling
deans can address your individual concerns about finishing
the term, reducing stress and doing well at MIT.
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