Page 253 - Keys To Community College Success

student PROFILE

Kevin Ix

BERGEN COMMUNITY COLLEGE,
PARAMUS, NEW JERSEY

About me: exams and occasionally laughed as she made her way around the
After high school, I attended col- room. As it turned out, the directions on the top of the test clearly
lege for three semesters studying read, “If you’re reading these directions, please do not fill in the
to become an electrician. Later, answer sheet.” Clearly she intended to test our ability to follow
seeing the way the housing market has plummeted and the direc- directions. While I was not the only one to make this mistake, I did
tion the economy is heading, I decided a business major made not fare too well on that particular test! I work to combat my
more sense. I am now working toward a degree in business. I keep tendencies by paying careful attention to directions.
busy during the summer with one full-time and one part-time job.
What will help me in the workplace:
How I faced a challenge: The expression “measure twice, cut once” was instilled into my
Taking the time to read directions has never been my strong point. mind while I was enrolled in technical college. If you didn’t pay
Whether it’s setting up a new television or taking a final exam, I particular attention to measurements and directions, your mis-
jump right into the task without paying attention to instructions. take could become extremely expensive in material costs. This
On one particular occasion I remember being given a test and simple saying reminds me to focus on directions, making sure that
started answering the questions without even glancing at the I avoid the costly mistakes that come from ignoring or just glanc-
directions. At the end of the test, the teacher began collecting the ing at them.

After reviewing your mistakes, fill in your knowledge gaps. If you made mis-
takes because you didn’t understand important concepts, develop a plan to learn the
material.

Talk to your instructor. Focus on specific mistakes on objective questions or a weak
essay. The fact that you care enough to review your errors will make a good impres-
sion. If you are not sure why you were marked down on an essay, ask what you could
have done better. If you feel that an essay was unfairly graded, ask for a rereading.
When you use your social intelligence and approach your instructor in a non-defensive
way, you are likely to receive help.

Rethink the way you studied. Make changes to avoid repeating your errors. Use var-
ied techniques to study more effectively so that you can show yourself and your instruc-
tors what you are capable of doing. The earlier in the term you make positive adjustments
the better, so make a special effort to analyze and learn from early test mistakes.

If you fail a test, don’t throw it away. Use it to review troublesome material, especially
if you will be tested on it again. You might also want to keep it as a reminder that you can
improve. When you compare a failure to later successes, you’ll see how far you’ve come.

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