Page 232 - Keys to College Success

Test Taking

HOW CAN YOU SHOW WHAT YOU KNOW?

What Would You Risk? Suzanne Malveaux

THINK ABOUT THIS SITUATION AS YOU READ, AND CONSIDER WHAT ACTION YOU WOULD TAKE.
THIS CHAPTER HELPS YOU USE PREPARATION, PERSISTENCE, AND STRATEGY TO CONQUER TEST
ANXIETY, SHOW WHAT YOU KNOW, AND LEARN FROM TEST MISTAKES.

Suzanne Malveaux (pronounced mal-VOH) grew up as a Her first real job out of college
social, ambitious child in a family of achievers. Although was with the Boston-based New
she loved school, Suzanne struggled with stuttering—an England Cable News Channel. She
issue that would seem to rule out a future in front of a remembers well her first “test” in the
television camera. “I wasn’t aware of it until kindergarten workforce—her on-camera debut cov-
or first grade,” she says. “They took me out of class and ering a crime as a general assignment
put me in a speech class for stutterers.“ reporter. Overcome with nerves at the
To add to this test of her will, Suzanne needed sup- risk of doing her first live shot, Suzanne trembled as the
port in reading and math in her early elementary years and cameras rolled. “You could see the microphone going
scored low on standardized testing. In fifth grade, some- back and forth from my shaking,” she says. “After I was
thing finally clicked for Suzanne. She began to soak up done I thought for sure I was going to get fired. They
learning like a sponge and joined her twin sister in the had hired me for my potential. I had traveled overseas,
gifted and talented program. She excelled in high school I had done documentaries, I was highly motivated, but
and kept up the momentum in college, graduating cum they had taken a big chance on me.”
laude in sociology from Harvard before earning a master’s
in journalism from Columbia. To be continued . . .

FACING LIFE TESTS TAUGHT
SUZANNE THAT THE VALUE
OF TEST-TAKING SKILLS
EXTENDS FAR BEYOND THE
CLASSROOM. WHATEVER
YOUR TESTS, IN SCHOOL
AND ELSEWHERE, YOU Working through this chapter will help you to:
WILL NEED SKILL AND
FORTITUDE TO PASS THEM. • Create a test preparation plan P. 196
YOU’LL LEARN MORE • Study effectively for tests P. 198
ABOUT SUZANNE, AND THE • Manage test anxiety P. 201
REWARD RESULTING FROM • Use test-day success strategies P. 203
HER ACTIONS, WITHIN THE
CHAPTER. • Identify and address different types of objective questions P. 206
• Write answers to subjective (essay) test questions P. 210
• Prepare for final exams P. 217