
Step 1: Gather information about the exams at
least a week before each exam.
› Ask your professors for information about the exam format.

(Ex: multiple choice, short answer, essay, T/F, matching, fill-in-the-blank, etc.)
› Ask about the total point value & the point value for each
section.

(60 points for essay, 40 for MC.)
› Gather the dates, times & locations of each exam.


(Write them all down in one place so that you can SEE them coming (calendar). This will help
you plan ahead.)
The worst thing an instructor might say is “I don’t
know” or “I can’t tell you.”

Step 2: Create a Time Schedule
› Look ahead. Then, counting backward from
the date of the exam pick 5 days on which
you will study for the exam. EX: If your exam
is on Monday, Dec. 10th, then your five study
days could be Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri & Sun (taking Sat off).
Step 2: Create a Time Schedule…
Now that you’ve picked 5 days, create a Study Plan chart like this:
What to do
Study
How
Study
day
much
Day
time
Tues
Dec 4
Day 1
What to do
Fri
Dec 7
Day 4
(I’m
taking
Sat off.)
Wed
Dec 5
Day 2
Thurs
Dec 6
Day 3
Sun
Dec 9
Day 5
Mon
Dec
10
Exam Day!
How
much
time

Step 3: Create a Menu of Effective Study Tools &
Strategies
› MENU: A chart that shows all the possible study tools and
preparation-review strategies that you might use during your
study time.

Examples of Tools: Dry erase board, flashcards, online quizzes,
outlines, class notes, Powerpoint handouts, highlighter, mind
mapping, etc.

Preparing/Organizing Strategies: Are primarily writing strategies that
help you to identify what you need to learn and help you to
condense it, organize it and write it. May also include recitation.

Review Strategies: Are primarily recitation strategies that help you
rehearse, extend, understand, self-test, and evaluate your learning.
May also include writing.
Study Tool
Preparation/Organization Strategy
Review Strategy
Highlighting & Highlight all key terms & phrases.
Underline key supporting details &
Underlining
Note cards
Dry erase
board
PowerPoints
Class notes
Charts
Look, cover & recite method.
Read highlighted parts, cover the
examples. (Only highlight 10% of the text I parts, recite out loud, then uncover
am reading.)
& check to see if I got information
correct.
Write out the key terms and definitions on Flip through cards, memorize & test
note cards.
myself. Create piles of “know” and
“don’t know” cards. Keep going
through cards in “don’t know” pile
until all are moved into the “know”
pile. Continue to review all.
Write out key ideas on board that I am
Summarize or paraphrase in my own
having trouble memorizing.
words out loud. Erase and redo.
Print & organize the all the ppts. As I read
through all the slides, highlight key terms
that I need to look up in book, write
margin notes with definitions, examples &
page numbers.
Get all class notes together and put them
in order. Use blank space to add
supporting details, examples, definitions,
facts and related concepts.
Create charts of statistics and facts.
Re-read all slides. Do look, cover &
recite method.
Read out loud until I can recite the
information in a verbal summary.
Re-read charts and recreate from
memory (on paper or dry erase
board).
 Helps you to vary your review strategies using
different learning modalities (visual, auditory,
kinesthetic).
 By working on the material in different ways,
you can create more new connections to it.
 This creates multiple sensory routes to the
information, which will help you to recall the
information during an exam.

Step 4: Identify the material that you need
to learn.

Break the material that you need to learn
into “chunks” (or steps, stages, parts).

Plan when you will prepare each chunk
and when you will review each chunk.
› Add this beside each day on your 5-Day Study Plan chart.
Step 4: Break the Material into Chunks
Study
day
Tues
Dec 4
What to do
Chunks of material I need to prepare:
Chapter 1 (what is sociology), 2 (scientific
method and Sociology) & 3 (three main
perspectives)
Day 1
Wed
Dec 5
Chunks of material I need to prepare:
Chapter 4 (what is culture) & 5 (culture and
socialization)
Day 2
Review:
 Review what I prepared yesterday: 1-3
How
much
time
Study
Day
Fri
Dec 7
Chunks of material I need to prepare:
Chapter 9(peer groups and social groups) & 1011(deviance)
Day 4
Review:
 Review what I prepared yesterday: 6, 7 & 8
(I’m
taking
Sat off.)
Sun
Dec 9
Day 5
Thurs
Dec 6
Day 3
What to do
Chunk of material I need to prepare:
Prepare 3 BB articles
Review: Review all materials 1-11
Chunks of material I need to prepare:
Chapter 6 & 7 (identity and self interaction) & 8
(social groups and organizations)
Review:
 Review what I prepared yesterday: 4-5
Mon
Dec
10
Exam Day!
How
much
time

Step 5: Create a Checklist of Tasks
› Put a checklist into your chart
 Think of this as a To Do List that shows the tasks you will
perform on each day of the plan to both prepare/organize
and review each chunk of the material.
 Draw ideas from your Menu of Effective Study Tools &
Strategies.
 Estimate how much time you will spend
preparing/organizing and reviewing each chunk.
 By doing this, you will create a checklist to use as you study.
You can check-off tasks as you accomplish each item.
Study
day
Tues
Dec
4
Day 1
Wed
Dec
5
Day 2
Thurs
Dec
6
Day 3
What to do
How
much
time
Chunks of material I need to prepare:
Chapter 1 (what is sociology), 2 (scientific Method and
Sociology) & 3 (three main perspectives)
To-Do Checklist:
Prepare & organize materials for 1-3
 Print Powerpoints
 Read PPTs & highlight key terms, underline key points &
add margin notes
 Re-write & add more info into class notes
 Re-read all underlined, starred and highlighted terms in
textbook
 Make flashcards with definitions & key facts
Chunks of material I need to prepare:
Chapter 4 (what is culture) & 5 (culture and socialization)
To-Do Checklist:
 Review what I prepared yesterday: 1-3
Prepare & organize materials for 4-5
 Print Powerpoints
 Read PPTs & highlight key terms, underline key points &
add margin notes
 Re-write & add more info into class notes
 Re-read all underlined, starred and highlighted terms in
textbook
 Make flashcards with definitions & key facts
 Find all charts and graphs and print them out
Chunks of material I need to prepare:
Chapter 6 & 7 (identity and self interaction) & 8 (social
groups and organizations)
To-Do Checklist:
 Review what I prepared yesterday: 4-5
Prepare & organize materials 6, 7 & 8
 Print Powerpoints
 Read PPTs & highlight key terms, underline key points &
add margin notes
 Re-write & add more info into class notes
 Re-read all underlined, starred and highlighted terms in
textbook
 Make flashcards with definitions & key facts
Study
Day
Fri
Dec 7
5 Min
45 Min
Day 4
1 hour
30 Min
45 Min
30 Min
5 Min
45 Min
Sun
Dec 9
Day 5
1 hour
45 Min
15 Min
20 Min
5 Min
1 Hour
1Hour
30 Min
45 Min
Mon
Dec
10
What to do
How
much
time
Chunks of material I need to prepare:
Chapter 9(peer groups and social groups) &
10-11(deviance)
To-Do Checklist:
 Review what I prepared yesterday: 6, 7 & 8
Prepare & organize materials 9-11
 Print Powerpoints
 Read PPTs & highlight key terms, underline
key points & add margin notes
 Re-write & add more info into class notes
 Re-read all underlined, starred &
highlighted terms in textbook
 Make flashcards with definitions & key facts
20 Min
5 Min
30 Min
1 Hour
30 Min
45 Min
Chunk of material I need to prepare:
Prepare 3 BB articles
To-Do Checklist:
 Re-read key 3 BB articles. Highlight key
terms, underline main points & write margin
notes
 Review: Do self-test on all class notes (look,
cover & recite aloud)
 Review: Re-read all powerpoints, class
notes, charts & graphs1-11
 Review: Do Self-test with all flashcards 1-11
Final Review of all PPTs, class
notes, articles, flashcards, charts &
graphs.
Exam Day!
1 hour
30 Min
30 Min
30 Min
1 hour

Step 1: Gather information about the exams at least a
week before each exam.

Step 2: Create a Time Schedule.
 Select your study days and create a Study Plan chart.


Step 3: Create a Menu of Effective Study Tools &
Strategies.
Step 4: Identify the material that you need to learn.
 Divide the material into chunks to plan what you will prepare/organize and
review on each day. Plan when you will prepare/organize and review
each chunk. Add this to your Study Plan chart.

Step 5: Create a Checklist of Tasks
 Plan the tasks you will do on each day to prepare/organize and review
each chunk. Estimate the amount of time you will need. Add this to your
Study Plan chart.