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[edit] Tactics for Passing the First Qualifying Exam
by Sarah MacLemore
[edit] Studying Alone
“Early to bed, early to rise, work like hell and organize” —Al Gore
- Decide for yourself why you’re taking the exam and what you hope to get out of it.
- Figure out what sort of study situation and memorization methodology will work for you—and stick to it.
- Figure out a weekly, monthly, and quarterly study schedule to insure you’ve left adequate time to prepare—and to procrastinate.
- Make sure you have all of the books and articles at least one month before the exam.
- Reassess your study methodology every once in a while: what should you change, what should you keep?
- Don’t be afraid to prepare some sound bites of material. It’s better to be able to define “negative capability” in a few sentences than in a confusing “uh” filled paragraph. Sound bites help to keep you in control of the exam.
[edit] Studying in Groups
- There’s no “I” in TEAM, but there is an “M” and an “E”
- Get a sense of what the group’s goals are. Are they similar or different to your goals? Figure out how the group will help you but also recognize that group work will not be the only way that you prepare for the exam. Plan your work schedule accordingly.
- Recognize that others work differently in groups and that not everyone will be approaching the exam in the same way that you do.
- Be respectful.
- Volunteer to report on readings that scare you—chances are, others are also scared and will be delighted that you have volunteered to make the effort. Reporting on texts that scare you will also insure that you do have something to say about them should your worst nightmare be realized and they come up on the exam.
[edit] Social/Real Life Issues
“Coleridge received the Person from Porlock/ And ever after called him a curse,/
Then why did he hurry to let him in?/ He could have hid in the house”
—Stevie Smith
- Find something that you like to do that has nothing to do with exam preparation and make a point of doing it frequently enough to remember that there’s life beyond the graduate student handbook.
- Foster connections or reconnect with people outside of the fabulous UCSB English Department.
- Involve your friends and loved ones in your exam preparations. Let them know what you’re up against, how you’re feeling and how they can help.
- Make some plans to do something fun after the exam (camping trip, novels to read, etc.) Focus on the after-exam as well as the exam prep.
- HOWEVER, recognize that you will need to devote some significant extra time to prepare for the exam. Figure out how you might make time back (take a shorter winter break, spend Veteran’s Day studying, etc.)
[edit] Miscellaneous
- Don’t bother your examiners too much. When you do talk to your examiners let them lead the direction of the exam conversation.
- Think about scheduling a “mini-mock” exam to get some additional ideas about preparing for the exam. Do this once you’re finishing up the readings for a/the list(s).
