Professor, student and life-long learner Marvin Bartel, Ed.D., Emeritus Professor of Art, shares his thoughts on how to get better grades.

http://www2.goshen.edu/~marvinpb/grades.html

If you were in college and given the option of taking an exam in class or at home, which would you select?  Most students would select the take-home test without hesitating.  There’s something appealing about taking a test at your own place according to your own schedule. (more…)

Standardized tests have long been revered as the adjudicators of a student’s successful future.  However, they may have a strong contender; the ever formidable and much mentioned, oral exam.  In a January, 2007 polling of medical specialty boards, it was discovered that oral exams were a requirement for 15 out of 24 board-certification approval processes.  Why? (more…)

Multiple-choice tests:  You either love ‘em or you hate ‘em.  Some students think with these tests you have at least a one in 3 or 4 or 5 chance of getting the question right.  Others, though, note that the authors of the multiple-choice questions try to make the questions tricky–steering you toward the wrong answer.

But whether you like a multiple choice test or not, if you’re a student, you’ll face plenty of these kinds of tests.  So are there ways to improve your score on these tests? There are! We’ll share with you some of the best strategies for answering multiple choice. (more…)

If you are an ESL student and are having difficulty learning English vocabulary because you are constantly getting confused and having had much time to devote to it, you should try to do some word games online that should make it much easier for you.

Most people learn English in classes or by watching movies but sometimes it is difficult because there are so many slang words and because often people speak so fast that it is difficult to keep up with them.  The TOEFL is just one English Language Test.  Others are TOEIC, IELTS and the ESOL.  (more…)

To become a teacher in New York City you must have a certification from the New York State Education Department called the NYSTCE. This means that you have to have a Bachelors Degree in Education from an accredited New York State college or university or a reciprocal certification from another state.

New York State Teacher Certification for teaching can be obtained for a classroom teacher, an administrator or a pupil personnel service which includes a social worker, psychologist or school counselor. (more…)

Instead of spending their weekend chained to the desk of some library or coffee shop, most students usually see open book tests as the “get out of jail free card” that allows them to still enjoy their Saturday night. Just because the information is provided at the time of the test, however, does not mean that it’s going to be a breeze. In fact, because you have the book with you, open book tests can actually be more difficult than traditional exams. Instead of merely memorizing facts, they usually require you to apply concepts and explain ideas. Furthermore, they require just as much studying as any other essay or exam.

While open book tests are not inherently easier simply because you have access to the material, with proper work ahead of time, they certainly can be. The key to succeeding at open book tests is lies in the test preparation. (more…)

Study–for an essay exam? Is it even possible? If so, just how does one study for these much-hated tests? The answer to the first question: Yes, it’s both possible and essential that you study for an essay test as well as prepare test taking strategies. The answer the second question: There are several strategies to improve your study time. (more…)

If you’re going to master the art of studying, you’re going to have to master one of life’s basic skills: memorization. Relax. It’s not as hard as you’ve always thought. There are actually four principles that are fairly basic; if you master them, memorization will be a cinch for you.

• First and probably most important to memorization is the principle of repetition. You remember what’s important to you, and when you repeat something over and over, it causes your brain to perceive the material you’re studying as important. If you keep reviewing it consistently and constantly, you’ll start recognizing the facts that you need to remember. Put simply, repetition just assails your brain with facts, words, speeches, etc., so much that it can’t help but to remember them. (more…)

Let’s face it: for most people, studying is not fun. And most of us tend to put off things that aren’t fun—especially studying. Honestly, this comes largely because of your high school days. Back then, you could procrastinate a little—sometimes a lot—and still get decent grades. But then you get to college and BAM! Your procrastination habit comes back to haunt you, because sloppy studying at this level won’t get the job done. (more…)