Many students usually dread pop quizzes, and here is why – they come when many students are unprepared. Teachers never tell you when pop quizzes will come up; they just do. What’s more, they are usually questions about what you just learned in class, which makes it all the more annoying. You can almost remember the answers…just almost. Worse, no one can tell someone else to “do my quiz for me, will you?” You’re on your own.
How Does a Pop Quiz Work?
Pop quiz questions can either be in short answer format, multiple choice, or true or false. Also, you might (or might not) receive a score for your pop quiz. For many teaching professionals, pop quizzes are a way of judging the current understanding of a certain topic(s) in a class. It does not hurt to ask your professor/lecturer if they count toward your overall grades. You can also find out by checking your syllabus.
Now that you know that pop quizzes can come at any time, how are you preparing for them?
By being ready for them at ALL times.
To ensure that pop quizzes will no longer surprise you, you always have to assume a pop quiz is coming up. Sounds difficult? Of course. Will it be worth it? Of course. It will make you better prepared for exams and other school activities.
How Best Can You Prepare for a Pop Quiz?
Here are some gold tips for acing a pop quiz in college:
No, that was not a quip.
Students often fail to recognize that quality sleep is very important for them. Staying up all night to run through a semester’s worth of classes and notes does not help your cognitive performance. Instead, pulling all-nighters earns you more rep among your peers. Apart from this, it also increases anxiety and stress. Now you know why you feel and look haggard and stressed out for days after all-nighters. Your body needs sleep!
This does not imply that you should spend much of your time in bed. Instead, it would help if you looked to check how many hours your body can function and still maintain normal cognition levels. With this, you are sure of your body, allowing for critical thinking in critical moments, such as during pop quizzes.
● Take Down Notes with Details
It would help if you always aimed to take notes when in class with as many details as possible. This could prove very beneficial when a pop quiz comes up. Some of these details are spellings, dates, key themes, and ideas or topics that keep getting mentioned by the teacher. Questions thrown open to the class that no one can answer should also be researched further.
Taking notes while reading could also be a difference maker. You can compare it with chapter summaries to ensure you do not leave anything out. If chapter assessments are available, do not hesitate to do them.
● Participate in Class Discussions
Class discussions are another good way of getting to know the hot topics. Attend classes regularly and keep a listening ear for what everyone is saying. Even if you cannot contribute at the time, at least you will be aware of what can come up.
Pop quizzes do not come on specific days. Therefore, reading every day is not a bad idea. If you start this, you will find out your weaknesses and strengths. This will help you know what you need to refine and what you need to improve on.
Conclusion
Remember, pop quizzes are not some machinations created to ensure you fail. Instead, they help students comprehend the topics taught in classrooms, albeit for a short while. This should help you see them as learning aids rather than bothersome assessments. If you’re wondering how to become a better test taker in college, then you’ve found a jackpot with this piece: ensure you put them to work.
