Ask the Expert: Second in a Series
Alejandra Yañez | THE RIDER
With midterms approaching, UTRGV students are doing their best to navigate through this semester’s unique testing methods with the help of experts.
This week, Marianee Canales, a psychology senior, and Miguel Cortez, a political science senior, ask about study tips.
Both students take all their courses online and are anxious to get through midterm week.
Cortez anticipates taking his tests online through Zoom will be the biggest challenge for him this semester.
“Sitting through an hour- or two-hour-long midterm and just being in front of your computer, rather than being in front of a teacher in a classroom, [is tedious],” he said.
Cortez said two of his courses will be implementing the LockDown Browser during testing.
“Obviously, it’s always a scary situation with lockdown, just because you have to have your webcam on and all of those things that come with you being in front of a camera and being recorded,” he said.
Asked what her biggest struggle is when it comes to test taking, Canales replied that the time factor plays a large role in her concentration.
“I don’t like when tests are timed because they don’t give me time to read the questions or concentrate, because I’m way more focused on finishing the test faster instead of answering everything correctly,” she said. “So, time management is a struggle for me.”
Canales said the way she prepares for an exam is by reviewing her notes on previously assigned readings.
Asked what advice they would like to hear from experts, both students replied that they are open to new study tips.
In comparison to previous semesters, Cortez said this semester has been the most grueling in terms of finding motivation.
“Sometimes I feel like being fully online, it’s a hassle,” he said. “It’s a drag, it’s like I don’t want to sit through a course that’s fully online, you know. I want to get that interaction with the professor. It’s just completely different than any previous class.”
Canales said she is overwhelmed with her workload this semester, but feels she is absorbing more information by reading the material herself rather than being lectured.
“I have been reading a lot and I feel like I’m learning a lot, too, but my professors have assigned a lot of work,” she said. “So, if I had the physical classes, I wouldn’t have that much work, but I also wouldn’t learn as much as I am right now.”
Asked what she anticipates to be the biggest struggle with her midterms this week, Canales replied, “I think concentrating in the classroom is way easier than taking a test online, mostly because there’s more people around and because I think about other stuff that I have to do. So, when I’m taking [the test] I think, ‘I have to do this work and I have to go to this place today.’”
UTRGV Experts
Stephen Crown, a UTRGV mechanical engineering professor, addressed some of the questions and concerns the students have.
In his own classroom, Crown will exercise the hybrid reduced seating arrangement to give his students the opportunity to take the exam on campus.
However, due to COVID-19, this will require four classrooms and hired test prompters to ensure that all students follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, according to Crown.
“I wanted to do face-to-face exams for all my midterms and possibly the final,” he said. “I like to see students work. So, I want to see what they’re doing, how they’re doing that and give them credit for it, rather than just final answers. Online testing can be more challenging in that way.”
Crown said he has encountered many issues with Zoom-issued exams in terms of integrity and, therefore, is using the lockdown browser as his second option for test-takers.
“Originally, I wasn’t a big fan of [the LockDown Browser], but it does seem to help in terms of the integrity issue,” he said. “It has a feature where if something looks suspicious, then it flags that in the recording.”
Asked for his thoughts on this being arguably the most overwhelming semester for students, Crown replied that he completely understands and feels overwhelmed himself.
“I’m not really getting any extra work done, it’s just so much less efficient doing things,” he said. “It takes more time sometimes. … I’ve been less efficient in this environment. So, I try to be understanding of that with the students because I feel it myself.”
Crown’s study tips for success include underlining important material, taking notes, attending class regularly, sticking to a schedule, repetition or rewriting notes, turning in assignments on time and reviewing notes.
“I think the best way to learn, and especially for an asynchronous class it’s easy to let things build up, but I really believe our brains work best when we’re learning things in small, repetitive exercises,” he said.
The mechanical engineering professor strongly advises students to not get used to procrastinating and, rather, chip away at assignments in gradual increments.
“If students really want to do well, I would strongly suggest they have a schedule,” Crown said. “I think sometimes there’s too much focus on the exam and more of it should be on attending class regularly, doing homework assignments on time, doing readings, reviewing your notes, rewriting your notes. And also, studying for exams doesn’t have to be an all-day affair. It could just be something that takes a few hours before the exam to refresh your memory.”
For students who find themselves unable to think clearly at home, Crown suggests coming to campus and finding a quiet spot to take the exam.
Crown said he commends students who have not given up during this difficult time.“We understand it’s a tremendous challenge,” he said. “College is incredibly difficult just on its own, without all this. I’ve been so impressed with my students who really desire to continue to learn. … We’re doing all we can to help you get through this and we wish you all the success that your effort deserves.”
