A Reflective Account of Exam Preparation - Essay Example

?Introduction In a similar fashion to many other around the world, I usually find it difficult to remember information that I have read and need to use in an examination. Exam preparation does not seem to be effective, and this is in stark contrast to the near perfect memory I have for other categories of information particularly not relevant in the examination. Generally, we students are faced with problems in recalling important information for an exam while other things that are of interest to us need no effort to remember. Through utilization of the Gibbs Reflective Cycle, it is possible to study the issue of exam preparation and the complexity of the brain in relation to why it is difficult to remember information as a student. The first step in Gibb’s Reflective Cycle is to describe the context- that is what happened, how you acted and how others acted. This is then followed by analyzing ones’ feelings in the situation, the emotions that developed in you at the time of the event. After this, one then needs to evaluate the experience, determining which aspects of the happening were good and which ones were bad, alongside what did not go as expected. Then, one can critically analyze the occurrence and come to a conclusion with regard to the entire situation. Finally, one can then come up with an action plan to follow in a similar situation in the future (Jasper, 2003). I will detail all the elements in Gibb’s Reflective Cycle my personal experience of exam preparation, after which I will arrive at a conclusion and come up with recommendations to ease the experience in the future. Context during Exam Preparation The first step in Gibbs Reflective Cycle is the evaluation of what happened in a situation. Due to a variety of reasons, I usually find that I am doing most of my reading at the time of exam preparation- that is the latter stages of the semester. Compared to the amount of course work, the amount of time I dedicate to the studies is to a large extent not enough. This results in a situation in which I am forced to cram in the last minute rush to cover the entire scope of the course work. Consequently, my exam preparation is riddled with pressure and anxiety and thus reduction in the effectiveness of studying. To remember what one reads, they should go through a process of association, visualization and concentration, which have to be repeated severally in order to get a perfect understanding and recall capacity (Academic Advising, n.d). Association generally involves linking the items that need to be remembered together in particular fashions or relating them to some of the things you are comfortable with in terms of memory. Visualization complements association through creating images of the items you need to remember basing on things that are familiar to you. Optimal levels of concentration are required for effectiveness to be achieved in terms of recall capacity after studying. Finally, one is required to perform repetition of the association and visualization during study in order to internalize the concepts and ensure they will be able to remember them. Dedicating the least time for my reading is clearly not enough to allow myself to undertake all these steps in their entirety and as a result I am forced to adopt cramming as a last resort method of studying. This has the effect of lowering confidence and causing anxiety, which as shall be seen later does not augur well with the exam preparation. The environment in which I study also forms the context of the event. There is usually music in the background since I prefer studying in my room, besides a host of interferences that make it difficult to concentrate. Montrose (2009) reckons that one’s study space is critical to their ability to study effectively. It should first fit your preference, be without interruptions and be comfortable enough for study. I realize that my best study mode is in a quiet place and without interruptions, two things that my room does not offer. I usually have friends coming over and causing distraction and thus I am unable to concentrate for the required period of time during exam preparation. The comfort is also excessive that I usually find myself resting instead of studying. According to Academic Advising (n.d), ability to remember information largely depends on one’s purpose and motivation; these two create interest which in turn results in increased levels of concentration. Interest determines the information that one is able to remember and that which will be lost. My lack of interest in the content of my study is perhaps one of the reasons I find it difficult to remember information that I will be examined on. The exam preparation is to a large extent not useful since I am usually not interested in the course work and as a result it turns out particularly difficult to remember a lot of what I read. Emotional State when Preparing for an Exam According to Erk (2003), the emotional state (feelings) does affect memory. Mood, which is the emotional state at the time of recording and retrieving, will have an effect on concentration. The stronger the emotional state the more the impact on memory. Before studying this however, one first needs to relate it to the complexity of the brain. The Brain and Memory There is a complex interaction between emotion and memory that is mediated upon by a combination of several parts of the brain. For emotional memory, the amygdala is implicated as it is involved in determining the emotional significance of occurrences and the effect of emotions on occurrences. This is especially true for negative experiences (Anderson, 2001). The cerebellum is also involved, playing a part in strong emotions (Sacchetti, 2002). The prefrontal cortex is involved in matters affecting mood and cognitive tasks as it has been shown that emotional impulses and attention entities are both integrated in a specific part of the prefrontal cortex, explaining the relationship between emotions and attention (Yamasaki, 2002; Gray et al, 2002; Fletcher, 2001). According to Strange et al (2003), emotions and memory are related in two ways; first, stress hormones including cortisol interact with the amygdala part of the brain; and secondly, the amygdala is itself capable of altering the activities of other parts of the brain. Different brain regions are involved depending on the nature of the emotion that one experiences. Through imaging studies, it has been shown that positive emotional feelings have the effect of evoking activity in the right fusiform gyrus of the brain while negative ones evoke activity in the right amygdala. One other reasoning of how emotions affect memory is through its impact on working memory. Studies suggest that emotions such as fear and anxiety may utilize part of working memory which diminishes the processing capacity available (Hamann, 2001). One example given is the fact that individuals who are afraid of mathematics have problems their working memory when doing the subject (Lewis, 2003). Regulation of one’s emotions is important in cognitive skills/memory as indicated in the work of Richards (2000). Research by Schmeichel et al (2008) described the relationship the capacity of working memory and self-regulation of emotions. They revealed that higher capacities of working memory suppress expressions of negative and positive emotions than lower working memory capacity. In comparison to individuals with lower working memory, those with higher working memory have more capacity to appraise emotional stimuli to experience less emotion in when responding to such stimuli. It can thus be concluded that one’s cognitive ability directly contributes to control their response to emotions. There is a lot of work indicating that the emotional state of an individual affects memory. Liu et al (2008) suggests that pleasant emotions or arousal after learning selectively enhances consolidation of memory. This is further supported by Mather (2007), who examines emotional arousal as a contributor to memory binding. Blood et al (1999) used pleasant and unpleasant music to arouse emotions and then correlated these emotions to the activity within the paralimbic regions of the brain. In similar fashion, Jefferies et al (2008) examined the relationship between emotion and attention with regards to changes in mood valence-either negative or positive- and arousal-either low or high. Their study utilized induction procedures to generate calm, happy, sad, and anxious moods among the participants and then study the effects of these on levels of attention. Rowe et al (2007) conducted studies to prove that positive emotions widen the breadth of attention-selection, while Isen et al (1987) found out that positive emotions increase the power of creatively solving problems. With all the evidence above regarding the emotional state, attention and memory, I realize that my feelings at the time of exam preparation have a direct effect on the amount of information I am able to integrate. Exam time usually finds me unprepared, and the so called “exam fever” sets in. As a result of anxiety, my working memory is greatly diminished thus affecting my concentration and attention, albeit subconsciously. The ultimate result is that my emotional state at the time of exam preparation directly affects my ability to internalize whatever I am reading and I consequently find it difficult to remember what I have read in the actual examination. Evaluation of the Exam Preparation In view of the first two considerations according to the reflective cycle being used (the context and emotional state); I reckon that my approach to examination preparation cannot be effective. To begin with, I usually do not study the entire semester and the work piles hence I have a lot of backlog to clear during the exam preparation period. I then conduct my exam preparation in my room, where there are a lot of interruptions and interference from my friends. As a result, I am unable to concentrate on the preparation that is at the same time happening in limited time. The fact that I fail to create interest in my course work also affects my ability to retain such information during exam preparation, as it has been shown that purpose and motivation are directly proportional to ability of remembering. The method of my study also does not help, considering that due to the limited time for exam preparation I resort to cramming most of my course work, perhaps the worst method of study a student can adopt. The exam time usually instills a lot of anxiety in me and as the literature above shows, such an emotional state is wrong for a period like examination preparation. Nervousness and anxiety interfere with the working memory and as a result I am unable to concentrate on the coursework. It has been shown that emotional affect determines attention, problem solving ability and ultimately binding of memory. This would explain the difficulty I get when trying to recall what I have studied during exam preparation period since I am usually tense. Analysis of My Exam Preparation The approach I give to exam preparation is glaringly wrong and it explains the reason I find it difficult to remember information related to my coursework and in extension my results. The context is entirely skewed with regard to the actual environment I conduct my studies in and my method of study itself. I conduct my studies in an environment full of interference while at the same time a lot more comfortable than a study place should be. The result is either a friend will come over and distract me, or after a few minutes of study I will feel like taking a rest. There is limited stimulation to concentrate in my room. My method of study is also not effective. I am either cramming to beat time or just reading plainly without taking initiative to enhance my study skills. I have used the method of association only to a limited degree, and since I do not create sufficient time for exam preparation, I do not repeat my course work enough to be in a position to recall it in the future. The negative attitude I also have for my course work also diminishes the usefulness of my exam preparation as I lack the interest, purpose and motivation for it. I usually operate on limited time, and the last minute rush to cover an entire semester’s coursework is the reason I get anxious and nervous, resulting in my failure to concentrate. A lot of evidence indicates that a good emotional state is critical to effective concentration, problem solving and attention as well as binding of memory. My disturbed emotional state at the time of exam preparation does not allow me to concentrate on the studying as my working memory is diminished. All the above are the factors I recognize as resulting to my poor memory in terms of my academic coursework. Conclusion All the above steps in the reflective cycle prove to me that my approach to exam preparation is skewed and cannot work. The right environment is needed if at all I should be able to study well, whereas my room is noisy and full of interruptions. According to Montrose (2009), one should first determine their best environment for study in relation to the subject of study and then proceed to adopt it. The “last minute” reading I usually undertake leaves me without adequate time to study effectively. I am unable to conduct all the requisite association and visualization at the right concentration, plus the necessary repetition as a result of limited time left until the examinations commence. The limited time I have for study and the unpreparedness results in a situation in which I am anxious, afraid and worried to an extent where I am left unable to be attentive and concentrate on studying. This emotional state at the time of exam preparation results affects my working memory, the result of which is inability to integrate the content of my study into my memory. The consequence of all of this is a resort to cram my course work, which is not the best method of study one should undertake. Action Plan In view of all the above evidence showing what an effective preparation for exams should like and the indication that my approach is to a large extent wrong, I have come up with a work plan to utilize for the next exam preparation. The very first thing I will do is change my perception for the course work. This will be important in creating interest to my studies, resulting in developing a purpose and motivation during exam preparation. I have to realize the importance of education in my life and this will hopefully stimulate the interest I need to succeed. I then will need to evaluate the kind of study environment that is best for course work since reading in the room is full of distractions besides being too comfortable. I expect to start using either a study room within college or go to the library when preparing for the exams. Here, I will find no distractions or frequent interruptions and will be able to concentrate, and the comfort will be just enough to allow me to study. Besides, I will be able to have access to textbooks which will aid the exam preparation. This will go hand in hand with starting my studying well in advance. Sufficient studying during the semester will mean that the time left for preparation for the examinations will be enough to conduct effective revision. It will also reduce the anxiety brought by the exams being around the corner. To complement this, I will need to adopt a better method of studying which will involve using the technique of association. This is applied through relating several items that one needs to remember with to each other in some particular ways. I will also need to use visualization to create vivid images of the work I need to remember in order to create a strong memory. To ensure that I develop a good memory, I will need to repeat the procedures of association and visualization when studying or revising which I expect not to be difficult since I would have quit the last minute rush of studying. This reading technique will greatly serve to enhance the effectiveness of my exam preparation as I would have done away with cramming. The other most important thing I will need to do is ensure I am in the right emotional state to study. I will be required to have a perfect working memory for the right concentration and attention in a bid to study effectively and internalize the contents. This should be achievable from the early commencement of studying in the semester that will leave the exam preparation be for revision purposes only. The method of study I will have adopted- association and visualization- will give me the confidence to overcome anxiety and nervousness as I will be sure of the way I have handled my course work. I would have covered the entire syllabus effectively and so I will not need to cram, and this trust in my ability will calm the nerves. Developing an interest in the course work will also contribute in reduction of pressure, and as a result increase my concentration and attention during studying. In such a stable emotional state of mind, the exam preparation will not be problematic at all. References Academic Advising, n.d, Remembering what you Read, (web), Available at http://csbsju.edu/academic-advising/help/remembering-what-you-read.htm Anderson, A.K. & Phelps, E.A. 2001. 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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Yamasaki, H., LaBar, K.S. & McCarthy, G., 2002. Dissociable prefrontal brain systems for attention and emotion. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 99(17), 11447-51 Read More