■ Try to write down all of your calculations—neatly. You’ll be
less likely to make a mistake if you take your time, and if you
domake a mistake, it will be a lot easier to spot.
■ Show every step and formula, even if you would normally
skip a few. If you knew all of the principles and formulas but
miscalculated near the very beginning of your analysis, you
are not going to arrive at the correct answer. Butmany
enlightened math teachers will penalize you very little if
they can clearly see you knew your stuff and managed to
do everything right, with the exception of hitting the right
button on your calculator.
■ And if you are using a calculator, double-check your answer
immediately. The chances of hitting awrong number are high;
the chances of hitting the same wrong number a second time
are not.There Are No “Easy” Tests
Some people think “open-book” tests are the easiest of all. They pray
for them...at least until they see their first one.
These are the toughest tests of all, if only because even normally
“nice” teachers feel no compunction whatsoever about making such
tests as tough as a Marine drill instructor. Heck, you can use your book!
That’s like having a legal crib sheet, right? Worse yet, many open-
book tests are also take-home tests, meaning you can use your notes
(and any other books or tools you can think of).
200 How to Study