This is a reflection on my exam question response strategies.
1. On an exam I try to word my answers as clear as possible. When I am answering a question in an inconsequential situation, I may get lazy and may not be as specific.
On an exam, I already attempt to think about the full answer before I start to write to minimize the errors and the need to cross out words. When answering questions in inconsequential situations, I tend to write or say the words as they come to me. Sometimes this results in grammatical error and poor sentence structures.
Now that I am writing this reflection, perhaps my way to answer inconsequential questions is the best, However, if the question is asked verbally in conversation, it would be difficult to pause mid-conversation for an extended period of time to carefully phrase it then verbalize my response. I find myself often give a response verbally the first time but my audience would not understand it so I would then rephrase it better since I have had thought about the entire response during my first attempt at explaining myself
2. I ensure I think carefully and plan my sentences before I write, I often use the margin of the exam paper to jot down some key elements and words that I would like to include in my response. Sometimes I would make myself a short outline or one worded outline so my response flows logically.
In situations where my response is inconsequential, i tend to look at body language and facial expression of my audience to see if my response made sense. If they look rather confused, I would immediately rephrase my response. In settings where my response is written, sometimes I would send my response to a friend to read it over to see if it made sense to him/her.
3. The biggest challenge for me is to really understand the paper’s techniques and the logic behind doing all the experiments in the preparation phase. When I encounter difficulties in understanding a paper, I often google for simpler explanations for a new technique or a review for that paper. I expect myself to have difficulty with time and writing a good response in the exam because it is something I have always struggled with. To overcome that struggle, I find it best for myself to be as prepared as possible so I can spend less time thinking about the response and more time organizing how to phrase my response.