Preparing for Oral Exams

The oral exam is an opportunity for you to demonstrate your knowledge, your presentation/speaking skills, as well as your ability to communicate. 【小题1】 The exam can be formal, or informal, but you should consider all exams formal exchanges in order to make a good impression. 【小题2】

To do well on an oral exam requires a rather different set of skills than those called for on a written exam. 【小题3】 Here are some ideas on what you can do to prepare:

Learn the requirements and criteria. When you are preparing for oral exams, you shouldn’t be doing it in the dark. 【小题4】 You should ask your teachers and advisers, and if you are taking a standardized exam, you can even contact the authority that is organizing and collect that information. Usually this information is not a secret and your teachers would gladly explain to you what they expect to see during the examination in order to give you a good mark.

【小题5】 Get together in a small group or in pair. Ask each other the questions and actually take the time to verbally answer them. You will not get it right the first (or the second) time. Revise your outline to help you get a better track, and then try again. Discuss answering techniques with people in the field or who have had the test, which will give you the courage to face your oral exam with confidence.

Tips for keeping awake in class

If you want to keep awake during class, sleep the night before your class. Students who doze (打瞌睡) in class often miss sleep the night before. Getting enough sleep is your first line of defense when it comes to staying awake in class. Make sure to get some shut-eye if you have a class the next day. For most people, eight hours of sleep is enough to get through the day. 【小题1】

【小题2】 This will train your body to know when it needs to be asleep and when it is time to wake up. Allow yourself time to relax before heading to bed by putting away your phone, homework, and other things that keep your mind active. Getting enough high-quality sleep can help you. 

Another way is to take a shower before class. This helps you feel refreshed and awakens your senses. The warm water from your shower raises your body temperature. 【小题3】 Finally, it helps deliver oxygen to your important organs so your body can work at the best level of efficiency. 

Keep your attention on what’s going on in class by taking notes as the professor gives the lecture. 【小题4】 It forces you to maintain active in your mind. Your brain will be engaged in class if you write down what is being said. 【小题5】 Just write down the main points that you find to be interesting, and any questions that you think of. There are various methods to taking notes, you just have to experiment and find the one that works best for you and keeps you focused.