Astronomy 101 Study Tips

Examine previous quizzes and exams to determine why you missed the questions you did.

Did you have no idea what the question was asking?

If so, then your preparation for this question was apparently inadequate, and you really did not know the material.
[Solution: More effective use of study time.]

Did you understand the question, but could not find an answer that seemed to fit?

If so, then you may have been unfamiliar with the terminology used in the choices of answers.
[Solution: More effective use of study time.]

Did you think you had a good answer, but it turned out to be wrong?

If so, you may have misread the question -- one missed word can completely change the meaning of a sentence. Most of the Sample Questions have several variations; a quick glance at the question may be insufficient to determine the correct answer. Another possibility is that you may have failed to read and carefully consider each answer; sometimes an answer may sound good, but there is actually a better choice to be made.
[Solution: More careful reading of exams.]


Improving your use of study time:

Study with a friend. Ask each other questions which require lengthy explanations rather than single-word answers. (Explain the cause of the seasons to me. Describe what causes a total solar eclipse. How do the stars move across the night sky?) Silent reading of the text or your notes may load material into your brain but it provides no practice in retrieving this material. The act of verbalizing your thoughts will make it easier to get the information out of your brain when you need it again -- on a test. If you do not have any friends, stand in front of a mirror and explain things to yourself. If the information is really inside, it may come out. If it doesn't come out, you will know you need more work.

Concentrate on knowing the terminology and being able to apply it. In any science, there are special terms with specific meanings. If you fail to remember the terms or understand their meanings, you will be in a foreign country without knowledge of the language. Pay extra attention to words that have similar sounds, spellings, and/or meanings: refractor/reflector, rotate/revolve, fission/fusion, waxing/waning, etc.

Use the Astronomy 101 Sample Questions as a pre-test. After reviewing the material in your notes and the text in preparation for an exam, go through the corresponding sections of the Sample Questions and work every third question. Have a friend check your answers against the key and report which questions you missed (but without revealing the correct answers). If you missed a significant number, you clearly need more preparation. After further study, you can retake your pre-test, using the same questions to see whether you have improved, or you can do a different pre-test using the untried questions. When you can attain a satisfactory score on the pre-test, you should be ready for the real exam. Because the Sample Questions are selected from the actual question bank used for exams, your score on any test should not come as a surprise if you have done a pre-test.

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Created May 2, 2002; last modified March 19, 2021
Send comments or suggestions to James Pierce - james.pierce@mnsu.edu