In-class
writing is often viewed as the hardest writing to accomplish well effectively. Add that
difficulty to the pressures of finals, and what you have is a mountain of
stress.
I am all too
familiar with In-class essay exams. In fact, I am doing another one
tomorrow. So, I thought I would share my strategy.
In most
cases, professors will give the class a good idea of what to expect. The first
step is to pay attention at this critical moment and take as detailed notes as
possible. The objective here is to take a close look at what the professor is
hinting at and try to speculate what kind of response the professor is looking
for.
For example:
Many professors will use a phrase such as, “I don’t want a summary.” In this
case, which is often the case, it is the students’ job to discuss the details
of the subject matter, but more importantly develop a discussion that speaks to the main
theme of the subject.
The main
theme of the subject is usually closely tied to the main theme of the class.
This theme undoubtedly has been brought up in class discussion throughout the
semester. It is a good idea to consider and identify this theme before going to
the final.
If students
are lucky, the professor has pinpointed the subject matter of which the essay
question will surround. In this case,
get to work!
Being prepared
for an in-class writing exam is the best feeling to have. In contrast, having
nothing to say during the exam is one of the worst feelings to have.
Therefore, prewriting
is essential to preparing for an in-class writing exam.
For example:
Today I will refresh my memory on the topic and hints my professor had given me.
Then I will write everything I know on the subject almost exactly as if I were
to write a paper and turn it in for a grade. Most of the time, by doing this
prewriting at home, I almost feel as though I am cheating.
In fact, I
usually don’t mind essay questions as finals because I can write the answer
before class. I just cannot bring that answer with me. However, looking at it
this way, an in-class writing final is more like a take home exam. All students
need to do is reread their own prewritten essay in order to remember
significant chunks of what they had written.
Provided
that students accomplish this prewriting exercise thoroughly a day or two
before the exam, remembering the highlights of the prewriting exercise will
come naturally.
Once in
class, the most difficult task for me is starting the writing process. I tend
to experience writer’s block the moment after I read the essay question.
To combat
this writer’s block, I usually try to remember the first word phrase of my
prewriting exercise. If the word phrase fits into the question contextually, I
use it. If not, then remembering the first word phrase I wrote at home will help
me to trigger the memory of the information that comes after.
After that,
I tend to experience a sort of flow of information spilling out on the essay
exam. At this point I know I have
prepared well.
