Class – Tennessee Topics: Upper Division.

Topic – Tennessee history through the Civil War.

Test Type – Essay: Choice of 5, pick 2.

Time Permitted – 1 Hour 20 Minutes.

Percentage of Grade – 15%.

Amount of time studying – Approximately 5 days, including a group study session.

As my professor says, tests like this usually give you enough rope to save yourself or hang yourself.

The first thing I do on tests like this is figure out which questions I am going to answer. I usually use a three check rating system. Three checks means I can probably get a B, might get an A, but definitely won’t get a C. Two checks means I will get a low B or a C. One check means I will pass, but not with flying colors. On this particular test, both of my selections happened to get three checks, so I knew I would be getting a good grade.

Once I know what questions I am going to write about, I begin quickly outlining. I use the inside cover of the blue book to do this. I write down any term that comes to mind as much in chronological order as I can. Since time is limited, I really have to fly through this part so I have even thirty minutes per essay.

Question 1

This question concerned the treatment of African Americans throughout Tennessee’s history. The few points I missed on this essay were my usual omissions based on what I know the professor knows about the topic. (Why? Until when? Example?) I received a 46/50.

Question 2

This question concerned the rift between East Tennessee and the rest of the state. I spent too much time on the first essay, which left me approximately fifteen minutes to complete this one. Since this essay was half the size of the first one, I felt like my professor was more than generous with giving me a 42/50.

Final grade: 88/100 B+.

What I Learned:

I learned that this professor is a subjective grader (SJ). This means that how well I write matters. Though he is looking for specific things, and will penalize me if something important is missing, doing well on another area in which I exhibit interest can save me. This professor grades each test on an individual basis without an overly stringent rubric.

I need to pace myself. If I devote too much of my time to one question, my overall grade will suffer. Beating one question into the ground gives diminishing returns. [Giving yourself equal time on both increases your odds of doing your best.]

Have a test/paper/etc. you want to discuss? Send me your assignment info in the same format from above. The best way to learn what professors want is to see how they grade assignments.