I recently chose to study British literature texts in this semester for my university. It's a level 2000 module and would, thus, presumably be harder than the subjects I chose last semester. Then I found out it's an open-book exam! :worry:

I've only taken one open-book exam in my life, and it was a piddly small monthly exam. I don't think I did very well in that. So yeah, I'm worried. :(

I don't know how to study for open-book exams--I've heard all the horror stories of students who bring too many books with them and spend more time looking stuff up than actually writing their essays. I'm too used to closed-book exams where everything's in my head. I would do the same with open-book exams, except "open book" implies the volume of information is just too much to be absorbed into one's brain.

So does anyone have some ideas on how a newbie can prepare for this type of exam? Or have any experiences to share?

Make a skeleton of what you're going to write to give it some order, that's what I do. The book is is only there to give you detail to what you already know. :)

Thanks Desi, that's what I usually do too. It still doesn't stop me from getting new ideas while in the middle of writing the essay (and even BETTER ideas after the paper's been handed in :rolleyes: ), but I can't imagine the mess my essays would be in if I didn't make a skeleton.

Good to know I'm on the right track! XD

That always happens to me too, once I leave the test I usually remember what stuff I could've put in there too. I'm usually brain-dead during essays until the last 15 minutes. :cry:

As Desi said, make a skeleton or outline of what you want to say and the main points you want to make. I normally only use the book when I want to refer to something using quotes. :3

Then again, I'm only in high school, so uhhhh. :unsure:

Quotes are about the only reason I can see why I'd need a book for. I'll probably mark out the sections of each book that has specific scenes pertaining to the important themes, so I won't have to waste time flipping through them during the exam.

I remember my A Levels Economics teacher joking when we asked her to let us try an open-book exam. She said she didn't mind, as open-book exams meant the answer wouldn't be found in the book anyway. :lol:

I always suffer from panicky brain-deadness right after opening that exam booklet and reading the questions. :( Drafting a skeleton is almost therapeutic-- and at least it gets me doing something other than staring in shock at the paper!

Don't forget too, Lynn, that you can write notes in your book and refer to them during the exam. When I did my exam on Wuthering Heights, my book had more of my notes than it did printed words! :lol: