Not a good test-taker? Use your other strengths

Growing up, classes would drag on and on, mostly because my thoughts were elsewhere. I zoned in and out of lectures, entranced by other things, and only reeled back in by teachers calling on me to answer a question.

“Andrea, please pay attention,” they would say sternly when I looked at them blankly. They knew I hadn’t heard the question in the first place.

I was awful at taking tests. The hardest part was that I’d often run out of time and guess at the last minute, especially on multiple-choice exams. I graduated from high school with a poor GPA, and my confidence wasn’t too high. If this sounds like you, fret not — there’s a solution.

Once I got to college, I channeled all my energy into trying to be more strategic. I reflected on the areas that I excelled in. During my first semester, I took three courses: public speaking, religion, and an intro to the university. All three required in-class exams, but they were all essays. And for the most part, I did relatively well. That’s when I realized that in the past, teachers had complimented my writing skills. Sometimes other students even came to me for help with essays.

After that, I tried to only take college courses that involved writing. I looked through the website Rate My Professors to pick courses graded with essays rather than multiple-choice exams. This strategy worked for me because I was able to work at my own pace.

I sometimes emailed professors before the start of the semester, asking for a copy of the syllabus. Many times, they’d send it over. I would then dedicate a few long days to getting most of my writing assignments done ahead of time. I edited these essays throughout the semester, so my final papers were well executed.

This strategy was invaluable to my college experience, and I graduated with honors. Once, I even took seven courses at the same time. Applying these tips was the only way I was able to handle all the work. College taught me that flexibility and knowing yourself (as well as playing to your strengths) is the key to success.

You’re smart — you just have to discover which areas you’re strong in and put your focus there when you can.