| 2017-09-13 | My life as a student -- AGAIN In August, I took an evening course (Certificate Course for Outbound Tour Escorts). Lectures were in three-hour sessions, weekly. No breaks during the three-hour sessions. Completion of the course requires full attendance. Signature required at the beginning of lectures and at the end of lectures. At the end of the eight weeks, I had to do a role play and then an exam.
The course was challenging -- mainly because I had not taken any course for a while. In particular, I worried about the exam. Although re-take was allowed, I wanted to get a pass on the first take.
I was determined to work hard. First, I need to keep myself awake during the three-hour lecture. I decided to have enough rest, eat a light dinner before the lecture and use the washroom before the class started. Second, I sat in the front row so that my attention was not interfered much by other students. Third, I jotted down lecture notes, despite most of the materials were available from the textbook. Jotting down notes helped me pay attention to the lectures, got me engage in the active processing of information, and helped me memorize the content. Fourth, I reviewed my notes after the lecture, usually on the same night. In addition, I would do a fact check. For instance, the teacher said there was no Singapore Consulate in Hong Kong. I checked and found that there was one. Then, I discussed with the teacher in the next lecture. Fifth, the day before the next lecture, I would review all the previous notes (at least the notes of the previous lecture).
All the above helped me learn, but was not enough to get me a pass. Before the exam, I spent a couple of days reviewing notes and wrote answers to some imaginary questions. The exam questions turned out very different from my imaginary questions. I was imagining some straight-off-the-book type of questions. They turned out to be applications to some situations. Nevertheless, my review helped a lot.
The exam last for three hours. Almost one third of my classmates were gone after the first hour. After two hours, there was only one left. Yes, that was me! I looked at the clock and checked with the invigilators that there was another hour to go. At the end, after double-checking my answers twice, I left the exam venue fifteen minutes before the time.
The result was released in early September. Yes. I passed. Now, I can apply to become an outbound tour escort.
The experience of being a student again is interesting. I enjoyed the process thoroughly. Learning is enjoyable. Exam was stressful. I would assume that most other students may feel the same way. While everyone has a different learning style, I hope mine shared here will serve as an example.
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Help me help them.... please. | | 2008-12-20 | Learning should not end with the final exam! | | 2008-11-19 | Exchange in Europe can be very rewarding! | | 2008-11-18 | UC Berkeley is my top choice for exchange! | | 2008-11-02 | Why did we not have fresh mushrooms twenty years ago? | | 2008-02-23 | Dialogue is preferred to monologue. | | 2008-02-13 | If I were a single unemployed old man who lives on Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) | | 2007-12-17 | Is forecasting a pure guessing game? | | 2007-12-16 | I want zero emission of CO2! | | 2007-11-30 | How would I choose universities for exchange? | | 2007-11-28 | Excuse me. Can you write a recommendation letter for me? | | 2007-11-12 | No pain, no gain! | | 2007-09-14 | Teaching is to be enjoyed, and so is studying. Grades should only be secondary. | |