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Mareena
Working in large groups. I found those setting were less focused and tended to break into smaller subgroups anyway. Four max was my limit.
5. Any other feedback?
I saved Dave’s response to this section -- enjoy!
I started studying after finals in December. The first thing I did was try the 2008 exams--and I concluded that I was in big trouble. The other years' exams had a similar effect.
So for about two weeks I cancelled the rest of my life. No hanging out with friends, no alcohol, waking up/going to sleep early-and started working through course material. Going through derivations, looking at old psets-trying to approach the whole experience in a disciplined and professional manner. I reminded myself that I do care about knowing the subject material.
I made a critical decision to soak in the experience I was having and see quals as an opportunity to show the breadth and depth of my knowledge.
During this two weeks in late Dec I was working alone. This was key--not asking for help from anyone until I had done my due dilligence. Then the four weekends of morning quals review started. I was still very far from where I wanted to be, however I had reviewed the concepts and was getting better with the previous years quals.
Then one weekend I took a break-friends, lots of alcohol, and I let myself enjoy it without worrying that I should be doing something else. My mind drifted, and I didn't try to force it to come back. After about three days I started studying again. I think periods of intense study can be counter-productive beyond a certain point-but that may just be how my mind works. (If you're into it and excited by your work then this may not apply in the same way.)
I also ate take-out and delivery morning noon and night. No expense was spared ... sushi 5 times a week--whatever, I knew I was only doing this once (regardless of the outcome). Again, knowing my own psychology and how to keep my imagination vivid and optimistic is critically important to performing under stress. Other day-to-day lifestyle decisions were optimized for this process as well.
After the first weekend group meeting I started to study with others a lot more. Presenting my reasoning and answers definitely reinforced what I already knew and taught me a lot more--it made a lot of things very solid that I may have had a more tenuous grasp on before.
As the written exam approached I decided that I wasn't going to worry about 101 so much, and would put my greatest efforts into 312, 211, and 106. I still covered everything I thought I should for 101, but 312, 211, and 106 seemed to exist in a more well-defined space. Given enough review I thought those three would be manageable and that even doing poorly on 101 would not depress my overall performance that much.
Also in the final weeks I reinforced my positive view of the exam as an opportunity to showcase my hard work. I had to be careful about complaining to myself in my own mind and continue to apply myself fully without judging the process. I reached the state where I thought if I didn't make it-after that much workthen maybe it's not for me. I did not have a second chance because I knew I am leaving in the summer no matter what-and that coming back three years later and having to take quals would likely not be something I'd be willing to do.
So that was it. I had one chance. I decided to accept the experience without regard to the outcome, and did everything I could.
In the last two weeks I was starting to get saturated ... and knowing that that was happening was unnerving. I started to do things that I normally do not, like drink beer while studying. The weekend before I had my oral exam I went out to a houseparty and let loose (I think pictures of that party are on Facebook).
I can condense any advice I have to give into four basic ideas:
1. View this in a positive light, as a chance to reveal your brilliance.
2. Start your work alone and push yourself as far as you can before working with others. A couple serious, dedicated weeks can accomplish this.
3. Then embrace working with others and debate anything that is not fully understood.
4. Finish your major effort before the last week. The last week before the written is a time to review your study so far . . . not necessarily to be digging deep into new things.
Also, for the oral exam, no matter what they ask you, and no matter what you think about how you are doing--remain confident. Imagine you are giving a talk at a conference. You wouldn't be there if you hadn't earned your place. Prepare, give it your honest best, and don't worry about it.
Credit:
Becky Romatoski
Mareena Robinson
David Allan Bloore
John Hanson
Pun Dumnernchanvanit Ittinop