Seeking 3rd/4th yr psych students for PSY222 guidance... (1 Viewer)

[schmogirl]

Hi all....i'm a newbie to this site and the whole forum thing so forgive me if this is not the right etiquette...anyway i am (obviously) a 2nd year psych student doing PSY222 and really hoping there is a 3rd or 4th year psych student who might be willing and able to give me (and fellow PSY222 students) a bit of advice on how best to study for this subject and what notes to take in with you for the final exam. Open book sounds promising but there's so much to digest in this course and even with "everything" in there with me I'm thinking I might still get lost :worried:. I'm thinking about doing up some step-by-step notes on how to analyse and answer questions based on past optional tests and exams (ie on e-reserve), but really that's as far as I've got so any pearls of wisdom are really appreciated

 

[AsyLum]

Welcome to our humble community There should be a few members who will be able to help you out, in the mean time, search through the threads already here to get a gauge for some discussion on the topic.

 

[clairegirl]

I'm doing psy222 atm, so is boink boink and sum1 else i think ... how'de you find the optional? What other psychology subjects are you doing this semester?

the only 3rd year psych student on here who's already done psy222 is cyan (he comes on here regularly so yeah he'll help with the finals).... the rest of the 3rd year, 4th years did stat270 (back when psy222 wasn't a pre-req) Arrghh lucky bastards!

 

[boinkBOINK]

psy222 is the devil

 

[schmogirl]

Thanks for the welcome Asylum, clairegirl and boinkboink.

i am only doing PSY222 and PSY234. I didn't do the optional, just didn't feel ready for it - hope it was the right decision....i saw on WEBCT discussions that some people found it hard, some said it wasn't like the ereserve past papers at all etc - what did you think clairegirl?

yeah PSY222 does seem the devil boinkboink and it seems from lack of response out there that we'll just have to soldier on as is and hope for the best. I've never done an open book exam before so that's probably explains some of my nervousness....

has anybody viewing this thread had any experience with open book exams? did you find them easier or harder to study for and sit? interested to know your experiences.....

 

[clairegirl]

I found the first optional really easy (i got 14/15).... my friend who didn't know anything (lol no offense but she's useless in psy222 and she got 8!! lol) thats a pass! lol

It wasn't like the past papers at all, it was slightly harder.

Open book exams are HARDER to sit for... with the optional.. i made sure I only referred to my notes that i made (okay fine my friend made lol) ... if u spend a lot of time looking through all your stuff then it takes you ages.. its best to have a set of notes in front of you on about 6 pages of A4 paper.. and just use them. Also its very useful to have all your crap but on the floor out of the way

 

[Cyan_phoeniX]

hi schmogirl, welcome to BOS.

Probably the only help i can give you is to go through the notes and put together a 'cheat sheet' which consists of about 5-10 pages of the core aspects of the course (ESPECIALLY SPSS SYNTAX!). What is a good idea though, is to have it done as soon as you can, so you can familiarise yourself with this 'cheat-sheet' (so put it together now and use it when you do practice papers) This helps with the final exam because, even though its open book (and you can bring along your book and all lecture slides) its a good idea to just have all that on the floor and to just use you 'cheat sheet' on the table -because by that stage you either know it (or its on the cheat sheet) or you dont, and its pointless to look up something unfamilar in an exam (flicking through a 300 page book) when time is limited enough as it is.

Also, go through as many practice papers as you can, psy222 is good in that eugene makes available alot of past examples and tests. you will know if your ready if you can do an entire end of year exam without having to refer to anything except you cheatsheet. (its tempting to have a million notes and the textbook handy and just flick through it to find an answer for a past test in there, but you really wont have that sort of time in the exam).

And another thing, do all the optionals while you have the chance!! You probably really have should have done the optional test, ready or not, because at the very least it would have prepared you for later exams (and you may have even found it ok and now have had some marks contribute to your final). But not to worry, try and do the second optional test if you can. It just makes the final exam a lot easier knowing that it may just count for 25% instead of 40%.

 

[schmogirl]

cyan - thank you so very much for making the time and effort with this post...it is absolutely just what I needed to hear....and you have restored my faith in myself as I had been thinking along those lines - cheat sheet, past papers, sitting the optionals. i will definitely sit the second one now that i've seen the first one come back and more importantly seen the distribution of results....i was fearful i'd end up with so few marks it wouldn't matter and then the anxiety just snowballed and i ended up too scared to sit it. i won't do that again.

i've been reading up on open book exams so i am getting more of a feel for it and am not deluding myself that it will be a breeze.

just to be on the safe side i might get myself a few tutoring sessions.....now to find someone to tutor me...any ideas?

it's funny how a subject like PSY222 can mess with people's heads so much, in the end it's no more frightening than the next subject, i guess because it's math/stats it's a whole different way of thinking, it's not a subject area that feels intuitive and you got to sort of get yourself into a different head space to get really into....thankfully i'm getting there so it's not all so daunting now....

wonder if my fellow PSY222 students feel the same way....? or maybe it's just end of day fatigue talking ;0)

sorry i didn't say thank you earlier btw cyan, just haven't been able to log onto this website for ages! crappy dialup internet....

 

[MaryJane]

sorry i didn't say thank you earlier btw cyan, just haven't been able to log onto this website for ages! crappy dialup internet....

Not crappy dialup; its the crappy server that BoS uses. I'm on broadband and haven't been able to get on here all day.

Gosh, I need a life!

Welcome schmogirl! I didnt do 222 (stat270 instead thank god), but thought I'd invade this thread too! If you have any questions about the rest of the psych units, I can help! Except perception *shudder*

 

[Skittled]

The stats/maths subjects definetly (I can never spell that right...) do mess with your head. Totally makes you second guess yourself... threat to ones' self-efficacy, I suppose? -- regardless, I think it happens to 90% of psych students.

Re the tutors, I've not actually seen any paid tutoring adverts/offers, but if you ask, generally the tutors themselves are pretty happy to sit down with you and give you some one-on-one tutoring..?

(Just to add to the welcoming-but-unrelated-to-this-thread comments (specifically in response to MJ), Jamie (aka Cyan Phoenix) and I might be able to help with perception, when you get round to it schmogirl.. But Jamie'll be able to tell you the real answers, seems I can just second-guess the questions accurately! )

Welcome to BOS, too!

Steve.

 

[clairegirl]

Psy237 lol

I wont be any help at all with this... I have no idea how i passed this subject... oh actually i do... two words Cyan Phoenix! lol

 

[TalkieToaster]

I'm doing psy222 atm, so is boink boink and sum1 else i think ... how'de you find the optional? What other psychology subjects are you doing this semester?

I might be the OTHER other person doing PSY222.

Eugene cracks me up. I quote: "Just make sure you all spell condescending correctly in your unit evaluations."

I'm not finding it toooo hard I guess. For the optional test I made myself up some "Cheat Sheets" of summarised formulas, procedures, rules etc so I could just follow them through for each question. Kept my other crap in my bag just in case. Worked ok for me!
I hear from my tutor that he likes to throw the osbcure questions in exam papers so be warned.

TT

 

[schmogirl]

PSY237....eeek i still have nightmares about that one - did it last year and BARELY passed (ie got 50!!!)

thanks Talkie Toaster for your input into this thread - it is all helping reassure me

am struggling with assignment 2 but seems from the MQ discussion board for 234 so are a lot of people so i guess that is comforting (???)....i am determined not to let this damned subject get the better of me and for it to become (in psych jargon) a self-fulfilling prophecy of failure....who's with me?! (yes i am trying to delude myself that I can master this subject....it's better than the usual messages i tell myself which is that i am failing......

 

[schmogirl]

The stats/maths subjects definetly (I can never spell that right...) do mess with your head. Totally makes you second guess yourself... threat to ones' self-efficacy, I suppose? -- regardless, I think it happens to 90% of psych students.

Re the tutors, I've not actually seen any paid tutoring adverts/offers, but if you ask, generally the tutors themselves are pretty happy to sit down with you and give you some one-on-one tutoring..?

(Just to add to the welcoming-but-unrelated-to-this-thread comments (specifically in response to MJ), Jamie (aka Cyan Phoenix) and I might be able to help with perception, when you get round to it schmogirl.. But Jamie'll be able to tell you the real answers, seems I can just second-guess the questions accurately! )

Welcome to BOS, too!

Steve.

Hi Steve,

thanks for the reassurance with that infor about 90% of psych students similarly suffering with stats, that definitely helps. And to think a couple of decades ago you could just do a BA major in psych and in 3 years then hang out a shingle and call yourself a psychologist and any type thereof. It's all fabulous that they've tightened up the field and made it more difficult, with higher UAIs and 4 year programs I do agree but I wish I had a maths/science brain rather than an art/music/drama type brain....

thanks too for info re tutors, i guess i'm too scared to give it a go and maybe it's all too late now they're probably stressed with the other psy222 students freaking out as much as me for the upcoming exams PLUS having their own exams (the tutors) themselves.....never mind, I'll keep plodding along - i won't let this damned subject defeat me! no self-fulfilling prophecy of women who can't do maths will be happening (i hope......)

i find the whole online chat thing endlessly fascinating especially the aliases people use (not much to analyse about my own alias there's no deep meaning attached or implied...)

and i am amazed at just how many posts people make - i'm afraid i just don't have enough time or motivation and of course the internet is stuffing up half the time at home here...one day i might even crack double digits for posts he he he

good luck with all your studies and to everyone else at Mac too....

The seemingly old woman of the community.....Jasmin

 

[clairegirl]

i find the whole online chat thing endlessly fascinating especially the aliases people use (not much to analyse about my own alias there's no deep meaning attached or implied...)

and i am amazed at just how many posts people make - i'm afraid i just don't have enough time or motivation and of course the internet is stuffing up half the time at home here...one day i might even crack double digits for posts he he he

good luck with all your studies and to everyone else at Mac too....

The seemingly old woman of the community.....Jasmin

You must be talking about asylum lol whose got over 10 000 posts! bless him hehe.

Don't worry, these boards do get addicting and you'll be up in the tripple digits in no time lol i check these boards as much as i do my email (at least twice a day, anything less than that and i get antzy :s) lol

BOS is a great time waster but it's also a great time saver (when you get help from other students with assignments and such) and all the regulars on these boards are pretty good with helping you out whenever they can. How did you hear of BOS anywho schmogirl?

 

[iambored]

hey schmogirl,
don't be scared of the tutors, it's a few weeks before the exams start so i am quite sure that they are not busy with student questions yet (2 nights before the exam, maybe). but if it's a question students can properly answer it's better to get help from students, they'll generally be more patient and understanding of the level you all are at.

i quoted the bit of your post about the post count in another thread, i never thought i could post so much but it does get addictive. i now check this more than my email because there are always new things to read. i generally leave it on or log in evey 10 mins while writing notes or assignments as well.

you said you're interested to know experiences with open book exams - open book = good. although some of the questions are more tricky, everyone will find them more tricky. the key (imo) is to have a general knowledge of what you have to do, make great cheat sheets and put tabs on everything to make any topic easily accessible.

anyway, good luck with the subject. so many people who aren't maths-brains have to do stats, the people who fail are generally the ones who don't care.

 

[clairegirl]

so many people who aren't maths-brains have to do stats, the people who fail are generally the ones who don't care.

Omg that's soo true! I failed ACST101 the first time because i didn't care... i was constantly getting 5%'s or 2%'s in my weekly assignments (out of 100%) because i didn't care.

Only people that give up or don't care fail uni subjects...

 

[schmogirl]

You must be talking about asylum lol whose got over 10 000 posts! bless him hehe.

Don't worry, these boards do get addicting and you'll be up in the tripple digits in no time lol i check these boards as much as i do my email (at least twice a day, anything less than that and i get antzy :s) lol

BOS is a great time waster but it's also a great time saver (when you get help from other students with assignments and such) and all the regulars on these boards are pretty good with helping you out whenever they can. How did you hear of BOS anywho schmogirl?

i heard about BOS through google....i was feeling sooo lost (over PSY222 of course!) so i typed in something random like 'help with PSY222' and it appeared as one of the links....

no chance of being getting addicted to BOS though, i have enough addictions already! (coffee, kettle chips, those new oreo wafer sticks, vodka with lemon lime and bitters, reality tv, puzzles.....no more time i'm afraid!)

i swear though it's hard to stay motivated with this subject - first one to really test me like this. i almost considered just giving up, getting a fail grade and trying again next year....but surely it can't be THAT hard??? for god's sake i'm supposed to be smart!! (i got into uni in the first place and before that survived selective school.....mind you it was a while ago!)

might start another new thread on general motivational tips - i'm sure all you lovely BOS people will help this tired stressed old lady out

 

[iambored]

don't give up schmogirl, you don't want to do it again, imagine the relief when you finish it in one semester!!! if you do happen to fail (which you won't, as i have said before), it will be a whole lot easier the second time around, rather than the first time around, attempt number 2.

oreo wafer sticks?? i can't keep up with trying new products!

 

[schmogirl]

hey schmogirl,
don't be scared of the tutors, it's a few weeks before the exams start so i am quite sure that they are not busy with student questions yet (2 nights before the exam, maybe). but if it's a question students can properly answer it's better to get help from students, they'll generally be more patient and understanding of the level you all are at.

i quoted the bit of your post about the post count in another thread, i never thought i could post so much but it does get addictive. i now check this more than my email because there are always new things to read. i generally leave it on or log in evey 10 mins while writing notes or assignments as well.

you said you're interested to know experiences with open book exams - open book = good. although some of the questions are more tricky, everyone will find them more tricky. the key (imo) is to have a general knowledge of what you have to do, make great cheat sheets and put tabs on everything to make any topic easily accessible.

anyway, good luck with the subject. so many people who aren't maths-brains have to do stats, the people who fail are generally the ones who don't care.

hi iambored

i'm still getting the hang of reading through these threads, and trying to suss out the etiquette and flow of it all, it's a bit like a very long, drawn out conversation that lots of people can jump in and out of, moments can be easily lost and it ends up a bit weird....doesn't help that i'm not that keen on or skilled with BOS and so don't log on that often....but i will try harder now so many people have made effort to communicate with me (THANKYOU, am no longer feeling so alone.....)

i saw that you quoted me in that 1000th posts (and counting) thread....i know i have an addictive personality already (and way too many addictions) so i will be careful not to go nuts with BOS. thankfully i am not on the puter as much as you guys all seem to be (old people like us aren't as dependent on the computer and half the time are swearing at it coz it won't do what we want it to do he he he) oh and yes i am old i was born in the 70s....wayyyyyyy duuuuude.....

well i definitely do care about passing this damned (i mean lovely - trying to think positively) subject. i DO in fact like it, i really think it's a dreaded life-work-uni balance issue....i'm only part time at uni but with everything else it sometimes get too much. i have lowered my expectations from a decent grade to a pass and i'm sure with all your advice and that from skittled, cyanphoenix, and my fellow current psy222 students i'm sure i'll get there...yay!

i will definitely try to investigate tutor options....have never been to a tutor before so it's all new to me (hence = scary) but if you think it's not too late then i'll try to find one....

thanks for joining this boring old lady's boring old thread...might start a new one.....or not, (see am not addicted woo hoo!)