• The exam is CLOSED book/notes/web/outside-world-access---it CLOSED everything, except what is in your mind. Calculators (including cell phones used as calculators) are permitted, but ONLY for calculations.
  • Course mode:
    1. In-Person Instruction Course:
      1. Since there are only a few calculations, I will be very suspicious of anyone continually viewing their calculator. Cell phones can be used for calculations, but you must come down and do the calculation in front of me.
      2. You are required to supply your own scantrons with spaces for at least 100 questions. These scantrons are cards that either green or brown. I believe you can obtain free scantrons from the Student Union Info Desk. Bring your own #2 pencils to fill out the scantrons. Hand in BOTH exam paper and scantron. You will get them both back. In the case of the final, you have to come and see to get them back.
      3. If you need a makeup, you should email me suggesting a time after consulting the instructor schedule. Note YOU should suggest a time.
    2. Remote Instruction Course: See Rules for Remote Instruction Exams/Quizzes.
  • If you have kept up with the course material, probably an evening of study is required for an in-class exam and about 10 hours of study (NOT all at once) for the final exam. All serious final exams require at least 10 hours of study. More study is required if you havn't been keeping up with the material.
  • Get a good night's sleep after studying: memory consolidates while you sleep (see Forget All-Night Studying, a Good Night's Sleep Is Key to Doing Well on Exams; Wikipedia: Sleep and memory).
  • The study guide is the homeworks and solutions for the covered readings. Try the homeworks really seriously---SELF-TEST---and consult the lectures if necessary to find the answers and the context of the answers. Then as the last step check against the solutions. Just trying to memorize solutions can help a little, but you learn a lot less. Also when the final comes, pure memorization becomes a poor strategy given that there are so many questions that could appear on the final.
  • Re-read any parts of the lectures you are weak on.
  • You meet (or remotely "meet" during pandemics) with friends and challenge each other with questions---the more social and fun way. Study groups are in general good particularly for courses in your major.
  • If you are feel you need more intense study work, try writing summary essays of the lectures or parts thereof.
  • Do NOT cheat. It's shameful---you are trying to steal from your fellow students. Any cheating on an exam is an automatic zero on an exam and on a final is failure in the course, and further academic sanctions may be incurred from the Office of Student Conduct (OSC).
  • If you have taken the exam, you should NOT discuss the exam with people in any section who have NOT yet taken the exam nor with people who need to do makeups.
  • Readings-homework-self-testings (RHSTs) are formally due only the Tuesday at 4 pm after final exam week, but since the readings-homework-self-testings count a lot, your grade could look anomalously low if you don't report your RHSTs regularly---you should report them at least before exams. See Readings (for the list of readings for AST103/104), Readings-Homework-Self-Testings, and How to Report Reading-Homework-Self-Testings.
    Note 1: Do NOT wait till the last moment of the due date to report RHSTs. The sooner reported, the better. If a student has completed all required RHSTs for the course, the best thing to report in an email is "I have done all required RHSTs for the course."
    Note 2: Some students have expressed concern that I have NOT recorded RHSTS they have reported. Sometimes I miss a report. Sometimes students forget they have NOT reported or have been unclear in a report. It is the STUDENT'S responsibility to get a confirmation from me or from their posted grade records that their readings are all entered.