Question About exam

[Bluenote]

Not sure how to even begin to ask this, but I will give a background of myself first.

I have since I was a child been in love with the aspect of tree's, I could never cut one down, always found a way to save one. I was 10 when I used to go in the back fields and dig up tree's with my late father and plant them all over our yard ( farm at the time ). I went on to different avenues with some success, but never felt fullfilled, and I guess I should have known where my true love was.

I started my own landscaping business in 1999, and it is still going today, but I had hurt myself on the job 5 years ago ( own fault and not using proper back support ) , so my lover back can at times get messed up pretty bad, so I now have made my business into more of a design one. I go out and design it for the people, I hold their hands at the nursery ( no joke ). And at times will do the job if it is not extreme on the back. As I was into Rockscaping and you can get an idea of the lifting there.

Now I have tonnes of knowledge in tree's, as I have been working with them for most of my life, my yard is a mini rain forest, this is what all my neighbors call it. I can walk down any street in town in the winter and tell you what each tree is and what is wrong with it. Heck I can even do it in the dark at times. It seems second nature to me.

So I decided to take the Arborist course here at our University, it is 12 week course. I am using the ( Green ) ISA study guide.

Now my issue as I just have started recently is the biology etc, of the tree, if you were to ask me in plain terms what stuff is, I would ace it, but all these technical words they like using now are like another language for me. And I really fear I am going to lose the course in this area. As here this is a big percentage of the final exam, it is a 150 multiple choice one. 4 answers in each question, and they make them to trick you of course lol. Now passing the course is no biggy as I know all the other chapters, but to get my certificate here all I need is 70% overall, BUT to get my Licence here I need to get 60% in all 15 chapters, if I get a 59% in one I fail, but still get my cert if I overall got the 70%. And where I am going I need the licence part. Otherwise this cert is a waste of time for me.

Now my biggest issue and always has been, is the fact I can read things 20 times and not retain it. Well at least not retain the big words that are maybe needed on the test. I am more of a person, if he watches it, or see's it done, I remember it right away. So the book is a little overwhelming to me at 41.

I guess I am over reacting as I have read some others posts here about this, but I need to get an idea of what I am to expect on the course exam, again this is not an ISA exam, I am just using the ISA book. Any suggestions, or examples of the exam would be great. Then I at least know what to study for as TBH I want to ACE this.

Thanks for listening

 

[pdqdl]

You need to talk about your concerns with the teacher of the course. Most teachers want their students to do well, and no one can give you better advice about passing a course than the teacher that wants you to pass.

Now if your teacher doesn't care...that's a whole different kind of problem.

 

[TreeGuyHR]

I was a professional student for years -- still am on my own.

Couple ways to retain new scientific vocabulary:

Use index cards to make "flash cards"; seems like grade school, but it really does work. Write the word on one side, define it on the other AND make a little sketch. The sketch doesn't have to be great, but the act of writing out the definition and drawing the sketch will brand the word and meaning into your brain.

Do this for ALL the vocab, even the stuff you figure that you know. That way, the "root" parts of the words will become familiar, and help you remember the meaning of words that contain them. (Hey that was a pun:msp_tongue

QUIZ: try to duplicate what is on the back instead of just looking. Actually write it out on blank paper. Once you can do that, you are golden. Part of your problem is probably just anxiety making you think your brain will freeze.

Another quiz: after you go through the flash cards, go look at some trees as well as cut-up wood and see how much you can remember about tree biology, pruning, diseases and insects, site factors in tree health, etc. I constantly do this whenever I am outside my door -- can't stop myself. That is the constant learning part, which you have been doing already

 

[Pelorus]

.

....all these technical words they like using now are like another language for me. And I really fear I am going to lose the course in this area.
Now my biggest issue and always has been, is the fact I can read things 20 times and not retain it.

1. Don't make excuses. Please don't. Excuses are for losers.
2. Writing the stuff down like Pdqdl has suggested is a guaranteed way to help retention.

 

[Pelorus]

ooops, I meant TreeGuyHR, not Pdqdl.
But Pdqdl had good advice too!

 

[pdqdl]

I thought about making those suggestions, too.

Then it occurred to me that he might be sweating the wrong details. If he wears himself out learning terminology, and the teacher only tests on concepts and procedures...it might not turn out as well as he wishes.

I think it goes without saying, however, that if you can't speak the language of the course, you can't do too well on the test. In my experience, flash cards are only one side of the learning problem. We learn language from continuous exposure and use, not just repetition. Flash cards force memorization, but they don't really help too much on facilitating the use of unfamiliar jargon. Use it, practice your difficult words, read about technical topics that use those words...before long, those difficult words are familiar old friends that get straight to the point, rather than keep you from understanding.

Think of difficult words as steps on the ladder to understanding, the goal being mastery of a topic. When you were a little kid, those big steps were hard to crawl over, and a ladder might have seemed imposing. Just practice going up and down the ladder (repeatedly) until your muscles can handle the big steps; then getting to the top doesn't seem too tough.

 

[ShermanC]

Write a study sheet for yourself about each major issue you learn.

Not sure how to even begin to ask this, but I will give a background of myself first.

I have since I was a child been in love with the aspect of tree's, I could never cut one down, always found a way to save one. I was 10 when I used to go in the back fields and dig up tree's with my late father and plant them all over our yard ( farm at the time ). I went on to different avenues with some success, but never felt fullfilled, and I guess I should have known where my true love was.

I started my own landscaping business in 1999, and it is still going today, but I had hurt myself on the job 5 years ago ( own fault and not using proper back support ) , so my lover back can at times get messed up pretty bad, so I now have made my business into more of a design one. I go out and design it for the people, I hold their hands at the nursery ( no joke ). And at times will do the job if it is not extreme on the back. As I was into Rockscaping and you can get an idea of the lifting there.

And where I am going I need the licence part. Otherwise this cert is a waste of time for me.
Now my biggest issue and always has been, is the fact I can read things 20 times and not retain it. Well at least not retain the big words that are maybe needed on the test. I am more of a person, if he watches it, or see's it done, I remember it right away. So the book is a little overwhelming to me at 41.

STUDY SHEET ideas
You will find value to your Certification later so don't give up. I earned certification 40 years ago as a Registered Foodservice Manager then 30 years ago as a Vocational Instructor. Preparation and study are the hard parts. I want to earn certification in arborist work as a CTSP.
As. You study write yourself a Study Sheet which may seem like copying in cursive or typing to a PC but it will stick in your mind. I am 72, a slow reader and often underscore things I want to remember. It works if you do it consistently while you are awake and mentally fresh.:bang:

Good luck and hang in there!

 

[Pelorus]

Break down the complicated words. You gotta take them apart and separate them. If you can learn the meaning of some of the parts, then a big word like "otorhinolaryngology" won't be intimidating.
I love Shigo's thoughts on education:
"EDUCATIONs starts when you doubt something
EDUCATION occurs when you resolve your doubts"

 

[derwoodii]

the ISA study guides come in CD's that you can play listen to as you relax drive or work sleep etc. You can test them here International Society of Arboriculture it may help your reading retaining learning curve, it worked for me.

 

[TreeGuyHR]

Even with studying, you will get some wrong. When I took it, I really took issue with some of the questions -- I felt like I knew what answer they wanted but I had a different opinion. Give them the answer they want, its just a test. I got more wrong in some sections than I thought I would.

 

[Pelorus]

An incentive to study that is posted on the buzz:
Arboriculture Is a Science and Arborists are Skilled Tradesmen | Calgary Herald

 

[Projector]

I had the same worries about retaining the vocabulary but studied the book hard and made heaps of flash cards and did fine. I did the online test and was really disappointed with the tree Id section. No pictures and I only recall scientific names and I know them not. Just take the test and I bet you'll surprise yourself. I think being nervous helps on multiple choice tests with trick questions and such.

 

[Bluenote]

Thanks everyone, I did buy the ISA cds about a month or so ago, really helps with the reading. I have found jumping ahead in the class, as in doing the next chapter on my own, before the teacher, teaches it to be a great way of retaining the stuff my teacher wants. As my teacher does point out what to remember. And I always re-read those chapters I may have an issue on, but I am finding it less of an issue now. I find myself when I am out actually commenting on tree's and the various aspects of the trade. So obviously in my case I must be retaining something if not a lot.
I am lucky though that a lot of the chapters I do know very well all ready due to my work experiance. And that lets me focus on the parts I am pretty much relearning, and that was where parts were getting confusing, as I was taught how to do one thing, and was told this is the right way, and now am finding a lot of it was the wrong way. Goes to show how many people out there do not have a clue on the proper way of doing things.

But all in all, so far doing well.
Some of the things I did find helpful and were mentioned are:
- I go over the chapter before we go through it.
- I high light the main parts, do the quiz at the end of each chapter.
- I then go through with my instructor / class, and then high light in a different color the parts we focused on.
- I try to take what I have learned thus far into the real world when I am out and use that visual aid to basically flash it into memory.
- And of course well written point form notes.