In Pursuit
of the Elusive “A”
You don’t have to like—or
believe in—the whole college grad
ing system. But we don’t have to
tell you that you’d better get
serious about grades anyhow. If
you want to enter graduate or
professional school, you know
that a high G.P. A. is in order. And
looking ahead to the tight job
market that many college grads
now face, it’s easy enough to see
that grades count there as well.
Tactics and Strategies: An Ex
am Planner isn’t like any study
guide you’ve ever seen. We don’t
pretend to offer you definitive
advice on how to study or how to
psyche out your professors or how
to ace an exam. We’ve put in our
years on campus, and we know better
than to spout words of wisdom that
Art Credits: Cover—Joe Acree
Joe Acree—page 3; Steve Blev
ins—page 17; Wayne Harms—
pages 10, 14; Janine Orr—
page 19;MaryRevenig—page
21; Ken Smith—pages 4, 6.
© 1978 13-30 Corporation.
All rights reserved. No por
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tinuing Series of College
Newspaper Supplements may
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of 13-30 Corporation, 505
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Insider is published by 13
30 Corporation for Ford Di
vision of Ford Motor Com
pany. Opinions expressed by
the publisher and writers are
their own and are not to be
construed as those of Ford
Division of Ford Motor Com
pany. Likewise, the publisher
assumes responsibility for the
technical accuracy of the ma
terial used throughout the
articles herein. Direct any
correspondence to Laura
Eshbaugh, Managing Editor.
you can never hope to follow—and
wouldn’t even if you could.
What Tactics and Strategies
offers is a laid-back look at the
testing scene that may help you
better put together your grade
game plan—or offer some helpful
insights you haven’t before con
sidered—or at least give you some
interesting reading for an after
noon.
The articles that follow cover
everything from why study for
mulas don’t work to a creative
test-taking strategy to an un
orthodox introduction to paper
writing. We’ve thrown in a new
look at an old phenomena— cram
ming—and a consoling view of six
successes who weathered academ
ic crises. And, given the intensity
of the grade game for so many
students, we give special attention
to coping with text anxiety.
Insider: Ford’s Continuing Series
of College Newspaper Supple
ments is sponsored by Ford Divi
sion of Ford MotorCompanyand
published by 13-30 Corporation
(which also produces such famil
iar campus publications as Nut
shell and The Graduate). Ford’s
sponsorship of this publication is
an indication of their desire to
provide services to college stu
dents. Please take the timeto let us
know how you like this supple
ment by returning the postage
paid card on page 17. And for
more information on Ford’s prod
uct line, use the card on page 8.
Good reading!
Inside the Insider
Magical Memory Tour.4
The Unending Quest for a Study Formula That Works
by Patricia Westfall
A Compendium of Study Aids and Advice.9
by Vicki Dennis
How To Play the Test Game—and Win.10
by Don Eastman
Ins and Outs of Cramming.15
The more you learn, the more you forget. The more you forget, the
less you know. So why study?
by Don Akchin
Fear and Trembling at Exam Time.17
How To Write a Paper in 1,000 Easy Words.21
Famous Failures.23
Six Convincing Examples That Grades Aren’t Everything
by Lisa Greenberg