General Study Guide

This is a general study guide to help you prepare to do three things: (1) be efficient and effective in your study time, (2) construct robust answers for essay exams, and (3) prepare solid papers. If you have questions about the suggestions listed below, feel free to ask me about them. If you don’t ask, I can’t help. If you have your own suggestions to add, send me an e-mail note and I’ll include them.

(1) Study Tips

1. After class you should rewrite your class notes, by hand or with a word processor. This practice helps you organize information, helps you understand information, and should help you in assimilating information. Some students may believe that this is a waste of time, but if you want to take your education seriously, this is one of the best places to start...(after actually attending your classes). In my experience as an instructor, those students who do actually rewrite their notes do much better on exams.

2. Read the book chapters in different orders. For instance, don’t just read them in the order they occur (1, 2, 3, ...8), read them in random orders (7, 3, 5, 2 ...). According to psychologists, this practice helps you understand information better, since you won’t be relying on information in a particular sequence.

3. For some people, it helps to outline the main chapter ideas. If you have an outline sheet on hand when studying, you can see the major points in the book, and compare those to your lecture notes. When these coincide, there is a good probability that some sort of question dealing with the book concepts and lecture concepts will appear on an exam.

4. Answer the review questions included in the textbook. In most cases, these questions are intended to help you understand the concepts covered in the textbook. You’ve already paid for the book, so get your money’s worth by using the book the way it was intended!

5. Consider finding a study partner or partners. You may find it helpful to compare your notes with notes of other people from time to time. This will allow you to see if you might have missed something that another person noticed and wrote down. If you do decide to study with someone else, be sure to stay on task...it is easy to get distracted and start talking about other things.

(2) Essay Exam Tips

Exam Directives/Terminology¹

Good answers to essay questions depend in part upon a clear understanding of the meanings of the important directive words. These are the words like explain, compare, contrast, and justify, which indicate the way in which the material is to be presented. Background knowledge of the subject matter is essential. But mere evidence of this knowledge is not enough. If you are asked to compare the marketing strategies of Coke and Pepsi, you will get little or no credit if you merely describe them. If you are asked to criticize McDonald’s focus on constructing playgrounds for children, you are not answering the question if you merely explain why they have chosen to build them. An essay answer is satisfactory only if it directly answers the question asked.

The words that follow are frequently used in essay examinations:

1. summarize - sum up; give the main points briefly.

Summarize the three types of marketing illustrated in the services marketing triangle.

2. evaluate - give the good points and the bad ones; appraise; give an opinion regarding the value of; talk over the advantages and limitations.

Evaluate K-Mart’s pricing strategy.

3. contrast - bring out the points of difference.

Contrast the positioning strategies of Wendy’s and Taco Bell.

4. explain - make clear; interpret; make plain; tell "how" to do; tell the meaning of.

Explain the distribution strategy of Wal-Mart.

5. describe - give an account of; tell about; give a word picture of.

Describe the key components of a marketing plan.

6. define - give the meaning of a word or concept; place it in the class to which it belongs and set it off from other items in the same class.

Define the term "servicescape."

7. compare - bring out points of similarity and points of difference.

Compare product management with general marketing management.

8. discuss - talk over; consider from various points of view; present the different sides of.

Discuss the use of humor in FedEx’s television advertising campaign.

9. criticize - state your opinion of the correctness or merits of an item or issue; criticism may approve or disapprove.

Criticize the advertising of alcohol on prime-time television.

10. justify - show good reasons for; give your evidence; present facts to support your position.

Justify Coca-Cola’s decision to introduce New Coke to the market.

11. illustrate - use a word picture, a diagram, or a concrete example to clarify a point.

Illustrate your understanding of the concept of market segmentation.

1. Read the entire test before you start writing. If there are several questions or parts of the exam, budget your time, saving five or ten minutes for proofreading at the end of the exam period. (Bring a watch to the examination if a clock is not visible.) It is better to write something on all questions that to omit a question because you have devoted too much time to other parts of the test.

2. Follow directions carefully, underlining key words in the instructions. For example, if you are to discuss A or B, underline the or and don’t discuss both. Not reading directions carefully is one of the major causes of poor performance on exams.

3. Plan before you write. Your discussion should start with a thesis (or topic) sentence that answers the question directly, that shows the conclusion you have come to after thinking about the question. Jot down (on the examination or other scratch paper) a brief outline of the major points you will use to support your thesis.

4. Write out your answers in clear, complete sentences. Be sure your ideas make sense and are relevant to the question being asked. Also, try to write so that the instructor can read your handwriting. Giving a list of terms isn’t enough. You must be able to demonstrate that you understand the terms by using them in sentences. Anyone can memorize lists of information, but you must be able to apply that information in a meaningful way.

5. Write the essay, following your outline. Though your essay should be factual (not just opinions and generalizations), you will not have enough time to write all the details you know. Therefore, you must be selective. Choose those facts, details, examples, or other points that will best support your thesis.

6. Keep your thesis (or main point) in mind as you write. Time is short so don’t allow yourself to be distracted by a side issue. Everything you include should be pertinent to answering the question and supporting your thesis.

7. Check the time occasionally. Conclude your essay and go on to the next question when the time you have budgeted has passed. Leave some space to write more in case you have time later to go back to a question that you couldn’t finish.

8. Use the entire class period to your advantage. Normally you have two hours to work on the essay exams that I give. Don’t just breeze through trying to get out in time to do other things. Take your time and think your answers through. If you do nothing else, go back and check to see that you have answered all parts of each of the questions that need to be answered.

9. Proofread your essays at the end of the exam period. It’s easy to misspell even simple words, to omit letters or words, or to transpose numbers when you are writing under pressure. Make any corrections or additions neatly. Although unity, organization, and development are most important to clear communication in an essay examination, correct as many errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar as you can before you turn in your test.