Midterms are upon us. Material needs to be quickly reviewed, understood, and in some cases, *gasp* memorized. Symbols and equations swarm our fuzzy brains as the stress of hell week sets in.
It’s the class before the midterm. A classmate inevitably puts up their hand and asks, “Will this [formula] be given on the exam?” Followed by, “Which formulas will be given on the exam?” Collective anxiety builds in those of us who don’t have a photographic memory. At this point, the professor responds with something to the effect of one of the following: “The formula sheet provided will have all of the formulas that you need,” or “The formula sheet provided will have most of the formulas you need, but this particular formula is fundamental and should be in your bones,” or, “That’s up to you—you’re responsible for your own formula sheet: One 8.5 by 11 inch sheet of paper, single sided.”
The first response is the best option. Sit back and (relax?), all that you need will be given to you—now you just need to know when to use what. Everyone has the same tools at their disposal. No need to worry about memorizing any questions. No need to stress about what needs to go on the formula sheet, no worrying about running out of room as you squeeze in every last possible equation and example; to the point where there is so much overwhelming detail that the writing is so very teensy weensy that you can barely read it.
These arguments may seem somewhat small, or perhaps even trivial at first glance, however they do translate into what can be a significant difference.
It is fair if everyone is provided with the same formulas. This avoids the scenario in which more than half the class forgets to put the most ridiculously obscure, random, seemingly useless formula that you learned in the very first or last class, or maybe the class on what was supposed to have been a snow day and nobody made it except the prof and possibly some nargals that were living in that lecture hall anyway. Furthermore, it is frankly silly for perfectly intelligent people (with no photographic memory) to be unable to complete a question simply because they didn’t include that particular formula on their formula sheet.
This goes against the point of the exam: To assess the students’ understanding of the course material. Forgetting to include a formula on the formula sheet, thereby making it impossible to answer a question, is in absolutely now way indicative of understanding.
This is particularly important as many of the questions we see on exams are more complex and yes, as painful as it is to borrow this expression, “multi-step.” Chances are that you will need one formula to find a particular quantity and suddenly realize, “Crap, they didn’t give me this other thing that I now need to get what they’re asking for.” You get the idea. And then you suddenly realize, “Crap, I don’t have that formula!” so you try to B.S. up an explanation saying you would do this, that or the other thing to solve the problem. Alternatively, you move to the next question with an air of despair, thinking, “How could I be so stupid!” Regardless, you know you understand but are essentially unable to demonstrate it.
The second key advantage with professor-provided formula sheets is that you can focus on understanding the fundamental concepts rather than worrying about which equations need to be on your formula sheet. Suppose that while you are studying, you find that you’re struggling with a particular problem. Finally you get the answer, and you say, “Great, I can put this example on my formula sheet, this was really tough and will be on the exam for sure.” You don’t focus on understanding how to solve the problem properly because you’re either falsely convinced that you do understand the problem after seeing the solution, or are under the impression that having the solution to a similar problem on your formula sheet will get you through the exam. Which, again, goes against the entire point of the exam.
Studying for the exam is when you learn most of the material. Band-aid solutions as described above that “get you through” the exam do not teach you anything. Not only will you be unable to apply the concept in question to problems in the future, you also miss out on the opportunity to improve your ability to problem-solve, work under pressure and most importantly, think outside the box.
All of this aside, bringing your own formula sheet can actually help you understand the material when done properly. Reviewing the material systematically will help you formulate a good formula sheet (pun intended). That being said, a similar process should be followed regardless of the “format” of the formula sheet. If you need the motivation of making your own formula sheet to review the material in meticulous detail, then you are missing out on learning the material properly in courses where this is not an option.
It is therefore evident that professor-provided formula sheets are better than making your own. When everyone gets the same formula sheet, there is no chance of students being unable to answer a question for the sole reason of not having a particular formula. Better still, it forces students to focus on understanding the concepts rather than worry about which specific formulas they will need. Finally, it encourages the application of a strong studying approach across all courses.
So what does this all mean? The next time your professor asks if you’d like to make your own formula sheet, think twice—and let them do the dirty work.
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