Intro to Psych Help

[houdini2040]

Hello,
I'm new to all of this, have been surfing this forum for quite some time now. I bought a "Introductory to Psychology" book from a second hand store to help with understanding the terms. Been reading it for quite some time now. I have printed out many of the documents here in this forum also to assist in what exactly to memorize. I will then hit the instacert flash cards. Will that be enough? I study about an hour a day, 7 days a week, and plan on taking this exam end of October or early November. This would be my first exam and my nerves are wrecked. Any help or guidance is greatly appreciated.

[scotlandboy]

I took this clep test after a couple days of study and passed albeit a 58, from what you have described of your study regimen, you will probably exceed the score I achieved most deffinately and with ease! the toughest thing I had to overcome was terminology since I had 20+yrs away from academia. I hope after reading this your "anxiety" about the exam will fade away, make the test fear you! and don't forget to get a good nights sleep and a bite to eat beforehand, good luck to you

[Snickerdoodle]

You sound like you've got a plan for success! That will definitely be enough. Work on the IC flashcards and you'll be good to go. Best wishes.

[houdini2040]

I actually have a degree and haven taken quite a few courses even after leaving college / university. I recieved another associates for the fun of it when I took a spanish class at a local college in 2010. I wanted to see if I could still do it. I was never good at school, except all the engineering and physics classes. I had to work alot when I went to school and that got me a lot of Ds and Cs in my 101 and 200 courses.
My friend "Bkahuna" was a registered user here. His posts are all still here and he truly is an amazing test taker. 90 credits in 90 days he says and still txts me. What happened to us is we got outsourced. He is a computer science / programmer and I am a computer engineer or at least was. That is what my education and backround is in. I was smart enough to save all my cash in my twenties after college and when things got slow I diversified. I own quite a few business' in the city and am happy with that. My wife though with our second child on the way, and my three year old now turning four wants to become a stay at home mother and oversee my business'. I figure now is the best time for a new challange and continue my education and I have recently applied at excelsior for a business bachlors degree. I then plan to persue a MBA at Eastern New Mexico. Would love a PHD, but can't stand the idea of getting an article published or the idea of a dissertation or four years.

My nerves are wrecked though. My buddy says bkahuna says I am over studing, but I feel I need to know "why is what it is". Hence the need to read the psychology textbook.

I guess I'm rambling on because that is how nervous I am.

[SuZQ2]

If you'd like to practice your test taking skills and see if you're studying the correct material, check out the Peterson's test site. Purchase and take the 3 practice tests in your subject (Intro Psych). I found these timed tests extremely helpful in determining how ready I was for the actual test.
CLEP Practice Tests
Also, purchase the REA Guide with the CD for the Intro to Psych test. This is another helpful study aid.

Good Luck! Intro Psych was my first CLEP also - and boy was I nervous!

2011-2012
CLEP's
Intro Psych 75
Human Growth and Development 69
Intro to Ed Psych 72
Am Lit 80
Analyzing and Interpreting Lit 75
English Lit 73

[houdini2040]

I also bought 2013 CLEP Official Study Guide. They don't have any of the REA study guides locally. I know I can easily obtain them from Amazon. Though would you think that reading a textbook from 2008 "Intro to Psychology" (very well written and easy to understand) and just the instacert practice exams alone would be enough? My nerves have finally calmed down, I read half the text book yesterday and loved it and can really understand the concepts and questions behind it. I also printed out from the login area of instacert the word docs that give detail notes on what to expect and am going back and forth on those and the textbook.
Here is what I did first, keep in mind I have no clue on psychology never took a course in it, then only thing I can tell is if a co-worker is bipolar i guess:
Took the instacert exam on it first part recieved 7 correct out of 34 (became discouraged and quit).
Read half the textbook, going to read the other half today (750 page book!).
take the instacert practice test over and over again till I score really high.

[BenWalton]

The REA study guide for CLEP Introductory Psychology was sufficient for me. I read it, took a practice test, read the explanations for all the questions, studied the book more, took another practice test, read the explanations for all the questions, took the CLEP Official Study Guide test, got over 60% of the questions correct (this 60% deal was my test of readiness with most of the 19 CLEPs I've taken), and took and passed the test. That was all. Since then I have started using InstantCert. I can't speak for the accuracy of IC on Intro. Psych., but it has been good for all of the other exams that I have taken (I have passed them all by a good margin). With your textbook, the REA study guide, InstantCert, and the 2013 CLEP Official Study Guide, you should ace the exam. Do the IC flashcards over and over until you have 90% down at least.

CALM YOUR NERVES! There is nothing to fear. Follow my advice, and you'll pass at the very least, I'm sure.

[Snickerdoodle]

I'd also recommend Cliffsnotes Psychology which I found very helpful. But from the looks of things, you should probably use it just to make sure that there aren't any sections you've missed. REA's practice tests were pretty close to the real thing, as I remember. Most of all don't freak out!!! You've studied hard---don't let nerves get the best of you!! All the best!

[gotjesus4ever]

Hello,
I'm new to all of this, have been surfing this forum for quite some time now. I bought a "Introductory to Psychology" book from a second hand store to help with understanding the terms. Been reading it for quite some time now. I have printed out many of the documents here in this forum also to assist in what exactly to memorize. I will then hit the instacert flash cards. Will that be enough? I study about an hour a day, 7 days a week, and plan on taking this exam end of October or early November. This would be my first exam and my nerves are wrecked. Any help or guidance is greatly appreciated.

It was the first CLEP I had ever taken. I did it in the time you have (studied for 25 hours over the time span)! I passed with a 56. I believe I could have done so much better with more study hours. I think the best method, I found, was to Get your feet wet with all the information you can get your hands on: it makes mulitple choice fairly easier. BUT study to understand EACH topic individually. If I had taken more time with the methods below:

Here's my thread advice, which I typed up right after the CLEP:
• The test also touches on how the brain works (eyes, ***neurons**, impulses, brain sections)
• Here are great online flash cards to go through in addition to the IC onest-http://www.flashcardexchange.com/cards/introduction-to-psychology-clep-361934
• Know basics of down syndrome, schizophrenia, and the therapies needed for them.
• Cliff Notes (so helpful for getting summaries of every topic needed, it covered all the knowledge needed to answer the questions of the test pretty much), Psychology: Influencing Learning and Performance
• Study Prep, https://speedyprep.com/courses/6/study_s...tart_new=1
• (My favorite resource) If you have Google Chrome, go to the apps and download the free ‘Study Stack’ It has games and flashcard review already programed in just type in ‘Psychology clep’ in the search bar<iframe src="http://www.studystack.com/inewflashcard-363176" width="850px" height="440px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="overflow:hidden"></iframe> <br /><a href="http://www.studystack.com">More flashcards and educational activitites at StudyStack.com</a>
• Know the introductory concepts- including behavior, perception, cognition, emotion, parenting strategies, and personality basics. classical conditioning, operational conditioning, unconditioned stimulus, conditioned stimulus, unconditioned response, conditioned response, extinction, etc. All of these condepts and persons involved must be thoroughly understood, medications (what are used and why and for which condition).
• Know names of key player, what they contributed, which method of therapy they developed.
• Take as many Practice tests as possible. Just google it…There was atleast 4 different free places. Here are free quizes on all the specific topics covered in a typical Psychology course Introductory Psychology | DOME Exam Prep - CLEP
• Another practice test, CLEP Intro Psychology Exam Practice Questions
• It’s very helpful to take the ‘Contents’ from the front of a text book and learn all of the topics in increments, puts everything to memory better if you study to understand EACH topic individually




Topic Study List--
Measurement and Statistics
Research Methods in Psychology
Biological Bases of Behavior
Sensation
Perception
Consciousness
Learning
Motivation
Emotions
Stress and Health
Developmental Psychology: Age 0–13
Developmental Psychology: Age 13 to 65+
Personality
Abnormal Psychology
Treatments
Social Psychology
Intelligence
Memory
Cognition and Language
Diversity Issues