Issue
27(1)
"Ace"
Any Test
(Fifth Edition).
(2005). Ron Fry. Clifton Park, NY: Thomson Delmar Learning. 122
pp. $
9.99 (paperback). ISBN 1-40188-912-3.
Review
by: Kathy B. Juda
RETAIN
Academic Advisor
The
College of Arts & Sciences
Kent
State University
Any academic
advisor frustrated by advisees who say "I know I should be doing
better, but." will find that this book offers practical advice
and wisdom. I started this book hoping to find the 'holy grail'
of how-to-study texts for my college freshmen, what I found in
"Ace" Any Test was something more.
"Ace"
Any Test is written in
nine short chapters and is one of a series of six books in Ron
Fry's "How to Study" Series. However this is not just a book about
the study skills students need to acquire to ace college tests.
Instead, it addresses the bigger picture of what it takes to be
a successful learner and ultimately to succeed in a
career and life. While the material and ideas in this little book
are not truly new, Fry does an admirable job organizing the essential
concepts of time management and planning, strategies for how,
when, and why to study, test-taking tips, overcoming
fears that immobilize us, and providing an 'inside' view of how
teachers think.
College
freshmen making the transition to college, will find that the
issues of time management and planning for success need be a top
priority. Fry writes that ".most of us have never been taught
how to manage our time.or why we should even try" (p. 9). He goes
on to say, "To achieve our goals, we must commit ourselves to
the many and varied steps it takes to get there. We must plan.
We must manage our time" (p.10).
An
underlying theme throughout the book is 'planning for
success.' Fry provides numerous checklists and worksheets to show
students how to implement effective planning. Of particular note
is the 'Pretest Organizer,' (p.33) which requires students to
know the format of the impending exam, tools needed, the date,
time and location of the exam, material to be covered as well
as how to conduct a post-test evaluation.
Filled
with anecdotes, the author's sometimes oblique attempts at humor
may be better appreciated by faculty and advisors than by most
college students. Still, the beneficial content therein outweighs
the negative.
The
most valuable advice offered by Fry is found in Chapter Eight
where he guides the reader in doing a self-evaluation after a
test that can help the reader learn from past behaviors and plan
for future success. Here he notes: "There's no substitute for
knowledge.Doing well on a test.is a combination of knowing how
to take the test, and knowing the stuff that goes into the answers"
(p. 109).
"Ace"
Any Test (Fifth
Edition) would be a good supplemental text in a freshman seminar
aimed at helping students make a good transition to college and
take personal responsibility for their own success. I plan to
use this book in my freshman orientation seminar in the future.
