Knowing the Question

As I write this, a little later today I will be giving the students in the public relations class I teach their mid-term exam. It will be an essay exam. The test will be comprised of four questions and the students will be asked to answer any three. At our most recent class meeting, we reviewed for this mid-term and I gave the students a good sense of the topics each of the questions will cover. Many of the students walked out of the class with a sense that the test was going to be easy. From my own perspective, I view this as a false assumption, particularly as it relates to my own situation. I am currently a doctoral student. This semester I will complete the course-work phase of the program. Before moving onto my dissertation, however, I am required to take a comprehensive examination to test my field of knowledge of communication. Like the mid-term I am giving later today, it will be comprised of a a number of essay questions. And, as it is with my mid-term, the faculty members who are administering my comprehensive exam are giving me a sense of the specific topics that I will be expected to address. But unlike many of my students, I definitely do not believe my comprehensive exam is going to be easy.

Having a good sense of the question or questions in advance is a double-edge sword. The good news is that it provides you with extremely helpful direction in your preparation efforts. But on the other hand, it puts pressure on you that whatever answers you ultimately do come up with better be awfully good. It also raises the level of expectations on the part of the teachers when they eventually sit down to assess your answers. What I am trying to do with my students and what my teachers are attempting to do with me is give provide an opportunity to give serious thought to various questions and, even in a small way, advance the level of discourse about topics relating to communication. I see this is an important responsibility and I hope my students do, too.

A key to being able to communicate effectively is often found in the preparation. These steps include identifying key points, collecting pertinent information, organizing one's thoughts, and establishing a proper tone for the ultimate presentation of the message. Unfortunately, opportunities to prepare do not come along every day. Sometimes situations occur when we are called upon to communicate messages or information with little or no warning. These kind of a moments present their own special brand of challenge as it forces to draw upon whatever information they can on the spot. But while knowing the questions in advance is a different scenario, it does not make it any less of a challenge to be taken seriously and handled responsibly.