The Importance of Key Words

A friend of mine just took an essay test in his college class about the governments of Africa. He complained that a girl in his class got an "A" while he got a "B" on the exam. "My essay was as good as hers," he grumbled, "but the teacher went through the essays and checked off certain key words. She had them and I didn't."

There's a good lesson here! I don't know how many times I've seen teachers and professors reading over an essay exam, scanning for key words. Next time you study for a big midterm or final, be sure to review your notes for key concepts and terms, memorize them, and include them somewhere in your essay.