Your course syllabus provides learning outcomes that are a guidelines of what you are expected to learn on a weekly basis. 

Review your course outline to identify all of the topics that you are expected to study for your upcoming tests and exams. 

As well, reviewing the exam format will help determine how you should consider learning the material. 

Essay Questions

Anticipating questions: 

• Look for patterns throughout class discussions, lecture and tutorial content and readings.
• Look at course outline for major themes.
• Look at your notes for what the professor or TA's have emphasized. 
• Brainstorm possible questions with a study group, 

If the professor distributes questions in advance:

• Make sure you have thought through each question.

Brainstorm

Take time to think about what your know about the subject and how you can prepare to write about the subject. You may write a rough note of a list of sub-topics, themes or keywords you discussed in class, and a list of texts you can reference. 

Creating an Outline

In either case, it is helpful to formulate outlines or concept maps as a means of memorizing the key points you would use to develop a thesis or central argument and organize supporting evidence and key points logically around that central argument. 

Practice Free-writing

Try free-writing as a tool to warm up before your exam or help you practice writing about your essay argument(s). Free-writing is a form of timed writing that helps you turn off your "inner editor." Set a timer for 5 or 10 minutes, keep your pen moving continuously on the page during this timed writing session.

Do not stop to think of a word, don't pause to edit or correct mistakes and do not stop when you have run out of ideas.