135 NACTA Journal • June 2014 Abstract The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine actual and perceptional differences in utilizing crib sheets for a Virology course in veterinary sciences. The objectives guiding the study were to describe the exam scores of Virology course students, describe the differences amongst exam scores of Virology course students and to describe perceptions of the use of crib sheets for Virology exams by students. The researchers found exams allowing the use of a crib sheets had higher averages than exams that did not allow crib sheet use. Student perceptions of crib sheet use were that it helped them to reinforce, remember and retain course material. Students also indicated they would prefer to use the crib sheet on other exams in Virology and in additional courses. Finally, the stress levels reported by students were lower during exams that allowed them to use a crib sheet. Introduction May and Casazza (2012) discovered college students pursuing a degree in the hard sciences experienced a higher level of perceived stress than soft science majors. Students enrolled in veterinary school are faced with many academic challenges of the hard sciences. The curriculum has become overloaded as colleges attempt to teach everything to every student (Bushby, 1994; Radostits, 2003). Competencies currently expected from veterinary medicine students upon graduation include: multispecies clinical expertise, one health knowledge: animal, human and environmental health and an increasing number of professional competencies (NAVMEC, 2011). It is almost impossible to learn the skills and competencies necessary to be confident in the content because of the ever-increasing knowledge base of veterinary medicine (Radostits, 2003). With the short time span of veterinary school and the considerable amount of information they are expected to retain, stress and anxiety can occur in students. Grade competition, exam preparation and amount of content to memorize are all academic stressors in college students (Abouserie, 1994). Specifically for veterinary medicine students, workload, grades and assessments were reported most frequently as sources of stress (Williams et al., 2005). Similarly, the top three stressors of veterinary medicine students identified by Kent-Arce (1991) are: exams, number of exams and types of exams; an inability to absorb all of the information; and final exams. College students may not be consistently using effective coping strategies to manage their stress (Bland et al., 2012). Gelberg and Gelberg (2005) found the majority of veterinary medicine students were not even aware of their stress levels or their impact. Students with high levels of exam anxiety are typically lower performing than their peers (Benjamin et al., 1981). All students, regardless of their predisposition to exam anxiety, are negatively affected in both performance and motivation by highly evaluative classrooms (Hancock, 2001). With the increased stress placed on students, especially with high stakes exams, it is important the field find ways to reduce exam anxiety and stress. The veterinary medicine student population could risk burn out as a result of information overload and an emphasis on rote learning (Rex, 1993). Development of coping skills to positively handle stress is encouraged for veterinary medicine students in a recent report of the NAVMEC (2011). Managing stress can improve student performance in learning skills and problem solving (Gelberg and Gelberg, 2005). Moving past regurgitation and emphasizing understanding would benefit the profession. Exams focusing on understanding rather than recall can increase retention and help alleviate exam anxiety (Yu et al., 2010). Crib sheets or cheat sheets could be one way of reducing exam anxiety in veterinary medicine students. A crib sheet is simply a sheet of notes created when preparing for an exam by a student to aid them in taking Veterinary Students’ Use of Crib Sheets in Preparing for Learning and Reducing Stress Catherine M. Vogelweid 1 , Tracy Kitchel 2 and Amber H. Rice 3 University of Missouri Columbia, MO 1 Associate Professor, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, 209 B Connaway Hall, 573-884-2082, vogelweidc@missouri.edu 2 Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural Education and Leadership, 126 Gentry Hall, 573-884-7376, kitcheltj@missouri.edu 3 Department of Agricultural Education and Leadership, 121 Gentry Hall, amber.rice@mail.missouri.edu