If you are reading this then you probably do not have much time. For this reason I will keep this short. Most advice that you will get from parents or teachers suggest how ineffective cramming is. Instead they stress frequent and consistent review.
I think by the time you are cramming, consistent and frequent review are a little late to be dreaming about.
The first thing you need to realize is that cramming is successful--well at least more successful than doing nothing at all. So take a short time--and I do mean short (since you have work to do)--to think about the following.
Points to consider:
- Time is a factor when cramming but your concentration is limited. Use every minute you have but work no more than 50 minutes without taking a 10 minute break. For example: study from 4 to 4:50, then 5 to 5:50 etc.
- Every minute you study is likely one more mark.
- Thinking about time you have lost or thinking that you should have started earlier is a waste of time.
- You will feel stress, but put it outside of yourself. Be detached from your emotions. You study best when you are calm.
- You need at least 3-5 hours to get one cycle of REM sleep. REM sleep is necessary for memory storage. You need that minimum of sleep.
- Taking notes is superior to reading your notes.
- You remember best when you use more than one of your senses.
Best Cramming Study in Five Steps:
- Make notes of your textbook or notes of your notebook notes you have.
- When done. Make notes of those notes but shorter.
- When done make notes of those shorter notes in keywords and phrases.
- Pretend to teach someone out loud from the shortest set of notes. If you forget what your short note words or phrases are standing for--go back and read the originals.
- If possible teach a friend or parent--what you teach you will remember best.
Good Luck...more to come later on cramming, writing essays, and surviving school.
