You may have intended to study well in advance for a test but ended up slacking or getting distracted by other commitments. In that case, you might be freaking out about studying at the last minute and don’t know what to do. Fear not, because there are certain steps you can take to ensure that you still obtain a decent grade. Keep reading as we delve into how to study last minute for a test.
Does Last Minute Studying Really Work?
Sometimes, coursework piles up, and the overwhelming feeling of covering all the syllabus at once leads to you falling behind. You can reassure yourself that you’ll spend a few days cramming before the test, and while this practice may allow you to pass, it’s not a long-term solution. Unless the material is thoroughly covered, a student is unlikely to remember it for long.
So, is last-minute studying effective? If there is no other way to save your grade, yes, but it help serve you in the quizzes or exams that come after a few weeks or months. Research shows that spacing out study sessions over some time is in your best interest, as it improves memory. For example, rather than spending ten hours cramming for a subject, you should study the content for two and a half hours each week for four weeks.
And the more time a student takes between their study sessions, the better off they will be within the time restrictions of an academic semester. Don’t hesitate to plan how to cover your coursework beforehand and space it out to relieve considerable stress.
Although researchers aren’t completely sure why spacing works, one possible claim is that people may forget what they’ve learned in their initial study session, but returning to the material jogs their memory. For this reason, they can easily recall what they studied the first time around, helping cement the new knowledge as well.
Research Study About Cramming
Now let’s look at experts’ opinion regarding the question ‘is cramming effective?”. According to cognitive psychology and the Levels of Processing theory, there is a difference between shallow and deep information processing. This research states that ‘shallow processing’ is less likely to result in excellent long-term memory than ‘deep processing’.While the brain embeds shallow processed information based on just words and not meaning, deeply processed information is stored according to its significance and meaning. When you learn things with concentration and depth, you can easily link concepts together and better understand the demonstrated knowledge. Since there is a more meaningful analysis of the material, your recollection of it will be stronger and more long-lasting. A subject that needs to be crammed in a short time can’t be processed deeply, leading to rapid loss of information.
A 2011 study states that students who cram for exams and tests usually only pass with average scores. Most of the knowledge obtained by cramming gets forgotten not only over a period of time, but also during the test itself. Still, we understand that it can be challenging for most college students to avoid cramming because there is always so much going on.
At times, cramming becomes a necessity and might even transition into second nature with hectic class schedules, various assignments, and side jobs. You may not be able to make enough time to study properly for every test, resulting in condensing months/weeks of coursework into a few late nights of studying. Try to study the notes covered in class every day if possible, as what your professor taught will still be fresh in your mind. If this is not possible for you at times, there are certain last-minute cramming tips you can adopt to maintain your grades.
Advantages and Disadvantages Last Minute Studying
In this section, we’ll consider both the advantages and disadvantages of last minute studying.Advantages of Cramming
Cramming can be beneficial in specific situations, helping you tackle high-stress educational and personal life matters:- You can apply cramming to various bits of information, such as formulae, names, timelines, titles, or passwords. This is useful in practical situations where not everything you learn has a deep, underlying meaning. In certain aspects of academics, geographical, historical, and other related concepts don’t serve a deeper purpose; they’re better crammed than understood.
- The practice is quite time-efficient. As you only memorize certain information, it is much more convenient and faster than understanding an entire concept. Essentially, it comes down to figuring out how to cram smartly.
- At times, cramming leads to a better test score compared to studying extensively for the examination. If you are well-versed in lengthy procedures and atypical spellings, you are likely to perform well even if you study at the last minute. Last-minute memorization gives students the ability to rewrite the material word-for-word.
Disadvantages of Cramming
In addition to listing the benefits of cramming, it’s essential to look at its disadvantages as well. This way, you can determine which learning method works best for you and how early you should start studying for your exams.- Cramming has a negative influence on an individual’s discipline and habits. The act of covering your syllabus overnight creates a false sense of knowledge. Sure, you may be able to retain the information in your short-term memory, but that doesn’t mean it won’t fall short when you have to apply theoretical knowledge practically.
- It reduces a student’s overall potential. Most of them can’t employ their intelligence to the best of their ability, leading to poor results when solving questions with crammed answers.
- You’ll likely experience a considerable loss of information if you try to cram a lot of syllabus in a short time. The risk lies in forgetting everything you have crammed on the exam day when you’re attempting to answer the questions. And this happens a lot, with most students feeling panicked and frustrated.
