As a student at an academically rigorous high school, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the many exams, projects, and homework sent your way.
Imagine the following scenario: You’ve got a test in a week, and two options: You could start studying early or wait until the night before to descend into a panicked frenzy. Studying ahead of time can seem daunting as it takes time and effort—if you’re busy juggling a full course load, athletics, and various extracurriculars, it can be a difficult task to accomplish. On the other hand, cramming can be stressful and cause you to get less sleep, which may impair your focus and memory on test day.
What should you choose to do?
Sean P., a junior, explains that he had a much lighter course load during his freshman and sophomore years, providing him the luxury of studying ahead. Now, he rarely has more than two days to study for a test. He compensates for the lack of time he has by making sure to stay focused and engaged in class, asking questions when confused, and making sure to understand homework assignments.
This method of learning and retaining information allows him to make cramming more effective, as instead of learning entire units in a few days, he learns as he goes and simply uses his one or two nights before the assessment to review. Cramming serves the same purpose for junior Emily H., as she explains that, “cramming only works if [she] use[s] it as a refresher to reinforce what [she] already knows,” and that, “if [she hasn’t] learned enough of the material, [she] ends up becoming overwhelmed.”
Junior Joseph W. prefers studying ahead over cramming, finding it hard to balance academic success and good mental health when scrambling to learn information at the last minute. He’s noticed that cramming can disrupt his sleep schedule for the entire week—all for one test. With proper planning, Joseph said that he believes that anyone can make studying ahead work, which will help relieve the physical and mental strain of cramming the night before. Similarly, Nina B., a junior, has found cramming to be the least effective method of studying and retaining information. In her experience, she has found that cramming has caused her to get stressed, making it easier to lose focus. Like many upperclassmen, Nina is taking AP courses; upon starting to review for her exams, she’s found that the units that she’d crammed for require the most reviewing. Though she recognizes that cramming can work just to memorize material for the test, this studying method isn’t sufficient for establishing a long-lasting understanding.
Although students approach studying for exams differently, it’s evident that most realize that cramming is best used as a tool for reviewing, not learning. It often causes stress and can be detrimental to one’s mental health and sleep schedule. Despite taking some effort and organization, studying ahead appears to be a more effective method of retaining information and reducing stress.
When under a time crunch, there are still ways to help reduce stress and improve performance. Although you might feel compelled to study for three hours straight and “optimize” the little time you have, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s learning center explains that taking breaks can increase your retention and ability to recall information. Stepping away from your work will also allow you to decompress and refocus so that you can complete tasks with a fresh mind. Joseph suggests that it can be helpful to call it a night when feelings of prolonged frustration arise, and studying progression is stagnating. Sean’s two-night review process consists of watching videos and reviewing notes to develop a strong understanding of the material on the first night, and using the second night to practice his skills. He devotes as much of his free time to studying sessions, so he can emulate the feeling of studying four-to-five days out, instead of one-to-two.
Of course, the aforementioned studying techniques are not one-size-fits-all. Each student must find the method of studying that works best for them and their lifestyle. With that in mind, students should always aim to develop a comprehensive grasp of what they learn and to make sophisticated connections between topics and ideas.