To cram or not to cram - that is the question.
But what the heck’s the answer? Will you still remember
it?
Pros
- It doesn't take as long.
- It feels like you're being
really efficient.
- You find out which
caffeinated drinks keep you going longest!
- You get to notice all the
other things that need doing first, such as tidying your room, doing the
washing-up etc.
- It's very stressful. Yeah!
Some people like the buzz!
Cons
- It's hard work.
- Success can seem so
unlikely; you could easily give up altogether.
- It’s too easy to get facts
muddled up with each other.
- You might put it off and
never get round to it because you're still waiting for the last minute.
- You daren’t go to sleep,
because then you really will forget most of what you've learned.
- You'll forget everything
after the exam.
- It is a proven fact that
even successful crammers get better grades when they develop their
learning skills and revise properly. Cramming might get you a string of ‘B’
grades. But you're probably capable of ‘A’s if you revise the right way
for you. Once you know how, will you really be willing to settle for
second best?
- It's very stressful. (See
'cons' point 3. above!)
Research shows us that even if you're good at cramming,
and you get good grades in your exams, you're still going to forget most of
what you've learned as soon as you've taken the exam.
Imagine relying on a professional such as a doctor, who
remembered enough to pass exams and get their professional qualifications, but
who forgot most of what they've learnt immediately afterwards...
Imagine them listening to your description of your
ailment and replying, “Ooh yes, I know this, I know this... just a moment, I'll
be with you any second now. Ooh now, what is it? What is it? ... Nah, sorry,
it's gone. I'm sure I used to know what your problem is but I'm afraid I can't
tell you what's wrong with you. I've clean forgotten!”
The point is that it is important to learn new skills -
to develop your knowledge – to develop abilities of value to you, not just to
pass exams for the sake of it.
You might say to me that most of the stuff you learn
you'll never need in the future. And you may be right. But you don't know yet
do you? What I can tell you is, I used to think that, but I was wrong.
Make up your mind to quit cramming – who needs that kind
of stress anyway? Develop your learning skills and learn to revise the right
way for you and the time and effort you put in will enable you to remember that
information for the rest of your life. And maybe, like me, you will enjoy it
the occasional glorious moment when you impress your family with the correct
answer to an obscure question on Mastermind or University Challenge!
Read about other people who've improved their grades with The Genius in Me.
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