Cramming while studying is the practice of trying to cram as much information as you can into your brain in a short amount of time. The main reason people cram is that they forget to study, procrastinate too long, or simply do not care. Cramming usually results in forgetting the information shortly after a test. Cramming WORKS for me. Why? I couldn't tell you. I am going to explain in this article why cramming works for me, how it works for me, and the results that I have gotten while cramming.
First let me start by saying I am almost exclusively a crammer. I never study for a test until the night before. I also want to stress this is significantly different when it comes to papers and homework assignments. I always do them early and think them through. This article is strictly about tests and quizzes.
So, why does cramming work for me?
I pay attention
When I am cramming before a test, its now or never. There is no, "I will study tomorrow after practice." I either have to study at that time and place, or I go into the test naked with no information in mind. That would be a disaster (I have done this before, just trust me.) I do not let things distract me while cramming. Just ask my girlfriend. The TV goes off, the video games off, social media shut down. Its a 1v1 between myself and the content.
I learn it better
I know what you might be thinking. How do you know you learn it better if you haven't tried studying in a normal way? Well, #2 almost goes with #1. When trying to learn this content quickly, I really pay attention to the big details, and the little details just come together. There is no stress for me about being confused or not getting something because I don't give myself that opportunity. Cramming the information last minute is how I find to learn information in a convenient way.
But....How does cramming work for me?
Because I have a good memory.
It definitely takes a strong memory to cram successfully. You are shoving as much content into your brain as you can in a short amount of time. You cannot let the earlier stuff slip out as the later stuff comes in. I let my memory absolve everything and remember as much as I can until I hand that test/quiz in. I often make acronyms for terms. (PEMDAS is an example.) I need to memorize the 4 things a computer can do? Well, if I remember the acronym PSLC. Process, Store, Load, Control data. Boom. 5/5. It isn't this simple for everything, but it definitely has worked for me throughout college.
Because I'm confident
I don't worry about the test/quiz. I am confident that cramming will get me a grade sufficient enough to keep me floating. I am not talking about a D either. Floating for me is a B at minimum. Homework, Participation, Attendance, whatever it may be, I know will make up for a low B or a high C test grade. I am not trying to be a perfectionist, I am trying to pass the class with an A.
Well, what's the proof that it works for me so well?
Grades
I am a senior in college with a 3.8 GPA. Obviously, I am not perfect, but in every computer related course I have taken, I have earned no lower than a B+. My lowest grade was a C in Art History (It is much harder to cram visual images than text!). I am extremely high in class rank, and my grades have not taken a decline at all. I have made the Dean's List all 6 semesters.
When somebody asks me if I have started studying for that big test yet, I always will answer not yet. Cramming is the way that I am used to, and what I am most comfortable with using at this point. Luckily I do not plan on attending grad school, so using this method for the remainder of being in college should be a breeze for me. Just understand that just because somebody is cramming information in at the last minute, DOES NOT mean they are a shoe in to fail.
