We have reached mid May and colleges all across the country are either releasing their students to the lovely warmth of summer, or holding their students hostage, forcing them to endure the wrath of the infamous all consuming exam week. This is when the main question surfaces. Is cramming good or bad? Should I cram for my exam tomorrow? Should I either teach myself all of the information that will be on the test in one night or review it? Cramming.
Why cramming is bad:
1. You memorize things in one night that are meant to be memorized over a long period of time.
By cramming, you're forcing your brain to memorize things that would take weeks to learn. Your brain may absorb some of the information, but definitely not all of it. You want to be able to absorb all of it and you can't with cramming, so don't do it.
2. Your brain will panic.
With the overflow of information, studies show that your brain may actually develop headaches from cramming. Especially if your eyes are fixed on a computer screen or you're not getting enough fresh air, headaches will definitely envelop you.
Why cramming is good:
1. It's basically just a review.
It's more than likely that you've already learned most of the material that you're cramming into the depths of your brain, therefore it's already there. You're basically just reviewing stuff you already know, therefore it may lead to some very good results.
2. The information is fresh in your mind.
Instead of studying small bits of information over a long period of time, you're doing it all in one night. This means that the information will be super fresh in you're mind because you just reviewed it or saw it.
Overall, cramming is something that all college students face at one point or another. It's unfortunate that some students, myself included, sometimes fail to pay attention in class, therefore leading them to be forced to cram. However, this is kind of countering my argument because I really don't have an argument or opinion. That's for you to choose for yourself.
Cramming; yay or nay?
