Expert's Guide to College Cramming
Everyone in their college years will cram at some point. Cramming isn’t something to be ashamed of and, in fact, cramming can be a good way to focus your attention and soak in the material.
So, how does one become an expert in learning a whole course load in a few days or hours?
Set Up A Location
Get comfy. Cramming is intensive, so find yourself somewhere comfortable to sit for, potentially, extended periods of time. Keep snacks and drinks close and always have enough water.
Make sure that you’ve gotten all your notes and everything you’ll need before you start. You don’t want to give yourself an excuse to get up and wander around. If you let yourself get sidetracked the likelihood of you returning to studying is slim.
Know Yourself
Figure out how best you learn and exploit it. Are you a visual, auditory, reading, or kinesthetic learner?
- If you’re a Visual learner then organize all your notes into color-coded chapters and sections. Make your study space a rainbow.
- If you’re an Auditory learner then try putting your notes into a text-to-speech function to listen to them back. Or find a friend and teach them about your subject. If you can explain it verbally to a friend, you know your stuff.
- If you learn best by Reading or Writing, then repetition is your friend. Either write out all your notes over and over again. Or read them aloud repeatedly.
- If you are a Kinesthetic learner then make ways to learn by doing. Make cue cards or let yourself walk around. Don’t make yourself stay still if you can’t. Tap those fingers or bounce those legs.
Test Yourself
If you only have a short time to learn as much as possible, you want to make sure that you can apply the notes that you’re studying.
Take a few hours at the beginning of your cramming and create a mini-exam for yourself with everything that could possibly be on the exam.
Then every day, or every few hours, take the test and see which information you’ve learned and what you still need to study.
Take Care Of Yourself
You can’t get a good grade if you’re dead on your feet come the exam. Get enough sleep, don’t be studying into the night. A tired mind is one that can’t take in information.
Make sure that you’re eating properly. You don’t want to be thinking about how good the apples in the math problem sound when taking your exam.
And above all else, schedule breaks during your studying. Take time to step away and relax. A half-hour break may seem like a waste of time but staring at a cue card for two hours because your brain is overwhelmed is worse.
Studying for an upcoming exam? Check out our video on how to take notes effectively online
Related Posts
Study with Us
The help you need to get the grades you want.
Previous Blog
LSAT Prep Timeline: When to Start and What to Study
Next Blog
How to Study When You Don’t Want to
Other posts you might like:
Studying
What to Do if You’re Failing a Class in College
No one wants to fail a class at college or university, but what happens if you are failing a class i... Read More
L
Lindy Ledohowski