"Cramming seems to stamp things in by intense application immediately before the ordeal."
-William James

Exam season comes up so fast and that means that it's time to face the facts. Unfortunately, for one reason or another, we haven’t lived up to the model student we’ve convinced our parents we are and instead, we’re only a couple of days away from our upcoming examinations and we need some intense cramming to help pull us through.

Is cramming out of the ordinary? On the contrary! Cramming is far too common and that's because of our uber-social lives and the realistic fact that studying for examinations isn't that fun. It can be very difficult to set aside sufficient time each day for solid revision. But, here's another question that deserves to be answered, does cramming work and should it ever be encouraged? The real truth is that the jury is still out on this one. Conflicting research is published every year and definitive answers are hard to pick out.

Nevertheless, in today's article, we're going to consider both the pros and cons of cramming and a few cramming tips and facts for those who are interested! tacked on for good measure. So, without further ado, let's answer the question, to cram or not to cram?

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What are the Pros of Cramming for Exams?

studying before the big day
Cramming for exams means that don't have to spend too many of your weekends studying in coffee shops and libraries. (Source: Unsplash)

Alright, so you crammed ahead of your last important exam and you were able to come out with the highest mark possible to show your chums. Therefore, you've probably adopted the mindset that cramming is the right way to go. While that might be true, it isn't the case for everyone. Let's take a look at the following list that highlights some of the most noticeable benefits of cramming:

  • Cramming is Best for Certain Learners: since we've all been raised and educated in different ways, every one of us retains information in different ways. So, what’s good for you may not be good for me. However, it's been found that for some individuals short bursts of intense revision are actually much better than an extended and long-term, bitty approach. So, if it works for you, why fix what's not broken?
  • Cramming Leaves Your Social Life Wide Open: if you like being the life of the party and enjoy having an active social life, cramming frees up time to enjoy life while at the same time getting the revision done.
  • Cramming Forces Your Brain to Remember Facts: when you're intensely cramming, you're going over your material again and again and this will, sear facts into your brain like no other study method and the better you organize the information, the more likely you’ll remember it.

So, if you agree and like the results of the three previously mentioned advantages of cramming, by all means, continue cramming for your exams. However, make sure it works for you.

But, if you're on the other side of the issue and you think that cramming has more drawbacks than advantages, you'll be in agreement with the following subheading.

What are the Cons of Cramming for Exams?

Since there are always two sides to every story, it's worth asking, what are the cons of cramming for exams? Well, let's take a look at the following list:

too tired from cramming
Intense study cramming can be bad for the body and result in adverse health problems. (Source: Unsplash)
  • Cramming Affects the Learning Experience: learning all the material in one night is definitely not ideal. If you furiously write an essay in one evening you won’t have time to edit or proofread it properly, the same applies to revising for exams. When cramming, you won't be enjoying the learning experience and you'll view it as something heavy and taxing.
  • Cramming Can Be Detrimental to Your Health: it's no surprise to readers that cramming is extremely harmful to the body. How's that? Well, the stress and brain ache that comes with a fevered 12-hour cramming sesh is going to weigh heavy on your body and affect your performance. Also, to stay awake for so long cramming, you most likely fuelled yourself with sugary snacks and caffeine-heavy energy drinks. This will make you feel groggy and affect your overall performance come exam time. Remember healthy body = a healthy mind.
  • Cramming Only Deposits Information in Short-Term Memory: research has shown and has suggested that sleep deprivation is a significant factor in the lacklustre achievement of school pupils. Without sleep, the brain struggles to absorb and retain ideas and cramming only deposits information in your short-term memory. So, the majority of material reviewed in cramming sessions is not learned in a beneficial way that will help out for final exams or future life skills.

Aren't the previously mentioned reasons enough to make you stop cramming for exams? We sure hope so!

What are the Best Cramming Tips?

If after reading both the pros and the cons of cramming, you still decide to continue using this method for revision and studying, that's completely your choice; it is a free country after all! However, you might as well study cram like a pro! So, without further delay, the following are a few cramming tips:

  • Be Selective: don’t try to learn it all when you cram but instead pick out a few of the most important elements of the course and learn them inside out. Why's that? Well, if you cover a lot of material lightly, chances are you won’t remember any of it during the exam. Spend 25% of your time on new material and the other 75% on drilling that material.
  • Try Other Learning Techniques: to make the experience of cramming for exams more entertaining and successful, drill yourself with flashcards and other learning techniques such as games. These alternative solutions make acquiring information in a rapid way more meaningful.
  • Do Multiple Cram Sessions: if you actually want to see the effective results of cramming, it's highly suggested to do two days of cramming rather than one. Also, if you have the time, three days is better than two.
  • Cram with Friends: chances are you’re not the only one who's procrastinating and you'll most likely be able to find friends who are doing the same thing the night or two before an important exam. Invite your friends over and review the material as a pair, quizzing each other as you go. Two heads are better than one!

The tips we've highlighted about cramming can equally be utilised and applied when studying for exams in a normal, more chill fashion.

Have you ever wondered about some intriguing facts about cramming? If so, you'll enjoy the following paragraphs.

What are Some Facts About Cramming?

data about cramming
When in doubt, it's a wise idea to consider the facts and data about cramming for exams. (Source: Unsplash)

Since there's still a lot of conflicting information that is constantly published about cramming, readers want some facts that will help guide their decision and determine whether or not it's a wise option or not.

It's worth stating that a survey conducted by Chartered Institute of Education Assessors and BBC News working on understanding the underlying facts of studying, whether cramming or not, found some intriguing information:

  • 32% of those interviewed admitted to having used short-term cramming techniques to get through their exams,
  • 48% of respondents under 24 employed the method of cramming rather than traditional studying techniques,
  • 34% of women relied on cramming compared to 28.8% of men,
  • 48% of under-24s crammed compared to only 17.4% of over-55s who said they did so in their last exam,
  • 40% of successful British students would fail their exams if they re-sat them a year later.

Of all the facts briefly mentioned above, I find the last one incredibly shocking; 40% is an insane amount of people! Cramming might be OK for instant results to pass exams but the persons who've passed these examinations are now working professionals in fields such as engineering and medicine where there's no margin for error and that is extremely troubling.

A way of conclusion, students can decide for themselves whether or not they wish to intensely cram for exam sessions and this article has helped them to make an educated decision by considering both the pros and the cons.

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Brentyn

Avid movie-goer, reader, skier and language learner. Passionate about life, food and travelling.