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To my lovely niece - how to cram right and how to avoid cramming

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Hi May,

I heard that you have been staying up very late to study for your upcoming final exams. This is me when I pulled all-nighters to cram for exams and I bet you also look like this.



and this… 



I used to find myself in a massive rush, trying to stuff as much information as possible a few days before exams. This approach often gave me good grades. However, it made me exhausted, stressed and it took me a long time after exams to physically recover from these crazy days. I also always forgot everything that I have learned the minute I walked out of the exam room.

Realizing learning is not the same with performance, I do not let myself in this situation anymore. With a better study plan, I can space out study sessions over the course of the semester and interleave my practice. This approach allows me to forget and re-study, which makes the learning stick to my long-term memory. In the exam dates, I can work on my exam papers with a high level of confidence, concentration, and energy, not like a zombie due to lack of sleep like before.

Your final exams are approaching. I understand it is too late to give you advice on how to make a study plan beforehand and cramming may be the only option for you right now. However, if you cram, cram it right!

1.     Test yourself. Do the practice tests or review questions at the ends of each chapter if available.

2.     Prioritize big ideas and key ideas. Instead of reviewing every detail, make sure that you revise the most important topics and find time to elaborate these concepts. Elaboration can help you make connections to the knowledge and develop an understanding of the information.

3.     Partner up with a friend or two to quiz each other on key concepts rather than spending your time re-reading, underlying, and highlighting the materials. Research has shown that testing leads to better retention than re-reading. It also allows you to assess what you know and what you do not know so that you can focus your efforts on areas that you need to improve. You can set the time to get online with your friend and quiz each other. With a companion, it may become easier for you to stay awake during the night.  

4.     If you don’t have time to sleep for long hours, try to take some short naps between study sessions. Sleep after learning can consolidate information you have just learned.

5.     If it is hard to remember information, try memory tools such as mnemonic technique to create mental aids for your memory.

Above are the five effective strategies that you can apply during the cramming period. However, when the semester is over, together we can build a healthy learning plan and habit with spacing out, interleaving and reflection for your next semester. Cramming is like a second nature to every student and avoiding it can be very difficult. However, when you successfully build one, trust me, you will feel very good about yourself and you will be happy with the learning gains from this process.

Good luck with your final exams.

Love,

Your aunt

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