#1: No one actually has to cram.

As someone who has been backed into a corner and forced to cram for my fair share of exams, I am here to tell you that cramming is largely unnecessary – without any major changes to your study habits. The real work that prevents cramming actually happens much earlier in the semester. 

I’ve been told many times to avoid cramming by reviewing careful notes from the day’s classes every night, which is probably good advice. However, I have personally found this to be a largely unsustainable practice. A lower commitment that yields similar results is to focus on the first part of that tip: take careful notes. 

The act of physical, pen-and-paper note-taking has huge benefits for memory retention and classroom focus. And if you can keep up that dedicated attention throughout the semester, your investment of focus will be returned tenfold the night before a test. Instead of reviewing what feels like totally new content, you’ll find yourself brushing up on topics that sound familiar, aided by detailed notes in your own words. 

The bulk of your experience of a class happens in the classroom and during those lectures. Invest in that time accordingly and halve your study time, while easily increasing your long-term retention and enjoyment of learning.

#2: If you do have to cram, do it right.

Inevitably, the best-laid plans sometimes go awry. If the semester got out of hand or you missed classes or you lost focus, sometimes you do have to push through a lot of material in a short time. However, I have found that there is an optimal way to “cram” that allows you to save time, ease your mind, and retain course content into the future. 

If you have to cram, plan your approach ahead of time. It may not feel like it, but I promise you do have the five minutes needed to look at the big picture of the class you’re taking. Organize the individual units by their length, importance, and difficulty, and block out a plan for the time you can spend studying each section. 

Planning at the start of a study session will help you pace yourself and prevent time-wasting confusion on what to study next. Plus, attention to the chronological order of the class will help you remember and recall how the content fits together. 

#3: Don’t multitask–limit focus instead.

This is one of the best pieces of advice I ever received from one of my high school teachers. Multi-tasking is a particularly deceptive tactic, because it superficially feels like you’re actually accomplishing more. Unfortunately, for most people, mental attention does not work that way. Dividing your mind between two or more separate tasks is likely to take far longer than just completing each task separately. 

Devote yourself to each task fully for a short window of time according to the level of priority it has on your to-do list. Don’t call a friend, mentally outline an essay, or listen to distracting music or podcasts. Those are excellent uses of your time, but they are all deserving of your full attention. If you complete each task in a linear, focused fashion, you will save time and likely lower your stress levels by refusing to overwhelm your brain with competing points of interest. 

The key piece here is to limit the isolated focus you give to each project on your list. Tasks have a funny habit of taking all the time you give them. Decide on the window of time that each review session is worth to you, commit to it fully, and then rest your mind before switching to the next activity. 

#4: Do weigh your tasks.

This is a short tip, but an important reminder: not all assignments are created equal. The best way to get the most value out of your study sessions is by ordering them according to which exams are weighted heaviest, which classes need the most effort from you, and which content offers the highest return. 

Before you enter midterm season or exam season, take stock of your course standings, then concentrate your efforts accordingly. If you are only a percent or two away from an A in a class, give that exam priority, because an extra 5% on the exam could return you a new letter grade. If you’re in the middle of the B range in a different class, and your grasp of the content is generally solid, studying for that exam probably needs less of your time. 

Knowing where you’re strongest and where you need the most improvement will give purpose to your study sessions and prevent you from wasting time on what you already know. 

#5: Use your primary resources.

As you get further in your education, it becomes more and more important to realize that you are not the only one being tested – your teachers are, too. Their job, when done well, is to make sure that you understand and value the content to the highest degree you can. No good teacher will be offended by an extra email, a visit to office hours, or a request for extra materials. 

So, if you’re struggling with a concept or a unit, tell your teacher as early as possible. They want to know, because they succeed when you succeed. When you show them that you are invested in their class through thoughtful questions and genuine concern about your understanding, they will be impressed by your attention and delighted to offer you strategies for improvement. 

Remember, if someone is teaching a class, that means they once had to learn this material, too. They know how to help you, because they were once in exactly your shoes. 

From CLT, we wish you success in your studying and learning this school year!