Cramming the Right Way

There is a way to cram for a test. Cramming is an intense method where you force yourself to memorize a bunch facts to be regurgitated on test day. I compared the process to a person who is trying to finish a meal after starving themselves for a week. It’s not the ideal situation. But it is possible to put enough facts in your head to pass a test. Notice …I mentioned the word ‘pass’. If you are clueless then hope for the best. You may not get a perfect score. You may barely get a C grade. But you can pass an exam by cramming.

If you are allowed to bring a cheat sheet- you are in there…just work out example problems for your notes. However, you really need about a week. You start by going over the equations then match it up with examples. Work those examples until it sticks. Here is the part that counts: you must understand each aspect of that example. Why do you put a particular number down? How do you use a reference table (Z for instance). What do the numbers represent? If you can understand what you are reading, cramming translates to ‘high intensity learning’.

Now you may not finish the entire ‘meal’ perfectly but at least you can go from A to B without getting lost. It helps to have a tutor or a friend to bounce off concepts. Give it a try! (Now imagine you gave yourself time to actually learn it…)


-Moore to follow Amy


Leave a Reply
