Dear readers,
If you clicked the link on this post, you are probably worried about getting all the information that you need into your mind last minute. Although cramming is not really an effective way to study – I wanted to share some tips that will help you make sure that you are cramming effectively, and are able to get as much of the study material as you can into your head before the exam.
Tip #1: Don’t Stay Up All Night
Yes, I know that it is super tempting to just say “screw it” and stay up the whole night, trying to get all the information into your brain. But this is probably just going to make you really tired and you won’t be able to concentrate during the exam. It is better to cram intensely for a few hours and then get at least 5 or 6 hours of sleep before your exam. Plus, studies show that your brain is much more likely to remember info if you study right before you sleep – because your brain has time to process it.
Tip #2: Make a Checklist
This tip applies for any exam that you are trying to cram for. When you are stressed out, you’re likely to forget to review specific topics or units that you know you are weak in. It is better to take just 10 minutes to make a list of topics that you know you need to go over when you are cramming, and then tick the topics after you have read through to keep track of your progress.
Tip #3: Do Active Revision
To make the most out of your cramming sessions, try to do active revision. Stress makes you become careless, and if you are tired when you are studying – you might even start moving your eyes across the pages and flipping through the textbook without even understanding what you’re doing. Even something like printing out a study guide and going through it by underlining key concepts and writing small notes to yourself is a better way to study because you know that you cannot just simply read it.
Tip #4: Find Youtube videos
If you’re at a point where you totally cannot understand the topic and you know that it is an important part/theme of the exam, try to find online videos that can explain it to you. Although it is rare to find one main summary video for most topics in most subjects, try to play the video at 1.5x speed or something (if you can keep up at that speed) and make your own notes as you play the video. This might take some time but if you know that you really need to know this topic to do your exam, it is worth it.
Tip #5: Make your own study guide
If you have a whole day to cram for the subject, it is a good idea to cram by listing the important topics, and making your own study guide. You can either write the study guide by yourself, or type it out and print it. Unless they are definitions that you have to write word-for-word what is given to you – try to write your study guide in your own words. Use diagrams, flowcharts, bullet points, mindmaps and other visual triggers to make it easier for you to understand and remember your study guide.
My favourite type of study guide is when I write everything in one colour, but I use highlighters to colour-code the information when I go through it for the second time. You can see what I mean in my Physics notes read-through video [here]. Another popular type of study-guide is writing the theme of the topic, and then writing bullet points about anything related to the topic. Not only that, you can do a question-and-answer style study guide if that’s the one that works best for you.
Tip #6: Make formula booklets (for subjects like Prinsip Perakaunan, Physics, Add Maths, Chemistry)
For some subjects, making formula booklets is a great way to study because you also learn the method to answer questions. This is especially true when it comes to Physics, Add Maths, Accounting, Chemistry and other similar subjects. If you are running out of time, find out the formulas that are given to you in the exam – and only write down the formulas that are not given to you in your formula booklet.
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These are my tips for effectively cramming for your exams. I know that the #1 rule of studying for exams is “do not leave everything to the last minute” – but if you have done that and you have no choice to change your past, I hope these tips help you cram efficiently and your exams go well. All the best and good luck to you! 🙂
Soothing Studying 