November 13, 2007

  • Cramming

    Althoughyou've been told to avoid cramming (studying the night before), thereare times when you're left with no other choice so here is informationon how to cram.

    For students whohave worked hard all term but now have three exams in five days andonly an evening to review already learned material:

    Writing out a course summary: Because reviewing the structure of the course will help you remember, comprehend and retain the material.

    To work through notes and assignments but just skim the text:Because this is the best way to set priorities for the time that you have.

    To stay calm and confident:Bytaking breaks in your studying, by getting at least 6- and preferably8-hours of sleep, and by reminding yourself that working hard all termreally will pay off!

    For students who've slacked off and are now in justifiable panic:

    Gathering information about what's likely to be on the exam:Findout which chapters in the text were covered; get a set of course notes,copy and return them; ask the TA what topics were emphasized.

    Finding the following from information gathered: principal themes, sub-topics and major illustrations. Now memorize them:Repetition is the key to memorization; so is using every trick you can:word association, rhymes, enumeration, sentences from acronyms.

    Beingselective. After memorizing major themes, decide what supportingmaterial to concentrate on. You're more likely to remember a narrowrange of material covered in depth: Skim the text if there is onlyone, or skim only chapters that seem emphasized from your informationgathering. If there are many texts, pick two to concentrate on. Taketime to review what you've covered.

    To be kind to yourself:Get at least 6hrs sleep. Finally, record the pain of this experience(in a letter or a tape to be addressed next term) so you won't repeatit!

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