Too Late To Study…Time To Cram
Winter Break exams are almost here. Or perhaps for you they’ve already started. As you spend your days in the library or in your room with your face in your book your thoughts go between “its just days until I’m lying on the beach” and “why did I spend so much time on Facebook and not enough studying.”
Lets face it – you left most of your studying to the last-minute. Your early mornings spent searching for a seat in the library wouldn’t be as stressful if you had taken and reviewed your notes, gone to all of your classes and did the readings…all things you promised yourself you would do when school started for you in September.
I’m not trying to get you down on yourself. We’re being realistic here. I want you to say “I’m glad I’m not the only one.”
At this point though you’re not studying. You’re cramming. That’s right – studying is the process of devoting time and attention to acquiring knowledge on an academic subject. Time and attention. You’re cramming, the act of attempting to learn large amounts of information in a short period of time.
So here it is, my Top 7 ways to ensure that your end of term cramming is most successful. (I made it 7 because I know you’re busy and don’t have the time to read through all 10).
1. Eat – Regular meals. Especially breakfast. But nothing too heavy or you’ll be tired. And avoid excess sugar, it will make you too hyper.
2. Stay positive. – If you start to get negative about your exams or studying you’ll end up filling your head with negative thoughts.
3. Review past tests, exams and questions. – The best predictor of future tests is often past tests.
4. Take a 5 minute break every hour. – Stand up. Stretch. Drink some water. A proper 5 minute break will help clear your head and allow to focus for the next hour. This is not a good time to smoke a cigarette. Smoking will raise your blood pressure, give you a head rush and cloud your ability to focus.
5. Write down the key ideas/formulas on a sheet of paper and keep on studying from that sheet. – Repetition is important.
6. Turn off the Wi-Fi. – If you’re using a computer, remove all distractions. Face the screen towards the biggest crowd of people. You’ll be less likely to re-watch The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show if you’ve got everyone in the library watching you watch it.
7. SLEEP. – Give your brain and your body the time to refresh. Aim for at least 6 hours a night. You’ll be better off. But set your alarm…especially if your exam is in the morning.
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