Anthony Zhou Week 14: Cramming and Remembering
Last week I had a physics quiz and during the flex session right before I took the quiz I quickly memorized all the equations that had to do with momentum. A few weeks ago I had a history test and spent the entire night before rereading my unit notes. As students we are all too familiar with cramming the night before a quiz or test. Given how common this practice is, it probably actually works well for most of us.
Now, AP exams. AP exams are not quizzes. They are not comparable to unit tests. In fact, AP exams are the equivalent of not one, but TWO semester finals jammed into one test session.
My goal isn’t to scare anyone but AP exams are coming up in May which means you have a month to study for your (one, or two, or three, or four… possibly five? Maybe six?) AP exams. The reality is that my conventional method of cramming probably isn’t going to work with five tests that accumulate to five years worth of curriculum.
First, cramming doesn’t give you the time to digest the material. One of the best ways to study for tests is to actively recall the content, which makes it more ingrained in your memory. 12 hours before an exam isn’t enough time to do this.
Second, studies have shown that information obtained from cram sessions may not register in your brain during the actual exam. In fact, sometimes the information doesn’t even last to the end of the study session!
Finally, getting poor sleep the night before an exam has had correlations to not being able to remember information. Brain fog is definitely real and you don’t want that to make your performance poor.
Deep down we all know it’s in our best interest to prepare early, but oftentimes our tendencies for procrastination don't properly translate our intentions into actions. I implore everyone to start preparing for whatever tests you have in May, and wish everyone the best of luck!
Hi, Anthony! Thank you for sharing this blog as a timely reminder to start studying early for AP exams! As I read your blog, I particularly appreciated how you’ve written about your own experiences with cramming before tests, as well as your readable paragraphs that organize your blog by key points.
ReplyDeleteAs a fellow high schooler, your experience with cramming is something I’ve encountered, too, which made your blog a very relatable and motivational read. The detriments of cramming that you share, including not understanding the material and being unable to remember it, especially made me better understand the value of studying early for exams and getting a good night's sleep rather than procrastinating and sleeping late into the night. Overall, thank you for sharing this blog, and I hope to actually follow through with your advice and begin preparing early for my coming exams!
Hi Anthony! I really resonate with this blog: it took junior year for me to realize that I, in fact, could not cram for tests and still get a good score. Your point that AP exams aren't quizzes is well-taken: the sheer breadth of an AP exam must be conquered by chipping away at it, bit by bit. And I agree with your point that getting poor sleep the night before an exam is a terrible idea. It's unfortunate that more can get in the way of a poor night's sleep before an exam than last-minute cramming—I have often lost hours of sleep before tests due to the nighttime anxiety. Though forces that feel beyond our control can feel daunting when it comes to exams and tests, I agree that we ultimately have to choose to prepare adequately for our AP exams, and I will keep your words in mind!
ReplyDeleteHello Anthony, your blog has been a wake up call for me! I really resonated with your description of cramming for a test the night before. I’ve definitely spent late nights studying, convincing myself that I know all the material just so I can finally go to sleep. Spoiler alert: it actually never works, and I just end up feeling less prepared and exhausted the next day.
ReplyDeleteI especially appreciated how you linked credible research studies on the impacts of cramming. It adds a lot of weight to your argument and the personal experiences you included show that you have a firsthand understanding of the struggles of cramming all night. The short paragraphs in your blog made the information easier to digest and understand. Overall, I enjoyed reading your blog and hope to read more of your work in the future!
Hello Anthony! Your blog really called me out. As a person who struggles with extreme amounts of procrastination problems I heavily feel for this blog. I can't even count the amount of times this year that I have crammed for a test. Luckily, my plate isn't that big with only 2 APs but the task of studying for them is still equally daunting. Your blog was really a wake up call for me. Thank you for being honest, encouraging, and grounded within the real experience as a student. I really enjoyed your blog and hope to read from your more in the future!
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