Cram it!

by Jen
(Warren Michigan)

I do not know that this is for everyone. Cramming has the reputation for being the method of last resort, or one used when the test was forgotten or studying was put off for too long. These were the reasons I tried to avoid cramming early on in my college career. I used to spend hours reading and keeping up to date with class materials, only to have to re-read them all over again when it came time for a test. I accidentally discovered that cramming worked better for me when I had too big of a course load and simply did not have time to keep up with all my courses at once. I went to all my classes and took notes, but didn't read out of class. Then when test time came I set aside a block of a few hours right before the test and crammed it all into my head, notes and reading. I did well on the test, and I cut out all the busy work that was bunging up the rest of the semester. I kept at it and raised my grade point tremendously. It allowed me to relax during the semester, to stop trying to keep up and do what worked for me best. I love it and wouldn't be going on to get my MA if I had not discovered how well it worked for me. Like I said, it might not be for everyone, but it sure helped me.