As the semester begins, we have 16 weeks ahead of us. Sixteen weeks, 112 days, four months–that’s a long time. But look ahead. At some point down the road, you’ll have a test in your sites. You’ll have two weeks to study. Two weeks, fourteen days, 336 hours–that’s a lot of time. Why, then, will you probably find yourself staring down the barrel of that test with only, say, ten hours and the need to sleep between you and an exam paper?
Most of us procrastinate at times, and many students believe that cramming is an effective strategy. For years, I’ve been advising students not to cram. Apparently research, and not just anecdotal experience, supports my position, according to this report.
Obviously, cram sessions frequently happen because students feel they don’t have time to study until the last minute. But since the idea here is that shorter sessions spaced out will be more effective, you don’t need to build up studying as a massive task. You can study a little bit every day and retain much more information.
Give it a try. You might just change your life.