When Cramming Helps and When It Doesn't

Frantically filling your head with facts just before a test can sometimes help, but you have to know when it won't be effective.

by Mike Bennett

Let's get right into this. If you've got a test in a few hours (or minutes!) skip ahead and skim the section on "Best test strategies" or just get back to cramming. This article may not help you now.

But if you have tests coming up in the future, here are some facts you might want to know to make your study time most effective.

When cramming helps

If you have a test in a few hours and haven't studied at all, now might be a good time to cram some of the most important facts into your brain.

Though the stress and worry make many people less efficient and effective in their studies, some research seems to show that "hormones that are released when a person is excited or stressed increase memory retention" (Thomas H. Mentos, The Human Mind, 1990, p. 91). The trick is to make sure the things you impress on your mind have something to do with the test, not the continual thought, "I'm going to fail!" And if you feel you must study late into the night, many experts suggest setting two alarm clocks to make sure you actually show up for the test you are killing yourself to cram for.

Some people have made an art out of cramming, and it seems to work for them--allowing them to remember facts for a few hours in order to pass a test. This is because they have learned how to pick out the key material (see the section on "Best test strategies") and efficiently paste it onto their short-term memory. But what if they have to know the material again for a comprehensive end-of-the-year test? Their short-term memory really won't do them much good because of the "forgetting curve."

Professor Mentos described this forgetting curve in his book, The Human Mind. "It has been discovered that what we learn and store is quickly forgotten and that at the end of thirty days a little more than 20 percent of the information is retained" (p. 94).

Assuming that there are things that we will need to remember for more than a few hours or days, how can we convert our short-term memories to long-term memories? If there's a way to learn the same material in about the same amount of study time, but with less stress, and to be able to remember it much longer, why not give it a try?

When not to cram

• If you really need to know the material. (We hope that pilots didn't just learn the material for the test! Actually, most of the information you learn now you will wish you remembered at some time--really!)


• When there are more important things to do. (You might seek some advice on this one. A party might not qualify, but getting some sleep or visiting a sick grandmother might.)


• If you studied the material regularly (see below). It doesn't hurt to review the subject the night before, but you shouldn't have to pull an all-nighter!

Best test strategies

To prepare to do well on a test, and to remember the material, you need to do more than paste it into your short-term memory. These ideas will help you save it to your long-term memory.

Or if you don't like the computer analogy, here's another one. Memories are like fresh berries. They don't last very long unless you work with them to preserve them. (I find strawberry jam much more appealing than moldy strawberries!)

• Gather all the best information. Highlight or write down the most important facts from your reading or classroom notes.


• Go over this information regularly in bite-size chunks. It can be helpful to put it on flash cards to go over whenever you have a spare minute--waiting for the bus, during commercials, in the car (except when you are driving). Of course go over them during your regular study time as well.

"Memorizing facts from index cards that can be pulled out for a few 10-minute sessions each day will yield better results than sitting down with a textbook for an hour straight" (Judith N. Meyers, The Secrets of Taking Any Test, 1997, p. 44).

• Experts advise setting up a regular study time and place. Less distractions mean more material learned in the same amount of time.


• Use your senses. Write down the material, read it, say it out loud. The more senses you involve, the better you will be able to remember. Remember, singing helped us memorize the alphabet!


• Make associations. When you relate new information to what you already know, it's easier to remember. If you know that World War II ended in 1945, it's easier to remember that the United Nations also started that year.


• Use mnemonics. These are memory tricks like the acronym ROY G. BIV to help remember the colors in the spectrum (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet).


• Repeat, repeat, repeat.


• Professor Mentos advises a reward to reinforce learning. Take breaks and enjoy yourself!

There are many other study tips, and some work better for different students. Consult books on tests and study skills and talk to teachers, counselors and parents for more help.

Remember, you don't have to cram! YU