Cramming for a Test? Read me!
“You wanna pull an all-nighter with me?”
— Are you one of those people who always crams everything inside your head the night before a test? If yes, you are in the right place.
We all have been through those days where it’s the night before a big exam and we still have not had the motivation to study, therefore we wait until the very last minute attempting to cram everything inside our brains. Because the test is the next morning, we have no other choice but to take away our sleep and use that time to skim through all our notes and etc. We tend to think that last minute studying will make an impact , if not, somewhat a difference on how we perform on the exam. Well, that is very untrue. According to recent studies, it shows that the amount of sleep you get plays a huge role on how well you do on the exam.
“No one is suggesting that students shouldn’t study, but an adequate amount of sleep is also critical for academic success. These results are consistent with emerging research suggesting that sleep deprivation impedes learning.”
Not only is your body lacking the sleep it needs, but also your health. Sometimes it is unavoidable and there is no other alternative. Keep reading to find more tips on what you should do before and after cramming for a test.
Here are some healthy techniques to cramming for a exam
Remove yourself from all distractions:
- find a quiet spot to study at
- turn off all devices that might cause distractions
Eat a nutritious breakfast:
Eating a healthy meal (milk, eggs, orange juice, fruits, etc) before heading to school can be tough for some people, but it definitely will help you get through the day such as keeping you focused and wake during the test/exam.
- stay away from caffeine and high-sugar foods/drinks
Prioritize:
Because you have very limited time, you want to use it as efficiently as possible. To do this, you can create a list by writing all the things you need to study for and ranking them from the what you think is worthy of being on the test.
Confidence:
- remind yourself how much you want to do well
- don’t let other distractions bring down your focus
- take a deep breath
Again, these are not the only things you can do before and after cramming for a test. There are many other options you can explore that may work better for you.
Sources:
Wheeler, Mark. “Cramming for a Test? Don’t Do It, Say UCLA Researchers.”UCLA Newsroom. Office of Media Relations, 6 Mar. 2012. Web. <http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/cramming-for-a-test-don-t-do-it-237733>.
“Ten Things You Should Do the Night before a Test.” — For Dummies. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2016. <http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/ten-things-you-should-do-the-night-before-a-test.html>.
