Is Cramming an Effective Study Method?

Cramming is a tried and untrue method of studying used by students who’ve made a bevy of poor decisions leading to an exam. The method is almost unheard of among students who study in advance for an upcoming exam. That’s because cramming isn’t all that useful if you’re studying some time before the exam actually occurs.



Cramming is most common in the days before an exam. Students desperately try to cram as much information into their minds and pray that their working memory can carry them to a passing grade. However, this is rarely the case. Here’s why cramming isn’t an effective study method.

What Is Cramming?

Cramming is an attempt to absorb and retain as much information as possible in a short period of time. Cramming is most common near an exam among students who’ve either not studied at all or think they’ve missed something. The latter kind of cramming is excusable as long as it’s not a pattern. We’ve all done that or lost faith in our memories near the exam. However, the former kind is the subject of this article.

Why Is Cramming Bad?

It would be wrong to say that cramming doesn’t result in you retaining any information. You do, and if you’ve crammed before an exam, you’ve probably noticed that you recognize what the questions mean.



However, to pass an exam, you’re going to need to do more than understand what the questions are saying. And that’s precisely the problem with cramming: you can recognize things, but recognizing isn’t knowing. Recognizing means you can tell that you did read the answer to a question at some point, but it won’t help you answer the question.

What Are the Alternatives?

The obvious alternative is to be more proactive about studying. Everyone loves procrastinating, and taking breaks is actually essential to study effectively. However, you have to stop getting carried away with the breaks, and you need to use them more productively.

For instance, you can set up a study schedule or routine with set times for studying and breaks. This will help keep you consistent. Besides that, you should also plan what you’ll do in said breaks. Take some breaks to eat (important for focusing), and others to move around and stretch.

If you’re preparing for any of the NYS Civil Service exams, and these tips don’t help you, contact Civil Service Success. They offer prep classes for the NYS Civil Service exams, such as the firefighter and court officer exams.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Role and Responsibilities of a City Manager

Image
In a government that employs council members, a city manager is usually tasked with ensuring that everything runs smoothly.   Working as a city manager requires multiple skill sets and the ability to handle a wide array of responsibilities. After all, it’s not easy to keep a city running smoothly and without incident. Here’s a quick brief on what one should expect out of a city manager. Duties & Responsibilities While the people elect the city council, the city manager is hired by the city council  members. The city manager has to serve as the chief executive of the city government. Although the city manager has no authority to vote on laws and regulations, they are tasked with carrying out many responsibilities that are delegated to the city council.   Working as a representative of the city, the city manager is tasked with managing the city’s budget, overseeing staff and meeting with the head of departments to ensure everything is running smoothly. They even handle media attentio
Read more

The Pros and Cons of Civil Service Jobs

Image
Civil service workers are employees of the local, federal, and state government who serve the public. Common civil service jobs include postal workers, court officers, police officers, traffic controllers, sanitation workers, and more. It’s one of the most popular career paths, and there are thousands of positions available that fit many different of skill- sets. According to the latest statistics, there are almost 22.5 million people  working for the American Government. Over three million of these workers are civil service workers who enjoy some of the most attractive benefits packages of any industry in America.   However, as with any other job, there are some pros and cons of bein g  a civil worker. Let's take a look at them h e re: Pros Flexibility and Benefits: One of the most important aspects of a civil service job is the flexibility and. Most positions give employees great work/life balance that comes in the form of several paid vacation and sick days, as w
Read more

How to Prepare for Sanitation Exam 2060 DCAS?

Image
The   sanitation exam 2060 DCAS  is commencing later this year, so you need to start preparing for it immediately to ace it. The exam tests a candidate's problem-solving, time management, cognitive, strength, and observation skills through a set of different tests. As you won't have much time to complete the test, it's best to work alongside a professional to prepare for the test. Civil Service Success  offers NYC sanitation exam prep classes  to help students work on their weak areas and clear the test with high merit. For more help, here are some tips to prepare for the NYC sanitation exams . Sanitation Exam 2060 DCAS  – How to Prepare for the Exam? 1.  Working on Required Abilities for the Sanitation Exam 2060 DCAS The sanitation worker's job is more focused on abilities than knowledge. Here are some abilities that are assessed in a candidate. Observation Skills: The test contains a few questions that check the candidate's ability to observe and find answers . Al
Read more