Follow this when cramming for a test.

Need to cram last minute for a test?

I’ve got you.

Quick summary: First, make sure you have all the materials you need. Next cram specific sections in batch by focusing on only one part at a time, and finally test what you crammed.

That’s just the basics though.

There’s a more advanced approach. But there are also things to have in place before you start cramming.

Let’s go through all.

To cram for a test, gather all materials first.

We’ve all been there.

Somehow, you’re in the last few hours or maybe minutes prepping for a test.

While you might be feeling confused about where to start and you’re thinking to just jump in and start cramming all you need, you need to pause. And ask yourself:

Do I have all the materials I need to prep for this test?

If you can’t answer yes, then you need to do that before you move on. Otherwise you risk focusing on the wrong things to cram. And that’s just wasted efforts.

Laser focus on the most important materials to cram for the test.

Maybe you’ve promised yourself that this is the last time this will happen. Or you’re just love to procrastinate.

I get it, there are lots of reasons why students procrastinate. But this is not the time to be going through that.

You have a test and you need to pass it.

So you just won’t be able to go through all the materials if you have a lot to cover. Take about 5 to 10 minutes to choose the ones you think are the most important.

Ask yourself:

• Are there areas the instructor talked about a lot?
• Have you checked with your friends or classmates which areas to focus on?
• Can you remove materials that have already been covered in previous tests?

Going through these questions will help you narrow down on what to focus on and that way you save some time in what you need to cram.

Again, don’t just blindly go into cramming materials.

You’ve gotta act smart, procrastinator 😉.

Divide up the sections to cram for a test.

Let’s say you’ve removed all the things you don’t think you need for a test.

It’s time to split them up in groups.

Let’s say you’re cramming for a Math test.

• Separate out all the definitions. You can do this if you know there’ll be questions on the test asking you to define things.
• Separate out all the formulas. Somethings you have to just memorize formulars to do calculations quickly
• Separate out sections that require steps. Maybe your test requires you to first break things down into five steps. You’ll have to remember which comes first and which goes next.

It’s easier to memorize things by grouping them in sections and categories instead of memorizing definitions with formulars and steps. Make sense?

Ok cool.

Basic technique while cramming for a test.

It’s time to apply techniques from the best way to study for a test. Here are some important things to check for:

• You’re in a quiet place that you can focus
• You plan to go through materials in batch
• You will test yourself after cramming each section

Or also make sure you are wide awake by following tips from how to stay awake while studying.

Now start by selecting a section to focus on. You’ll work on this for about 15 minutes.

• Look at the contents and memorize the order of things on the page
• Look away from the page and check if you remember the order of what you memorized
• Look at the page and add the missing parts

Repeat.

You’ll have to do this multiple times.

If you’re studying Math, this is even more important as practicing is one of the best ways to study for Math.

Most of cramming is all about repetition of whatever you’ve learned. If you don’t like to repeat memorization then really cramming is not for you.

Advanced cramming for a test.

You should only apply this technique only after trying the basic technique.

This time you’re looking for pattern in what you’re cramming.

Remember how you broke down things into sections or categories?

Well, now you can start to look for patterns in these sections. Like for example, say you have to cram for three chapters for a Math test. And they all relate to calculus where you have to deal with limits and differentiation.

Well, you just might see that everytime a question pops up you have to plug in zero somewhere when looking for limits and this idea of “plugging in zero” keeps showing up in multiple sections.

That’s a pattern.

So when you see a question that you’re not sure what to do on the test, what do you do?

That’s right - you plug in zero.

Calculate and move on.

One last thing about cramming for a test.

It might work in the short term and you can get away with it in some areas.

Let’s say you’re not interested in accounting and you have to take the class. Well cram away.

But if this is tied to your major or something you hope to build a career in, cramming is a problem. You’ll need to go back and understand whatever you’ve crammed. Trust me, you don’t want to move on like that.

You’ll regret it.

Anyways, happy cramming and good luck with that test.

You’ve got this!

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