ELEVEN ULTIMATE TIPS FOR CRAMMING SUCCESSFULLY

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO CRAMMING EFFECTIVELY

 

In my last article, I shared with you some facts about cramming and promised to do a follow up on how you can apply those facts to achieve success.

The surest way to win a race is to run according to rules, if you understand the principles that guide how a machine works you will be able to use it to achieve your goal. I hope to help you understand the timeless principles of cramming and also to set guides to successfully cramming anything whether for a test, an exam, a presentation, an interview or just for fun.

•    REST

 Before you venture into cramming anything rest is very important. Since you brain would be doing so much work, its needs to get strength before you begin, so get a good rest a night before. Sleep a good comfortable nine hour sleep.

• EAT

The trick here is NEVER to eat heavy food, cook something nice for yourself and eat and also take along some fries, snacks, fruits maybe a drink- no beer please along. Snacks are very light food and can confortable stay in your back pack. If you choose to do your reading at night, take coffee along.

•    DRAW A READING PLAN: don’t just set out and start reading anything, be purposeful and focused. If you have a test tomorrow, take out your note and create a reading schedule. Also clearly outline and breakdown your reading, I mean look through and choose the area you want to read about.

•      LOCATION! LOCATION: not everywhere or anywhere is good for effective reading. Your location for cramming must meet the following criteria;

o   Serene, that is not noisy and not so noiseless. A park would do, basement is enough. If you go somewhere that has little or no noise, take along something that would add sound say iPod or a music player, light and simple. The songs should be cool and calm.

o    I don’t advice using the library because it is too noiseless, except if you have a busy one in your environs.

o   Free from distractions, where friends won’t come and pester you.

o   Somewhere comfortable, P.S never uses the bedroom, toilet.

• CRAM IN BITS NOT IN CHUNKS: you may ask but cramming is when you channel so much into so little. Well that true, what I mean here is break down what you want to cram and feed them into your brain in streams not in torrents. A little drop at a time and before you knows it you have achieved so much. If you do the opposite, you will get fed up easily and may fall asleep.

• REVIEW/RECITE: from personal experience, my cramming is always more effective when I review or recite what I have read. To review, I suggest that you take a small note along and jot down little points, use keywords here example; a noun is the name of a person, animal, place or thing. Easy peasy, but in cramming I only need a noun, name, animal , person, thing- these are my keywords I build a grammar round these word and voila I got my definition of a noun.

           Recitation involves you repeating to yourself some of the things you are reading. 

           Recitation helps you to subconsciously store up whatever you are cramming better. I

          discovered that if I recited my reviews using the main keywords, my cramming is better  

          and I tend not to forget easily.

• FINAL REVIEW/RECITE: this is just a way of testing yourself after reading so much. It helps you to check if you can still remember what you read.

•  SLEEP AGAIN: this time, your brain has acquires o much and processed it, it desperately needs rest. The recitation review helps you build a subconscious base so when you sleep, what you read is still intact.  The sleeping also refreshes you and opens up extra space in your memory bank. So take advantage of rests when cramming.

•   DO A PREVIEW /FLIP THROUGH: this is very important especially if the test would be on that day. A quick glance through your note and review jotter as well as recitation would go a long way in reassuring you that you are good to go. If you can’t recollect much, don’t worry just go to your keywords before you know it you are up and doing again?

•  TEST PROPER: when you get into the exam hall, as you get your question and answer sheet, I advise that first you pour out as many keywords as can come to your mind relating to any of the questions. Then as you pick each question, using the keywords as your bank, draw up and construct grammar around the words. Also understand that you are going to need to pour out as quick as possible because cramming and pressure are sworn enemies. Under pressure, you can forget everything and attempts to repeat words may delay you in the long run, so as you start just keep pouring the words out. Take a break if tired.

•  GO BACK TO REST: after the total exhaustion of writing the test, go back home and rest. Do not engage in so much activity. The advantage of quickly catching a rest is that subconsciously what you have crammed may become stored permanently, but only of you rest after the exams.

The most important principle for cramming is TIME and SPACE management. Cramming is agog method of preparing for some exams. I advise that if you want to have insight and comprehension of a subject matter, then cramming is not the solution.