The Art of Cramming (Feature Story)

The clock turns 11:30 p.m., and you lay in bed. Before you fall asleep, you go through your mental checklist to make sure you completed everything you needed to for that day. Right before you fall asleep, you remember that you have an exam the next day that you still need to study for. In college, most students specialize in a certain technique called cramming for exams.

Cramming affects a numerous amount of students in college regardless of major, age, or schedule. Katie Ludwig, student at UWGB, tells how she feels about cramming for an exam. For her, it depends on the exam; she adds, “I feel confident sometimes because I think I’ve learned better that way, and other times, I am anxious that I didn’t study earlier.”

Another UWGB student, Taylor Kaether, also falls victim to exam cramming. She explains how cramming plays a toll on her by saying, “Cramming helps for the moment, but not for the long run. For example, cramming for an exam the night before, I might remember what I need to for the exam, but the next day, I won’t retain anything.”

“Isn’t cramming for exams better than not studying at all?” Several specialists conducted different studies to find the success rate of students cramming. UCLA sees studying as an important factor; however, they also emphasize on the importance of getting enough sleep each night. A UCLA psychiatry professor, Andrew J. Fuligni; a graduate student from UCLA, Cari Gillen-O’Neel; and other experts agree that “sacrificing sleep for extra study time…is actually counterproductive.” They also share that cramming creates more problems academically for a student and may potentially add other health problems as well.

Stanford University informs that cramming is ineffective. They say that cramming has the potential to hurt people’s mental health because it puts too much stress on the brain. Also, like UCLA’s study, they agree that cramming takes away from sleep, which may lead to poor exam results.

Tom Stafford, a researcher and author of a BBC article named “Memory: Why Cramming for Tests Often Fails”, made another point about cramming for exams. Someone could put 8 hours of studying in, but Stafford says, “…being able to recognize something something isn’t the same thing as being able to recall it.” Although our memories remember something, it doesn’t always mean we actually know it.

On the other hand, a handful of students feel they actually perform better on exams after a night of cramming. Lindsay Peiffer, a UWGB student, shares, “When I cram, I feel my overall outcome is actually decent. I feel I do way better under pressure. If I start studying too early, I start to have anxiety over it."

All students feel differently and perform differently when they cram for exams. Although, the vast majority of experts suggest against exam cramming, it fails stop students from doing so. However, if you feel you need to cram for an exam, try remembering to get a good night’s rest and eat healthy as well.