The science of cramming: does it work?

USD psychology professors analyze the study technique 

JESSICA MILLS / ASST. FEATURE EDITOR / THE USD VISTA

As the semester draws to a close and final deadlines approach, many students will spend the coming weeks preparing for assigned papers, projects and exams. 

Among students, study habits vary in technique, location and even preferred proximity to others — some also favor studying over longer periods of time, while others save their studying for the night before a due date. This last minute technique is known as “cramming,” a popular method for college students prone to procrastination or who have too much on their plate. 

However, according to Psychology Department lecturer J. de Belle, PhD, cramming is not a useful study method for students. 

“Cramming or ‘massed’ learning is not an efficient strategy for committing information to memory,” Dr. de Belle said. “This is especially true when it becomes the last resort for studying on a late evening prior to an exam.” 

Dr. de Belle explained that cramming often heightens stress for students, which impacts test performance. 

“Stress inhibits learning and interferes with recall and performance during an exam,” Dr. de Belle said. “Instead of walking into the exam feeling confident, alert, and energized, the cramming student is more likely to be confused, unresourceful, and exhausted.” 

Instead, Dr. de Belle recommends students study throughout the semester by testing and retesting their knowledge with flashcards or problem sets.

“This type of ‘spaced’ learning is highly effective,” Dr. de Belle said. “It’s based on the principle that recurrent exposure to information in between gaps, like sleep cycles, promote long-term memory formation.” 

The brain reorganizes and recharges itself when we sleep. Any repeated action, thought, or behavior becomes hardwired into the brain for easy recall at a later time. 

“This rewiring only happens if you actually sleep,” Dr. de Belle explained. “During an exam, information will be more readily available because it has been consolidated in an organized way.”

Psychology Department Adjunct Assistant Professor Sara Appleton-Knapp, PhD, believes testing oneself on material prior to an exam is an effective study method. 

“When doing so, you retrieve information from memory,” Dr. Appleton-Knapp said. “This mimics the retrieval that you’ll do during an exam in order to answer a question or write an essay.” 

When reading notes or assigned text, the brain only reorganizes the information, and it isn’t hardwired for future recollection. Unlike quizzing oneself, reading doesn’t build the necessary recall memories. 

“You should test yourself on what you’ve learned when it is difficult, but not impossible for you to retrieve the information,” Dr. Appleton-Knapp explained. “You can accomplish this by studying a chapter one day and then testing yourself on it the next day.”

Sophomore and psychology major Alana Bowyer uses the cramming technique only when necessary. In some cases, a heavy workload prevents Bowyer from getting ahead on studying for certain exams. 

“If I’m cramming for a test, it’s normally not by choice,” Bowyer explained. “Usually, it’s because I have several deadlines that I have to prioritize before a test.” 

Bowyer noted that her test performance improves when studying for longer time frames. 

“Normally, I perform decently, but I definitely do better if I have more time in advance to prepare,” Bowyer said. “It all depends on the subject, how hard the class is, and whether I naturally grasp the content.”

Although Dr. de Belle and Dr. Appleton-Knapp explained that repeated studying over longer time spans is preferred, both agree cramming is better than not studying at all. 

Studying in advance for finals week can help lessen stress for students and even improve test performance. 

With deadlines approaching, making flashcards and problem sets ahead of finals may prove beneficial for one’s grades and stress. However, if you find yourself resorting to cramming this finals season, try to get in restful sleep whenever and wherever you can.