Have an Effective Cram Session

What will you need?

Review the following list of things you might need for your study session. Identify those you need and add any others you believe are important to have available. Remember, time is of the essence so you won’t have time to go back and pick-up something you forgot later.

• Computer
• Solutions manual
• Blank paper for notes
• Highlighters
• Water
• Snacks - low on sugar (fruits and veggies)
• Calculator
• Class notes
• Index cards
• Sticky notes
• Textbook(s)
• Study guides
• Pens & pencils
• Voice recorder
• Soda or coffee (but not so much that it interferes with your sleep)

What techniques will you use?

The study techniques that you should use depend in part on your learning style(s) and the type of test you are planning on taking. Review these study techniques and select the one or two that are the best fit for your learning style and the type of test you are cramming for.

Using notes

Hopefully, you have notes from your class. If not, consider making a copy of someone else’s notes – preferably someone who takes good notes. If the professor made a specific point of emphasizing specific subject matter in class, it's likely that at least some of this subject matter will appear on the exam.

A few ways to use your notes to your advantage:

• Look through the notes and try to find things that have been underlined or highlighted in some other way. This information is probably important.
• Scan the notes and look for key information that you can highlight or flag with Post-it notes for easy reference later on.
• Rewrite key information from your notes. This will help you memorize and comprehend important points.
• Record the most important parts of your notes and replay them later.

Using the textbook

Reading an entire textbook is not an effective way to cram for an exam. Instead, concentrate on the summaries that appear at the beginning and end of each chapter. Chapter end questions, illustrative examples and other synopses designed to clarify a section of content may also prove helpful.

A few other techniques to try include:

• Looking for bolded words. Words in a bold or italicized font are probably important. Take note of these words by writing them down, highlighting them or flagging them in some other way.
• Knowing how to answer chapter end questions. While only a few professors may pull their exam questions straight from the back of the book, these questions still reflect what the authors considered to be the most critical information presented in their textbook. In lieu of anything contrary from your notes, this is a good source of important material to know for the exam.
• Using the table of contents, the glossary and other overlooked parts of the textbook to get an overview of key information.
• Reading introductions and conclusions. These parts of the text always include important points.

Using condensed notes and study guides

Reading or re-reading a book overnight is no easy feat. You may want to consider using Cliffs Notes or other types of study guides. These materials usually include plot summaries, character information and step-by-step instructions to help you get through it all. It's not a perfect trade-off, but when you're in a crunch it works.

Using other study materials

Some professors are kind enough to hand out study materials prior to an exam. If your professor does that, you should use what you are given. The information within these materials will almost certainly be woven into the exam.

Other study materials you may be able to use:

• Workbooks or student manuals - A lot of college textbooks have accompanying student manuals or workbooks that contain sample essays or quizzes. Again, these reflect what the authors and your professor, by choosing that textbook, consider to be important.
• Past assignments, tests and quizzes - A good way to review for an exam is to focus on what you've already been tested on. You can do this by pulling out any past assignments, tests or quizzes that include the subject you're currently studying.

Using a voice recorder

By recording information from your notes or textbook that you believe to be important, you can reinforce your learning while you’re involved in other tasks. When you hear something over and over again, it's bound to sink in just a little bit. If you decide to use this steady technique, you can replay what you recorded:

• While you sleep. (Can't hurt, right?)
• While you're brushing your teeth and getting ready to go in the morning.
• While you eat breakfast.
• While you travel to class or the exam center.
• While you wait for the exam to be handed out.

Using memorization techniques

There are tons of different memorization techniques that you can use to cram for an exam. A few of the best include:

• Repeating information over and over again. (Do this until you can easily repeat something ten minutes later.)
• Rewriting information that you want to retain. (Rewrite at least three times for maximum retention.)
• Acting it out. (Make up a dance or hand signals to remember whole sentences.)
• Making rhymes and songs out of important dates and facts. (Who can forget that in 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue?)
• Using acronyms to remember facts. (SIM translates to Sedimentary, Igneous and Metamorphic - the three basic rock types.)
• Using acrostics to remember words in a specific order. (My Dear Aunt Sally = Multiply and Divide before you Add and Subtract)

Quizzing yourself

You should assess how well you are retaining the information you are studying mid-way through your cram session. If you are not retaining information with the technique you are using, you still have time to switch to a different one that will work better for you.

A few ways to check your retention include:

• Use a voice recorder with pre-recorded questions.
• Use index cards that have questions written on one side and answers on the other.
• Use chapter-end questions from your textbook.
• Use questions from past quizzes, tests or assignments.
• Ask someone else to quiz you.

Bonus study techniques

Here are a few exam-specific techniques that might help you through your cram session: