Professional athletes recognize the importance of being at your best. They realize that their individual performance has a direct impact on their team and organization. If they are in their prime or playing their ‘A’ Game, competitors and observers will notice. It is in those moments when they seem unstoppable. In addition to athletics, this peak performance zone can also be experienced in other areas of life; in business, in relationships, in leadership, and especially in the academic field.
All student leaders want to be on top; however, your work habits and level of discipline do not always support your school desires. What is it that causes one student to perform poorly and another to play their ‘A’ Game all year? Today it is my goal to show you how “CRAMMING” can get you to play your ‘A’ Game.
Now you’re probably wondering: “Wow, can I really make my way to a 4.0?” “I thought cramming was unhealthy and unsuccessful?” Each of your thoughts is valid, however, I want to bring more value to your life as a student and leader, propelling you to a higher level of thinking.
Before we investigate this aspect of crowding, we know that students across the United States get very little sleep. Classes, social activities, leadership roles, and part-time or sometimes full-time jobs get more attention than sleep. As the end of the semester or exams approaches, the lack of sleep becomes more evident. This now puts students in a “do or die” situation. Failing exams could mean more years in college, or even failing, hence the need to study.
There are some good reasons to study for exams. The first is that it doesn’t work, and the second reason is that it doesn’t work at the last minute. However, if cramming is used at the right time, it can produce great results. Let me clarify this with an example from my university life.
As a chemistry student at Norfolk State University, during my freshman year, I made some immature academic decisions. I was a PP – a professional procrastinator. I would wait until the last minute to do it all! I waited the last minute to study notes, prepare for tests, and work on assignments and reports. I procrastinated so much that I went to the cafeteria for dinner just before closing. This last minute lifestyle forced me to have many “crash sessions” and “stay all nighters”.
As a new college student on an academic scholarship, I realized that in order to keep my scholarship and graduate with honors, my (poor) study habits and (lack of) time management would have to change. This became even more apparent when I was taking my class exams with headaches and body aches. During most of the tests I felt sluggish and horrible. I even felt like I had a serious hangover, and indeed I did: a hangover from the night before of cramming, drinking bottles of root beer, eating chocolate bars and greasy pizza, all from trying to stay awake to focus. .
Studies and reports have shown that “cramming” or “cramming at the last minute” (as I’ve called it) will cause the following to happen. If you are a constant crammer, you can witness the following effects.
o Your anxiety level will increase enormously
o You will lose sleep and eat poorly because of this
o You will get sick more easily because of this
o You will miss the exam because of this
o You will take the harder essay make-up exam because of this
or you will fail the exam
o Seriously, at the very least you will do worse on the test than you otherwise would have. Guaranteed.
Late cramming doesn’t work due to some biological reasons. When cramming occurs, the information is stored in the short-term memory side of the brain. This is where everyday information that isn’t really worth remembering is stored. To learn we have to transfer information to the long-term memory side of the brain. Here the information can be retrieved much more easily and over a longer period of time. Let us further examine the difference between short term and long term memory.
All information is processed in the brain and stored in short-term memory. The problem is that this information overloads the brain and is not retained for long. Can you remember what you had for breakfast two days ago, or the outfit you wore last weekend? What about the price of your lunch on Monday? No. So what makes you think you’ll remember some theory from the class, which you’ve never heard of before? Yes, you can remember it for a day or two, but since you don’t need to remember everything, your brain will throw it away after a short period of time.
Long-term memory is the type of memory that is used when we want to store information more permanently. This is accomplished by making the information especially memorable or by constant daily repetition. Have you ever tried to remember the lyrics to your favorite song? How many times did you listen to that song or read the lyrics before you finally remembered it? The same should be true for your class work. Once something is transferred from short-term to long-term memory, we say that it has been learned (or at least remembered).
This is the reason why last minute preparation is not beneficial for students. Late-breaking cramming fails because it relies on short-term memory. But what if you cluttered up every day, or simply put large amounts of information into your memory consistently and deliberately? Cramming itself is not bad; it is simply useless, if not done correctly.
CRAM, as I have called it, can be translated into a simple four-word phrase: Consistent Repetition for Advantageous Memorization. It is imperative that you study your class work (CRAM) every day, even for a few minutes. College is your current occupation and career, so treat school like your 9-5 job, and CRAM When it’s time to study, work like it’s your job. be sure to check in at a set time and check out at a set time. If your midterm or semester exam is two weeks away, you should have had daily CRAM sessions throughout the semester so the information has already transferred.
My primary goal in addressing this topic of concentration is to instill in them the development of daily disciplines for academic success. What you pay the most attention to will control your mindset and memory bank.
You have what it takes to play your “A” game every term. Just don’t wait until the last minute to gorge, but CRAM intensely every day with a planned regimen. Many students fail because they fail to plan. To improve your grades, you must have a detailed plan of attack and mastery over your daily schedule. To avoid last-minute cramming and play your “A” game at school, here are 12 practical things to do when creating your daily schedule for school.
1. Schedule personal quiet time and motivation time. Use this time to encourage yourself and develop a mental picture of your day.
2. Assign the times you must be in class.
3. Define the periods of time in which you will study.
4. Plan for breakfast and lunch, but don’t eat for more than 30 minutes; use the other designated half hour to prepare for your next class.
5. Set aside time for part-time jobs, extracurricular activities, and other necessary events.
6. Carry a detailed appointment book or organizer with you, so you always know what needs to be completed for the day and by a specific time.
7. Communicate your study hours to friends and family so they are aware of your schedule and do not interfere.
8. Go to your study periods as if they were an important appointment.
9. Designate a specific place outside of your room to study each topic. The location of the study may differ depending on the mood, environment and time of day.
10. Set your game time. Don’t be a workaholic.
11. Study for a designated class at a designated time, even if you don’t have a test or homework assigned. Put this in your schedule daily
12. Don’t let planned activities overlap; schedule activities on purpose and then do them on purpose. When it’s time to work, work. When it’s time to study, study; And when it’s time to have fun, have fun!
In closing, I want you to remember this. Only one game in life counts, and that’s your ‘A’ Game. So play every day!
Kantis A. Simmons © 2006
http://www.PlayingYourGame.com