Why You Should Discourage Cramming
Let’s face it. At some point, you have also tried cramming to prepare for an exam during your student years. However numerous studies have demonstrated that, particularly for students, cramming shouldn’t become a habit. Of course, some students could counter that cramming gives them the material they need for their tests quickly, but doing so might also teach them how to procrastinate.
This happens when students pack everything the night before a test, rather than beginning their studies a week or two in advance and building momentum gradually. In certain situations, such as the one described above, the student’s chances of achieving their desired results may be favorable. In other situations, cramming will lead to subpar performance on tests. Cramming typically results in students simply remembering material for the exam day and fails to help them maintain the long-term knowledge and comprehension they require.
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Why should parents discourage cramming?
While there may be some useful effects of cramming, it can be said it is the least effective way to study and learn. This is why we’ve compiled a list of the reasons why.
1. Temporary information storage
Cramming can only assist a child achieve the desired test scores; chances are, however, that they will forget all that they have studied for the test. In a similar vein, they can overlook crucial knowledge that they’ll need to study for the upcoming subjects after their tests.
This is because cramming merely facilitates the retention of fleeting knowledge. In addition to imparting knowledge to students, schools promote the application of abstract ideas to practical situations. This enriches learning and helps students grasp concepts more deeply in practice than in theory. Since the child would lose all the information they need to truly apply the instant they turn in their exam sheet or leave the classroom, cramming defeats this goal. Additionally, since they rely on cramming, there would be no purpose for them to attend school and graduate if they were unable to remember any of the knowledge they acquired.
So, what should parents do to help prevent their child from cramming? The best way to go about this is to help the child practice studying every day. It doesn’t have to be for a lengthy period, even less than an hour would do. This would help them turn their studying into a routine and also help in storing the information they need effectively and for a long time.
2. Stressful for the student
It can be challenging to study for an entire night on a single subject. Imagine now that you have to learn five subjects. Although it may seem a bit dramatic, your child may experience this when they are cramming. Their mind and body can get extremely stressed out due to the volume of material they must take in from many courses all in one night, which can also negatively impact their mental, emotional, and general well-being. This can also lead to burnout or, in severe situations, a physical and mental breakdown, both of which can worsen academic performance.
For this reason, parents need to watch out and be mindful of their kids’ study habits. As parents, we may support our children in determining their academic and study objectives. Next, parents can assist in creating a sensible study schedule for their children and ensuring that they follow it. A well-planned study routine and timetable will help students be ready for their tests and eliminate the need for cramming. Because students will be preparing for a longer length of time rather than just one night of cramming, this will also reduce their levels of stress.
3. Destroy good sleeping habits
“Pulling an all-nighter” may seem like an exaggeration and can even be used as a joke, but this isn’t the case for cramming because it is what students literally do when they are cramming. When the child resorts to cramming, chances are they are probably going to stay up from dusk until early morning to study which can interrupt their healthy sleeping patterns.
It can be challenging to develop healthy sleeping habits, and cramming might disrupt the routine and leave the student with little sleep. Then, not getting enough sleep may lead to a decline in attention, which will impair their performance in class or on tests. What is the best way to go about doing this without upsetting the child’s sleep schedule? Once more, the child should establish and adhere to a daily study program. It not only helps children retain the skills they are learning more effectively over time, but it also maintains their sleep schedule, giving them the right amount of rest for the night and sufficient energy for the following day.
4. Causes mental blocks
It’s quite common for students to have all the information they need ready for the exam only to come up blank when it’s actually time for them to answer. Cramming can make it more likely for students to experience mental blocks because it can disrupt their sleep routine. They can perform poorly on the test if they are too worried or stressed out because they won’t remember what they have studied.
This can be especially jarring and stressful for the student taking the exam. They have spent their time cramming all the information they can possibly get and forget them all at once. It can dishearten them and cause them to lose what little focus they have left on the other questions in their exam.
Parents can help with situations such as these by giving their children practice exams and tests. This can assist the child in identifying the material they have already learned and which they still need to study more of. Because people are more accustomed to taking the exam, this also helps to reduce their nervousness when taking it. In addition to helping students study and review, practice tests reassure parents that their kids are prepared for exams.
5. Promotes procrastination
Students who cram may believe that this is the ideal approach because it spares them from having to study every day. This can encourage procrastination for other chores, like activities or schoolwork, as well as for preparing for examinations. Students sometimes begin working on their assignments or projects the night before they are due, which results in shoddy work and tension and anxiety among them over the project’s conclusion and volume of labor.
When the child has the mindset of procrastinating, it can be difficult to turn around. Parents can help with this situation by making sure they stick to their study schedule. This can also include the time they spend on their homework and other academic activities. This way, chances of them procrastinating and later on resorting to cramming, can be lessened and even avoided.
Parents should also be aware of other factors, such as excessive phone use, that may be contributing to this issue. A child may neglect their schoolwork if they spend too much time on their electronics. To reduce excessive use and encourage students to concentrate more on the work at hand, parents should set firm guidelines about their children’s use of phones during study time.
Conclusion
Although some students could view cramming as a study method, it isn’t practical over the long term. It is your responsibility as parents to assist your child in becoming exam-ready. In order to properly handle their academic problems and issues, assist them in identifying them. Establish a study schedule for the child to help them get back on track if they tend to cram. Blaming and punishing them won’t make a difference. Offer alternatives instead, and assist them in achieving their academic objectives.
Carelle
Carelle is a teacher who has been through the ups and downs of the teacher and learner life. She wishes for every learner to gain educational satisfaction that will help embody the people they want to be in the future.
