4) Say Goodbye to Night-Before Cramming

Planning ahead and getting started early is the best way to work for those A grades. Prof Dunlovsky says: “Students who cram may pass the exam but they don’t retain the material.” This is an issue because it leaves students who carry on their education without a true foundation to build upon. A technique called distributive practice is a far more effective approach to studying. Distributive practice implements a schedule of practice that spreads studying out over time. This allows time for the brain to take in all the necessary information and become more familiar with it each time the topic is practiced. It’s a bit like practicing drawing the same thing again and again to get it perfect.

Sources: The BBC, John Dunlosky – improving Students’ Learning With Effective Learning Techniques: Promising Directions From Cognitive and Educational Psychology