It is an epidemic that the average student default study habit is to cram. Unfortunately some say that it is their only way to study and still manage to get good grades. If it is the only way they know, with practice they can get good results.
I overheard a student bragged how he just spent 14 hours straight studying for an accounting final and got an A. When I heard that, I was curious and I wanted to know how he did it. I asked him how was his diet. He told me a lot of soda. Thanks, that was the last thing I wanted to hear. I tell you the truth, i fall asleep on coffe and soda.
Unless you are a special genious, you are able to read something very quicly, understand it, and memorize it. More power to you! But as for me, I need to understand and I need to know some special technique that I can use without serious difficulties.
The idea of reverse cramming came to me after struggling and always cramming at the last minute. I was motivated to go to school fulltime and work fulltime after reading a blog about a man who’s name Steve Pavlina who graduated with two degrees in three semester taking 39 to 40 units per semester. He credited his ability to do what he did to good time management. I have tried to manage my time, but I still struggled. I kept on reading his blog for motivation because I was determent to do it since I am only taking 12 units per semester and working fulltime. I felt like I have plenty of time, but I kept on procratinating and not focussing. My only option left was to pray.
I will not credit Steve pavlina for my idea of reverse cramming, but I credit him for motivating me.
Finally I realized, if I put all this effort at the last minute to cram, why not do it in the beginning instead of doing it at the end.
It will still be a struggle. I know I have to work on my focus and that is why I am using a 80/20 rule. What it means is that I will be eating 80% raw diet and 20% cooked food. Eating a raw diet increases my focus and my energy. And I am also implementing the sabbath day in my week. A day that I use completely for resting. I may use it for prayer, bible reading and meditation, and some occasion for some family fun time, but most of the time to sleep, to rest my body, primarily to rest my mind.
To make the best of my time, I came up with an idea of using other students to help me with my note taking. I call it team Studies. The way it works is to share notes. Because most of the learning takes place when I am reading the material trying to understand it. It I take too much time trying to figure out what’s important and what’s not or what I need to take notes on, it would take me forever. So why not divide the chapter where one person will take very good notes in one section and another student will take very good notes on the other section then we email our part to each student involve. At the end, we are all end up with good notes of the whole chapter without waisting precious time. With that extra time, we can re-read the chapter for better understanding and even have the time to rewrite our notes for simplification and classroom notes combining.
The main purpose is to have extra time to rehearse what we have learned.
