The Importance Of Cramming

Cramming has been an established habit among a wide spectrum of individuals. This term simply means “to pack tight” or to prepare for an imminent task in a hasty and intensive manner (Merriam-Webster, 2013). Old or young, diligent or unenthusiastic, all kinds of people may have encountered this activity at least once in their lives. However, in different niches, the opinion on cramming is divided. In the academe, especially among pupils, deciding whether to cram or not has usually been difficult. It has already been adopted by students despite the consistent dissuading studies make. Although some students believe cramming saves time and lets them perform well, cramming actually wastes time and is not an effective learning tool in the long run.

Students usually cram a few days before their tests or hours before their deadlines. As a result, they are forced to work faster than normal. Given these circumstances, they may be able to ignore everything else completely, displaying sheer focus and determination in order to accomplish their tasks on time. Weeks of lectures may be packed into one’s brain in only a night. Term papers may be finished in just a matter of hours. These could take longer to complete when ample time has been allocated. The intensity and time constraint imposed by cramming may be used to one’s advantage. The ability to use the shortest amount of time possible to concentrate on a learning area may be considered a benefit of cramming (W. Sommer, 1990). Consequently, students may be able to tackle multiple tasks in short time periods. This may work well with busy students and procrastinators.

Another strength of cramming is reflected in its ability to let students catch up when they are behi...

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... the long-term memory. McIntyre & Munson (2008) claim that “students who take a more methodical approach to studying retain much more learned material to build upon in later courses.” Also, the cramming process gets repeated when the same type of situation arises in the future, and therefore wasting time.

The pitfalls of cramming clearly outweigh its benefits. While cramming promises short-term benefits, it is virtually useless in the long run. Cramming is only a temporary solution, and should not be employed for recurring problems. If the use of cramming is restricted to problems in need of immediate action, and a different, more effective strategy is applied in other situations, then one’s time and effort is maximized. In sum, cramming should be avoided as much as possible, for it is not only inferior to other strategies but also wastes precious time.