Sleep or cram?

Question

When you have a big test the next day and you're not properly prepared, is it better to cram throughout the night with little sleep or get a good night's sleep?

Answer 1

Don't stay up and cram. Your brain can not retain the knowledge when it is tired so you are likely to do worse on the test. Study not over 1 hour at a time and it is best to take a break between studies. Be sure to get a full nights sleep the night before the test.

Answer 2

I was a person that would say never cram, but last semester I was not very confident in my preparedness, so I did cram for 2 classes, 2 consecutive days until 3 AM and it was the best thing I ever did.
Now I've learned that I need to do a little along like all the teachers *itch about, that way it isn't so hard.

Answer 3

A little light review of the basics or the more technical aspects and a good night's sleep.

Of course, by now, you're regretting not having been better prepared, but there's not too much you can do about it.

Instead, grab your notebook and go for a little walk ... talk over the concepts with yourself ... they will make more sense and your brain will file them away easier if you actually say/hear it.

Get some fresh air and then get some sleep. Give you brain a chance to file these things away.

If you're all tired, it's hopeless.

Answer 4

Well, if you don't know anything that's going to be on the test, your best bet's to cram because you know you're going to fail if you don't learn the material.
If you feel that you've studied sufficiently beforehand, relax and get a good night's sleep.
This is why you should make a point to study sufficiently beforehand.

Answer 5

Sleep, and THEN cram when you wake up in the morning. Also it is very important that you eat a good breakfast before your test. Even if you're one of those people that never eats breakfast, it really does help a lot. Good luck with your test!

Answer 6

well, why don't you do both. I mean study for twenty minutes, eat something small but nutricious, then maybe a power nap, then back to studying. Repeat the cycle over. Studies have shown studying for a long time is really doing you no good, because after a certain amount of time, you either forget it, or skip it anyway. And we call know we can't afford to skip important info for a big test. Notes is always a good key, even if you are not allowed to use them, you might remember them better by writing them down.

Answer 7

Well, I usually opt for little sleep. If you study all night, you'll at least have answers for the test tomorrow even though you might feel like walking trash throughout the day. If you just sleep, then you might as well not bother showing up unless you are an expert at bsing good answers.

Answer 8

When I'm studying for a big test, I do it in incremints. I study a chapter, and then I play a game, get a snack, listen to some music and relax for 10 minutes and then I go back and read another chapter. I find that doing it in small increments allows me to retain the information, since my brain has time to collect and retain the information I've just learned in the time I'm not studying a chapter.

Answer 9

That's a very good question. It just so happens that I had a re-certification test for my job last Friday. I waited until Thursday evening to study because I retain information better that way. Needless to say I scored a 98 on my exam. It's best to find out what works best for you to make sure you.

Answer 10

Best to do a brief overview of all the main points, then get good sleep. Review one more time right before the test.