Professional athletes recognize the importance of being at their best. They realize that their individual performance has a direct impact on their team and organization. If they are at their best or playing their ‘A’ Game, competitors and observers will notice. It is in those moments when they seem unstoppable. In addition to athletics, this zone of peak performance can also be experienced in other areas of life; in business, in relationships, in leadership, and especially in the academic field.

All student leaders want to be on top; however, their work habits and level of discipline do not always support their academic desires. What is it that causes one student to perform poorly and another to play their ‘A’ Game all year long? Today it is my goal to show you how “CRAMMING” can lead you to play your ‘A’ Game.

Now you’re probably wondering, “Wow, can I really make my way to 4.0?” “I thought cramming was unhealthy and unsuccessful?” Each of your thoughts is valid, however, I want to bring more value to your life as a student and leader, pushing you to a higher level of thinking.

Before we look into this aspect of overcrowding, we know that students across the United States get very little sleep. Classes, social activities, leadership roles, and part-time or sometimes full-time jobs get more attention than sleep. As the end of the semester or exams approaches, sleep deprivation becomes more apparent. This now puts students in a “do or die” situation. Failing exams could mean more years in college, or even failing, hence the need to study.

There are some good reasons to study for tests. The first is that it doesn’t work, and the second reason is that it doesn’t work at the last moment. However, if cramming is used at the right time, it can produce great results. Let me clarify this with an example from my college life.

As a chemistry major at Norfolk State University during my freshman year, I made some immature academic decisions. I was a PP – a professional procrastinator. I would wait until the last minute to do it all! I waited until the last minute to study notes, prepare for tests, and work on assignments and reports. I procrastinated so much that I went to the cafeteria for dinner right before closing time. This last minute lifestyle forced me to have many “intensive sessions” and “go all night”.

As a new college student on an academic scholarship, I realized that in order to keep my scholarship and graduate with honors, my (poor) study habits and (lack of) time management would have to change. This became even more apparent when I was taking my class exams with headaches and body aches. During most of the tests I felt sluggish and horrible. I even felt like I had a bad hangover, and I did: a hangover from the night before of cramming, drinking bottles of root beer, eating chocolate bars and greasy pizza, all from trying to stay awake to focus. .

Studies and reports have shown that “cramming” or “last minute cramming” (as I have termed it) will cause the following to happen. If you are a constant crammer, you can witness the following effects.

o Your anxiety level will increase tremendously

o You will lose sleep and eat poorly because of this

o You will get sick more easily because of this

o You will fail the exam because of this

o Will take the harder essay make-up exam because of this

o You will fail the exam

o Seriously, at the very least you will do worse on the test than you otherwise would have. Guaranteed.

Last minute cramming doesn’t work due to some biological reasons. When cramming occurs, information is stored in the short-term memory side of the brain. This is where everyday information that isn’t really worth remembering is stored. To learn we have to transfer information to the long-term memory side of the brain. Here information can be retrieved much more easily and over a longer period of time. Let’s take a closer look at the difference between short-term and long-term memory.

All information is processed in the brain and stored in short-term memory. The problem is that this information overloads the brain and is not preserved for long. Can you remember what you had for breakfast two days ago, or what outfit you wore last weekend? What about the price of your lunch on Monday? No. So what makes you think you’ll remember some theory from class that you’ve never heard of before? Yes, you can remember it for a day or two, but since you don’t have to remember everything, your brain will discard it after a short period of time.

Long-term memory is the type of memory that is used when we want to store information more permanently. This is achieved by making the information especially memorable or through constant daily repetition. Have you ever tried to remember the lyrics of your favorite song? How many times did you listen to that song or read the lyrics before finally remembering it? The same should be true for your class work. Once something is transferred from short-term memory to long-term memory, we say that it has been learned (or at least remembered).

This is the reason why last minute preparation is not beneficial for students. Last-minute cramming fails because it relies on short-term memory. But what if you crammed every day, or just consistently and deliberately put large amounts of information into your memory? Cramming in itself is not bad; it is simply useless, if not done correctly.

CRAM, as I’ve called it, can be translated into a simple four-word phrase: Consistent Reiteration for Advantageous Memorization. It is imperative that you study your class work (CRAM) every day, even for a few minutes. College is your current occupation and career, so treat school as your 9 to 5 job, and CRAM When it’s time to study, work like it’s your job. make sure you check in at a certain time and check out at a certain time. If your midterm or semester exam is two weeks away, you should have had daily CRAM sessions throughout the semester so that the information has already transferred.

My main goal in addressing this topic of concentration is to instill in you to develop daily disciplines for academic success. What you pay more attention to will be what controls your mindset and your memory bank.

You have what it takes to play your “A” game every school term. Just don’t wait until the last minute to gorge yourself, but CRAM intensely every day with a planned regimen. Many students fail because they fail to plan. To improve your grades, you must have a detailed plan of attack and mastery over your daily schedule. To avoid last-minute cramming and play your “A” game at school, here are 12 practical things to do when creating your daily schedule for school.

1. Schedule personal quiet time and motivation time. Use this time to cheer yourself up and develop a mental picture of your day.

2. Assign the times you must be in class.

3. Define the periods of time in which you will study.

4. Plan breakfast and lunch, but don’t eat for more than 30 minutes; use the other designated half hour to prepare for your next class.

5. Reserve time for part-time jobs, extracurricular activities, and other necessary events.

6. Carry an appointment book or detailed organizer with you, so you always know what needs to be completed for the day and by a specific time.

7. Communicate your study hours to friends and family so they are aware of your schedule and do not interfere.

8. Go to your study periods as if they were an important appointment.

9. Designate a specific place outside your room to study each topic. The study location may differ depending on mood, environment and time of day.

10. Set your game time. Don’t be a workaholic.

11. Study for a designated class at a designated time, even if you don’t have a test or homework assignment. Put this daily on your schedule

12. Do not allow planned activities to overlap; schedule activities on purpose and then do them on purpose. When it’s time to work, work. When it’s time to study, study; And when it’s time to have fun, have fun!

In closing, I want you to remember this. Only one game in life counts, and that’s your ‘A’ Game. So play every day!

Kantis A Simmons © 2006
http://www.PlayingYourGame.com