It’s Monday again! Time to go back to work and school. There are so many deadlines and homework to do.
Have you ever felt lazy the whole night, and found yourself preparing and working on your readings only by dawn? Have you ever rushed to school or work, found yourself having a last look at your exams or reports?
How about staying up late, chugging loads of coffee, and on your way to work, you rush? You almost tore the page of whatever it is that you’re reading, and you feel yourself having a cold sweat.
The question is, “Are you finished with your work or are you just beating the deadline?”
CRAMMING is the word for this scenario. We are all very familiar to this kind of studying and preparation technique. This is the quickest way to remember (at the very least) some parts from our notes, or do last minute changes that we were not able to finish ahead of time.
When I was still in school, I was confident that I wouldn’t get called right away for any recitation because that was done according to class number anyway (overconfident). My style was to try hard to listen to what the teacher was saying memorize it. (Problem is, I’m often asleep.) I don’t study much. I watch TV and play games when I’m at home. So when exam time comes, “IT’S CRAMMING TIME!”
When I took the exam, I couldn’t remember what it was that I read because I read it only during the last minute. So the story ends with me not writing any answer down, my head up in the air like a giraffe, and looking at my classmate’s answer. I even go on blaming anyone who covers their papers.
In the end? Of course I get failing marks!
CRAMMING is never good. WHY?
YOU FORGET IMPORTANT DETAILS
Because people who cram are focused on what they have read or prepared last. They fail to remember the important ones because they are so much under PRESSURE & STRESSED.
How are you not going to be stressed? You’ve reached your deadline but you still aren’t done with your work. You can’t do it properly because there is a tendency for you to get INFORMATION OVERLOAD. People who cram are overwhelmed with the huge amount of things that they need to accomplish versus the little time left. This may cause the brain to just shut down during their exams or presentations. You don’t know what to do first and you’re not even sure if you have understood anything.
SOLUTION TO CRAMMING:
MANAGING YOUR TIME, PLANNING AHEAD & FINISHING AHEAD OF TIME are the secrets to avoid cramming.
Even if you feel that 24 hours is not enough, you will be able to do what you have to do if you set your priorities well. Learn to organize and identify what is important and urgent. This way, you can produce quality work and not jeopardize other tasks needed. Lastly, just BE CALM and DON’T PANIC. If you have tons of things to do, relax and understand when you do things, you must learn at the same time enjoy. If you do not enjoy the process, then you will not learn.
THINK. REFLECT. APPLY.
What are the things needed to be done now?
Have you already finished your tasks for tomorrow?
When do you think you should change the habit of cramming?
(Chinkee Tan is a top Filipino motivational speaker, wealth and life coach whose goal is to inform, educate, motivate, and disturb. His vision is to help people become financially-literate and debt-free. For more info about Chinkee Tan, please visit his fan page at FB, Twitter and Instagram. Also follow VIBER PUBLIC CHAT GROUP search chinkee tan, and VISIONCHINKEE on You Tube for more news and encouragements.)
