Student_Voice : The case against cramming
Published: 20 Apr. 2026, 00:05
Baek Inhwan
The author is a student at Daedeok Elementary School.
I was cramming, hurriedly reviewing the notes and questions for my upcoming math test. Less than a day remained before the exam.
Tick. Tock. The clock in my room seemed to run faster than usual. Hours flew by as quickly as colored leaves fall in autumn. I thought that I had lots of time. Where had it all gone? And when? Probably while I was playing catch at the playground with my friends and chatting about how the Hanwha Eagles were doing.
Through the windows, people biking by the river lured me to distraction.
There was not enough time to study it all.
A few days later, I got my test result. It was the lowest score that I had ever received. I was devastated. But this was not my first experience with cramming.
![An image of a student studying [GETTY IMAGES PRO]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/04/20/bd3fce71-9cbf-456d-8a00-ba10f17c3254.jpg)
I once had to write a report and give a presentation on Norway. I thought it would be easy. I played until the day before the assignment was due, reading comic books and playing football with my friends. Then I started cramming. I asked Google for all the answers, trying to reduce the time needed to read articles about the Scandinavian country. During the presentation, I was missing some information that I was supposed to have, but I thought it went O.K.
Then came the Q&A session.
“What does the flag of Norway mean?”
In response, I shrugged.
“Who is the king of Norway?”
I replied, “I have no idea.”
With each question, I felt myself getting smaller and smaller. It was an embarrassing time.
Eventually, I had to rethink my study habits. Reviewing everything in one sitting was mentally exhausting and ineffective. Cramming never seemed to work. But why not?
According to a study in the scientific journal Applied Cognitive Psychology, information learned through cramming is stored in our short-term memory. This often fades quickly after it serves its purpose, such as for an exam, or even before that. I knew this feeling well. During my last math test, I could remember studying a formula the night before, but when I looked at the problem, the numbers and steps had vanished from my mind.
Research from another journal, Science of Learning, shows that stress also impairs recall. The brain becomes overloaded when forced to absorb a lot of information in a single sitting. This, too, felt familiar. The night before my Norway presentation, I had seventeen tabs open on my computer. My eyes were frantically jumping between all of them, but I was absorbing nothing.
In contrast, consistently reviewing material allows information to be stored in our long-term memory. There’s also much less stress. This sounded way better to me.
Recently, I’ve begun applying consistent study habits. As soon as I get home from school, I review my notes for upcoming tests. I study every day for a comfortable amount of time. After a few weeks, I noticed improvements in my ability to focus. I completed mock tests to check on my progress, and it seemed that the information was sticking in my brain.
When I hear my friends playing outside, it can still be hard to resist returning to old habits. However, I’ve learned to use this as fuel to concentrate harder and do my work well. I tell myself, “The pain of discipline is always less than the pain of regret.” And I can always enjoy my free time with my friends once my daily review is done.
A few weeks ago, my latest test scores were released. I had the jitters. Would my new approach to studying pay off? When I looked down at the page, I was satisfied. My score was a record high.
The author is a student at Daedeok Elementary School.
I was cramming, hurriedly reviewing the notes and questions for my upcoming math test. Less than a day remained before the exam.
Tick. Tock. The clock in my room seemed to run faster than usual. Hours flew by as quickly as colored leaves fall in autumn. I thought that I had lots of time. Where had it all gone? And when? Probably while I was playing catch at the playground with my friends and chatting about how the Hanwha Eagles were doing.
Through the windows, people biking by the river lured me to distraction.
There was not enough time to study it all.
A few days later, I got my test result. It was the lowest score that I had ever received. I was devastated. But this was not my first experience with cramming.
An image of a student studying [GETTY IMAGES PRO]
I once had to write a report and give a presentation on Norway. I thought it would be easy. I played until the day before the assignment was due, reading comic books and playing football with my friends. Then I started cramming. I asked Google for all the answers, trying to reduce the time needed to read articles about the Scandinavian country. During the presentation, I was missing some information that I was supposed to have, but I thought it went O.K.
Then came the Q&A session.
“What does the flag of Norway mean?”
In response, I shrugged.
“Who is the king of Norway?”
I replied, “I have no idea.”
With each question, I felt myself getting smaller and smaller. It was an embarrassing time.
Eventually, I had to rethink my study habits. Reviewing everything in one sitting was mentally exhausting and ineffective. Cramming never seemed to work. But why not?
According to a study in the scientific journal Applied Cognitive Psychology, information learned through cramming is stored in our short-term memory. This often fades quickly after it serves its purpose, such as for an exam, or even before that. I knew this feeling well. During my last math test, I could remember studying a formula the night before, but when I looked at the problem, the numbers and steps had vanished from my mind.
Research from another journal, Science of Learning, shows that stress also impairs recall. The brain becomes overloaded when forced to absorb a lot of information in a single sitting. This, too, felt familiar. The night before my Norway presentation, I had seventeen tabs open on my computer. My eyes were frantically jumping between all of them, but I was absorbing nothing.
In contrast, consistently reviewing material allows information to be stored in our long-term memory. There’s also much less stress. This sounded way better to me.
Recently, I’ve begun applying consistent study habits. As soon as I get home from school, I review my notes for upcoming tests. I study every day for a comfortable amount of time. After a few weeks, I noticed improvements in my ability to focus. I completed mock tests to check on my progress, and it seemed that the information was sticking in my brain.
When I hear my friends playing outside, it can still be hard to resist returning to old habits. However, I’ve learned to use this as fuel to concentrate harder and do my work well. I tell myself, “The pain of discipline is always less than the pain of regret.” And I can always enjoy my free time with my friends once my daily review is done.
A few weeks ago, my latest test scores were released. I had the jitters. Would my new approach to studying pay off? When I looked down at the page, I was satisfied. My score was a record high.
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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