Neuroscience research favors spaced repetition over cramming — here’s why

Al Razelle Ramores

Students nationwide clamor in finalizing their works, with most resorting to cramming as the pressure mounts — however, cramming information is nothing more than a quick fix in education, equipped with heavy risks. 

Most cases of cramming tend to sacrifice sleep to fuel that information overload. This weakens the brain’s ability to solidify new information, sabotaging not only the students’ examination scores, but also their health. 

THE LIMITS OF THE HUMAN BRAIN

According to James D. Watson, Director of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and Director, National Center for Human Genome Research in the National Library of Medicine, the brain is the last and grandest biological frontier and the most complex thing yet discovered in the universe. With approximately 86 billion neurons, it is one of the most significant organs that is 24/7 active. 

However, even biology’s most impressive organ has limits in memory storage and regulation. 

Cramming is a form of information overload — literally ‘cramming’ large amounts of data in the brain before it can be properly processed. This overwhelms certain areas of the brain: such as the hippocampus, responsible for consolidating information from short-term to long-term memory. 

PRESSURE AND PROCRASTINATION: THE CATALYSTS OF CRAMMING SESSIONS

Resorting to cramming stems from procrastination — a common issue amongst the newer generations of students. Some procrastinators believe they work best under pressure, which only happens until the last minute. This, however, risks poor performance or outputs and burn-out from the frantic, last-minute preparations. 

Fear of failure and low-self esteem may also lead to procrastination, rooting back to anxiety and pressure that students have to face daily. 

Another factor of procrastination is hidden in the accelerating expansion of the digital world. Artificial Intelligence (AI), specifically chatbots like Grok or ChatGPT, can do certain tasks with a simple command. These powerful tools diminishes motivation and gives a false sense of a “safety net” for crammers, triggering the delay. 

CRAMMING: A STUDENT’S QUICK FIX

Many choose to cram for a test just to get it over with, accepting the ways of shallow learning as long as it retains the necessary information for a few hours or days. 

But with shallow learning, the human brain can only go so far. By focusing on memorization facts and keywords rather than truly understanding the concepts of a subject, cramming fails to prepare the brain for complex questions in the test that requires knowledge application and critical thinking and analysis.

Although last-minute studying initially heightens alertness by triggering the rush of adrenaline and cortisol, it eventually causes fatigue and anxiety, adding to the cons of cramming.

FLUENCY ILLUSION: THE FALSE SENSE OF MASTERY

Despite being a quick fix for tests, cramming also hinders the overall performance of a student. As a student sacrifices sleep for a long session of studying, their brain may feel overconfident — recognizing each word and concept in an easy ‘flow state’ — but later on, the brain goes blank when faced with the test itself. This is a symptom from a cognitive phenomenon: Fluency Illusion. 

Passive study methods such as rereading, highlighting, and note-taking can cause Fluency Illusion. In contrast, active recalling retains information at a much faster rate, training the brain to remember the material from memory without any form of aid. 

GREATER BENEFITS FROM AN ARDUOUS PROCESS

Aside from active recall, studies suggest spaced repetition and techniques involving self-testing, summarizing, and teaching others effectively deepen the brain’s retention and understanding. 

Various studies from 2013 up to the present highly recommend spaced repetition; encouraging learners to review study materials periodically over time over dumping it all in one all-nighter. Analyzing 242 studies with over 169,000 participants, a meta-analysis of these learning techniques published in 2021 highlights the importance of consistent learning and well-structured study habits in long-term retention. 

Although consistency plays a vital role to exercise the brain, mindful breaks are more important than what most students may think. The aforementioned information overload comes in many different forms, and the state of students’ physical and mental wellbeing can alter the performance accordingly. 

Cramming every work is like taking pain relievers; an immediate, short-term solution. However, addressing the root cause can mitigate further symptoms. Similar to proper learning, it is a long, arduous process that requires patience and discipline — one that offers better results in both examination scores and the overall learning skills of the students.