With the second semester starting and testing coming up, students have different approaches. Some study over days and others study only the night before.
That math test must have felt easier after studying over time and practicing the steps to get to your solution. That history test probably seemed like no big deal after memorizing the facts over a couple days instead of the night before.
Studying gradually gives students more time to memorize the important parts and details that could mean the difference between a letter grade. Only studying the night before the test doesn't allow time for those important details and could cost you your grade.
Studying over day also helps people remember information more as they continuously review it over time. With most sophomores and older, Cambridge exams are approaching fast, and studying is essential for acing them. Everything that students have learned throughout the year cannot be condensed into one night of studying. Past worksheets, notes, assignments, etc. cannot be reviewed in some hours. Subjects cannot be mastered overnight.
Juniors Tanvi Yadav and Cayden France have both taken multiple Cambridge exams last school year and reported that they felt more confident and relaxed after studying for multiple days ahead of the tests.
Midterms weren't too long ago and many students had multiple that they had to take. A major one was the A-level U.S. History midterm for many juniors. Junior Annabelle Grimaldi stated that after doing all of the practice tests multiple times, she went into the test feeling like she knew the material, and her satisfying score showed it.
While most students benefit from studying over time, some can manage with only one night. Junior Hailee Dabhi takes AICE AS Marine and scores very high on the difficult tests even though she only studies the night before.
This method gives her more free time without worrying about getting a bad grade. She stated that studying like this is easy and works for her, but she feels more sure of herself when she studies over time. For larger-impacting tests, like midterms, finals, and Cambridge exams she does study for many days to perfect her knowledge to her best ability.
While studying the night before works for some students, the majority need to study over multiple days to feel confident in their choices. Studying over time helps students memorize the information and understand it to their fullest ability. This allows them to perform at their highest potential.
