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MEMORY: CRAMMING V/S OVER-LEARNING
Cramming for a test usually results in very short lived learning. After cramming, you can almost feel the material leaking out of your brain! This is because you have under-learned the topic and your mind has very little reinforcement of the facts. Suppose that you study something just to the point where you can recall it without aid and let's say that this takes 1 hour. These facts have barely made it into your long-term memory. If you want to keep them there, you'll need reinforce them with a little over-learning.
Over-learning is a simple technique that helps you improve your memory. Over-learning is the repetitive study of something until it becomes second nature. Even after you think you have learned something, if you continue to study it, you reinforce it in your memory. This practice not only strengthens learning, but it also improves recall speed.
Over-learning is the idea behind flashcards, but it can be useful for more things than just your math quiz. Try something as simple as a list of items on a piece of paper that you carry with you. Read through the list several times a day while waiting for the elevator, at a stoplight, in line at a store, before going to sleep, etc. You will learn these items better and recall them more quickly.
Aiming for at least 50% over-learning will give you a much better chance at recalling the facts correctly. 50% over-learning in this case would be an additional 30 minutes of study. Over-learning can also increase your confidence in the material, which has been shown to improve recall.
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