Allison Mao Week 16: Memorization and Studying

The two weeks of AP testing have descended upon us, with many people studying hard in an attempt to score 5s. I’m also trying to study for my exams and I’ve realized how hard it is for me to find a good study strategy. I have four APs I need to study for, and, although that definitely isn’t as many as some other students, it’s still a lot for me to handle. I had the idea to hit two birds with one stone by writing this blog about ways to better memorize the concepts we will be tested on while learning better studying techniques for myself as well.



I did some research and found strategies that I had heard of before and ones that were wholly new to me. I already knew that spaced-out studying was much better than cramming to move information from our short-term memory to our long-term memory. However, that’s easier said than done. It is often so hard for me to focus on completing an assignment that, by bedtime, I found that I completed literally nothing, leading to the inevitable cramming session a day before the test. Perhaps if I can plan out a studying routine, I’ll be able to stay on track longer. 


A strategy that I did not hear about before was the method of studying right before bed because that would help us memorize things more. Based on this information, it would be beneficial to actually start with studying and end with studying to keep you on track. Something that proves not spending too much time on one topic is important is the method of interleaving. It is able to allow people to utilize their deep processing because of how, every time someone returns to the topic, they must recall the information that they learned before (like spacing out studying instead of cramming). This allows people to exercise their memory much more while spending the same amount of time on work. I’m surprised that I’ve never heard this before; would I have been able to balance my studies much more efficiently if I kept switching between subjects during study sessions rather than focusing on only one topic at a time? If I ever studied for multiple subjects in one day, I would often shove all of the studying into a single time period and not review it until the next day. With this strategy, it seems beneficial to review the content multiple times a day and focus on multiple subjects in one “session.” Since I have three AP tests in a row next week, I think it’s the perfect opportunity to practice interleaving. 


Speaking of interleaving, it seems like a good time for me to work on other subjects. Hopefully these tips will be helpful for everyone as we tackle our many exams.


Comments

  1. Ayush ChaurasiaMay 15, 2024 at 9:30 AM

    Hi Allison! Thank you for sharing the results of your research on effective studying tactics—especially your revelation about interleaving—since they may help me optimize my own studying this week. Though it is already a bit too late to begin the spaced-out studying strategies that most sources recommend, I appreciate knowing that there are still valuable alternatives to cramming, since I find cramming to be very tiring and generally unhelpful. As great as it sounds, though, I doubt interleaving will be a great solution to the studying problems that AP students face this week since it demands high amounts of focus and discipline—resources that are likely running low this late into the school year. In my own studying, I find it difficult to build up the mental ‘momentum’ to begin reviewing material; however, once I start, I do not struggle to sustain that focus. If I were to practice interleaving, I would need to prematurely end my focus on one topic and risk getting distracted while setting up my review for the next subject, thus wasting the momentum I had struggled to build up in the first place. Regardless of this issue, I am willing to try interleaving in the future to see if it works for me, and I look forward to seeing whether anyone else strongly likes or dislikes this study strategy.

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  2. Sampan MehtaMay 15, 2024 at 9:38 PM

    Hi Allison,
    I really enjoyed reading your blog, especially with the AP testing happening right now. Having three AP exams in a row (by day) is very stressful and I wish you good luck on any you have left right now! I am also someone who struggles with attempting to study all the topics at the last minute, and I always thought I would come up with better strategies to study more efficiently, but again, I had to focus on finishing studying for my AP exams as well. This has been a problem for me for quite some time, and it has greatly affected my health as dealing with all the stress of studying at the last minute along with the pressure is not good at all. Studying plans and working ahead has always been a top priority, but I always have higher priorities to focus on. That was until I read all the strategies you provided in your blog, all which sound quite beneficial in the long term! The idea of spaced out studying seems similar to working ahead and I will definitely practice that strategy, and it will come in handy with finals approaching. Because finals week is approaching rapidly, I can even practice the interleaving method and study multiple subjects in short amounts of time, so when I return, I can quickly retain the information. The one strategy I would disagree with is studying before bed since I have realized that when I am sleepy, there is no point for me trying to study. I cannot focus very well when I feel sleepy or when it is time to sleep, unless it is with something that does not require too much focus such as reading a book. Other than that, thank you for sharing these valuable strategies for studying efficiently!

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  3. Rashmi NavalpakkamMay 22, 2024 at 8:24 PM

    Hi Allison,
    I can relate to the stress and difficulties you experienced as you were studying for AP exams as I went through the same experiences with four APs over the past two weeks. I really appreciate how you’re sharing the different ways to better memorize concepts and gain studying tips as I know I’ll find them very useful next year and during finals this year. I couldn’t agree more with you on how spaced-out studying is much better than cramming at the last minute, but it is also much easier said than done. As I was reading your blog, I reflected on my study habits over the past year of junior year. While I started off diligently in the beginning of the year, always being ahead of class and finishing most assignments the moment I get them, I’ve noticed that after the second semester, I began slacking off a bit. Of course, I wasn’t procrastinating to the extent of last minute - the day before - cramming sessions but I didn’t have a structured schedule for studying a little bit each day. I think this plays a big role in the level of accountability we hold to ourselves and making sure that we trust ourselves with the responsibilities we take up. I also found it very unique and interesting that studying right before bed would help us memorize what we need to study better. I personally can’t work past 10 so I usually never study right before bed. There’s always some filler between studying and sleeping, whether it’s a bath, watching TV, or drawing something. However, after reading this blog, I hope to try this new technique soon!

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