Giving It The Old College Try

University of Oklahoma faculty are researching the psychology of studying. Psychologists have concluded cramming, a common study method of students, is a poor way to study.

Finals week is coming quickly at the University of Oklahoma and students are in a frenzy to get some last minute studying.

The form of studying large amounts of information before an exam has been termed “cramming” and is not necessarily the best way for students to learn.

Michele Eodice, director of the OU Writing Center, said that cramming is something students often do, but it is not the best method of studying.

However, students still find themselves cramming information into their brains before finals across the campus. Many psychologists, including Clarissa Thompson and Michael Wenger, warn students that spacing out their studies is much better than cramming when it comes to studying.

Research at OU, as well as across the nation, has shown that cramming is not helping students.

"Academic success may depend on finding strategies to avoid having to give up sleep to study, such as maintaining a consistent study schedule across days, using school time as efficiently as possible, and sacrificing time spent on other, less essential activities," Andrew Fuligni, professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral at UCLA, told ScienceDaily in an article.

Finals have begun this week, and continue into the week of December 10, 2012. Students are packing libraries, coffee shops and many other places in an attempt to cram as much information and material as possible. However, it seems to be a poor method for retention.