Is Cramming an Effective Study Method?

Some students cram intensively whenever exam season arrives.

 

In general, students who study consistently over time have a higher chance of performing well on exams. However, some students manage to outperform them by studying intensively in a short period. So, is cramming truly effective? While some believe it works, opinions in the education field remain divided. Interestingly, history provides examples of individuals who achieved remarkable results under extreme time pressure.

Dostoevsky

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Dostoevsky: Writing Under Deadline Pressure

Fyodor Dostoevsky, one of Russia’s greatest literary figures, had a profound influence on 20th-century literature. Many assume that his masterpiece Crime and Punishment was the result of deep contemplation and meticulous planning. However, surprisingly, Dostoevsky wrote it under immense deadline pressure.

Dostoevsky was an avid gambler and often found himself in financial trouble. He relied on writing to earn money, which he then used for gambling. Due to his frequent failure to meet deadlines, his publishers imposed a strict contract: if he missed a deadline, he would have to pay twice his manuscript fee as a penalty. To avoid financial loss and continue gambling, he was forced to write frantically within tight time constraints.

Ironically, one of the masterpieces he produced under such pressure was Crime and Punishment. He did not write simply out of love for literature but also to fund his gambling habit. Yet, this desperate urgency may have fueled some of his greatest works.

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Masayoshi Son: Passing the U.S. High School Equivalency Exam in Two Weeks

Masayoshi Son, a Korean-Japanese entrepreneur, is the founder and CEO of SoftBank. As a student, he excelled academically and was the focus of high expectations from his father. While attending a prestigious local high school in Japan, he decided to study abroad after participating in an English language program in the U.S.

When Son dropped out of high school, he promised his mother that he would graduate quickly. In 1973, at the age of 16, he moved to the U.S. and enrolled at Serramonte High School in California, where he passed the high school equivalency exam in just two weeks. He then attended Holy Names University, a two-year college in Oakland, before transferring to the University of California, Berkeley, where he earned degrees in economics and computer science. After seven years of study in the U.S., he returned to Japan and systematically built his business empire, eventually becoming one of the country’s most influential corporate leaders.

 

Although cramming is not the best study method, it can boost short-term focus and help students achieve good exam results. Throughout history, even some of the greatest figures have made significant accomplishments while working under extreme time pressure.

 

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