Cramming vs. Spaced Repetition

This student procrastinates for the upcoming quiz, but cramps all the content the night before. Meanwhile, this student spaces out his studying over several days. Who do you think scores better on the quiz? Turns out the procrastinator. What? — A study tested this. Two groups of college students read the same articles. One group reread the passage immediately while another group reread 2 days later. Right after rereading, both groups took the test and the cram group scored higher. This is because the material is still fresh and in working memory. So, should we cram and procrastinate? No. The researchers tested the students one week later, and this time the space group performed significantly better. Cremmy might get you by tomorrow's quiz, but for finals or AP tests, space studying is much more effective. And if you're wondering how to actually space your studying, check the caption below.