By Laura Simmons — Former crammer. Now studies differently. Wishes she had learned this earlier.
Last updated: April 2026
In high school, I had a system. The night before a test, I would stay up late. I would read my notes over and over. I would say facts out loud until they stuck. The next morning, I would take the test. I would get an A.
A week later, I could not have passed that same test if you paid me.
I thought this was normal. Everyone forgot things after tests. That was just how school worked. You learned, you tested, you dumped.
Then I got to college and realized: I had not been learning. I had been borrowing. Renting facts for 48 hours and then returning them.
What I Was Doing Wrong
I was confusing recognition with recall.
When I read my notes over and over, the information looked familiar. Familiarity felt like knowledge. It was not. It was just comfort.
On the test, I could recognize the right answer. That worked for multiple choice. It did not work for understanding. And it definitely did not work for remembering.
Here is what I used to do versus what I learned to do:
| What I Did (Cramming) | What Works (Retrieval) |
|---|---|
| Read notes repeatedly | Close the book and write what I remember |
| Highlight important facts | Ask myself questions and answer without looking |
| Study the same way each time | Mix up the order so I cannot memorize patterns |
| Study for hours the night before | Study for 20 minutes every day for a week |
| Move on after the test | Review again a few days later |
The difference was not how hard I studied. It was how I studied.
What Changed When I Switched Methods
I remembered things after the test.
That was the whole point. I could explain concepts a month later. Not perfectly. But well enough.
Tests became less stressful.
When I knew the material, I did not need to cram. I was not terrified the night before. I just reviewed and went to bed.
I spent less time studying overall.
Cramming took hours. Retrieval practice took less time because I was not repeating things I already knew. I was focusing on what I actually forgot.
A Simple Example
Let us say you have to learn five vocabulary words.
Cramming: Read them ten times. Say them out loud. Feel like you know them. Forget them tomorrow.
Retrieval: Read them once. Close the book. Write down as many as you can. Check which ones you missed. Study only those. Repeat tomorrow.
The second way feels harder. Because you have to think. That is the point. The struggle is what makes it stick.
What I Am Not Saying
I am not saying you should never read your notes. Reading is part of learning. It is just not the only part.
I am not saying this method is easy. It is harder than cramming. That is why most people do not do it.
I am just saying: I crammed for years. I got good grades. I remembered nothing. When I changed how I studied, I started actually learning. And that felt better than any A.
A Small Experiment to Try
Pick one subject. One chapter. One set of facts.
Do not study the way you usually do. Try this:
- Read the material once. Just once.
- Close the book.
- Write down everything you remember on a blank sheet of paper.
- Open the book. Check what you missed.
- Study only the things you missed.
- Repeat step 3 the next day.
It will take less time than cramming. And you will remember it longer.
The Bottom Line
I memorized textbooks for tests. I got A’s. I forgot everything a week later.
I was not learning. I was just good at taking tests. Those are not the same thing.
When I changed how I studied, I started actually remembering. The grades stayed the same. But the learning stayed too.
That is a better kind of smart.
About the author: Laura Simmons used to cram. Now she uses retrieval practice. She wishes someone had told her about it sooner.
This article reflects personal experience. Different people learn differently. What worked for one person may not work for another.
