How I easily cram for ANY exam the DAY BEFORE (and still ace it)

Summary

The script offers a strategy for students facing exams with limited time, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing study topics based on personal weaknesses and exam weight. It suggests using a 'traffic light' system for self-evaluation and past papers to identify key areas. The video also covers the concept of ignoring strengths when cramming, focusing on understanding and correcting mistakes, and making connections between concepts for efficient learning. The speaker encourages viewers to check out a free study master class for further guidance on excelling academically.

Takeaways

• 📚 Prioritize studying based on exam weight and personal strengths and weaknesses, focusing on topics that are both challenging and likely to appear on the exam.
• 🔍 Identify weaknesses using a traffic light system or by noting down mistakes in past papers, which helps in self-evaluation and targeted revision.
• 📉 Recognize that focusing on strengths during cramming is less beneficial than addressing weaknesses, as exams are often lost on what is not known.
• 🎯 Use past papers to understand the exam structure and predict high-weight topics, which can guide efficient study sessions.
• 🚫 Ignore strengths when cramming to concentrate on areas that need improvement, as these are where the most marks can be gained or lost.
• 🤔 Understand the underlying concepts and make connections between them to enhance memory retention and application during exams.
• 🔄 Apply spaced repetition by revisiting past papers and mistakes, allowing for better understanding and retention of difficult topics.
• 🧠 Embrace making mistakes during practice as it stimulates mental activity and strengthens neural pathways, leading to better learning outcomes.
• 🔑 Change the wording of questions to test understanding of concepts from different angles, which helps in grasping the bigger picture.
• 🔗 Look for patterns, similarities, and differences between concepts to make connections and reduce the amount of information that needs to be memorized.
• 📈 Use chunking to group related information, making it easier to remember and apply during exams.

Q & A

What is the main issue the speaker is dealing with in the transcript?

The speaker is dealing with the stress of an upcoming organic chemistry exam that they are not well-prepared for, having missed a class and not understanding the topic.

What is the speaker's strategy for dealing with the exam stress?

The speaker suggests a cramming protocol focusing on weaknesses and heavy exam weight topics, prioritizing them over strengths and less important topics.

What is the 'cramping protocol' mentioned in the transcript?

The 'cramping protocol' is a strategy to prioritize studying topics based on their importance in the exam and the student's weaknesses, rather than going through topics in order.

How does the speaker recommend identifying one's weaknesses in the exam preparation?

The speaker recommends using a traffic light system to self-evaluate and mark topics with red, yellow, or green dots, and also doing past papers to identify areas of difficulty.

What is the significance of using past papers for exam preparation according to the transcript?

Past papers are significant because they provide a pattern of what topics are frequently tested and their weight in the exam, helping to predict and focus on important areas.

Why is it important to focus on weaknesses even if they might not appear in the exam?

Focusing on weaknesses is important because it reduces the amount of time needed for study by addressing areas where the student is most likely to make mistakes, which could cost them marks in the exam.

What is the analogy used in the transcript to explain the importance of focusing on weaknesses?

The analogy used is of a boat with a massive hole in the bottom. No matter how good the boat looks, it will sink if the hole isn't fixed, similar to how focusing on strengths won't help if there are unaddressed weaknesses.

How does the speaker describe the difference between organized students and those who cram?

Organized students know about the exam well in advance, have a study plan, and are relaxed before the exam. In contrast, students who cram are anxious, holding textbooks and trying to remember facts right before the exam.

What is the '24-minute study master class' mentioned by the speaker?

The '24-minute study master class' is a free resource created by the speaker to help students become top performers in their class, covering study techniques and strategies for success.

What is the concept of 'chunking' information as discussed in the transcript?

'Chunking' information is a method of grouping related pieces of information together to reduce the amount that needs to be memorized individually, making the study process more efficient.

How does the speaker suggest understanding the concept behind an answer on an exam?

The speaker suggests changing the wording of a concept to see if another answer could be correct, which forces a deeper understanding of the concept and its relation to the bigger picture.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Last-Minute Exam Preparation Strategies

This paragraph discusses the common stress of facing an imminent exam in a subject like organic chemistry, which the student finds difficult and has missed a class for. It describes the typical behavior of students who procrastinate studying until the last moment, leading to cramming. The speaker then introduces the concept of 'cramming the correct way' by prioritizing study topics based on personal weaknesses and the weight of the topic in the exam. A 'cramming protocol' is suggested, emphasizing focusing on weak areas that are heavily tested. The paragraph also touches on the importance of self-evaluation using a 'traffic light system' to identify knowledge gaps and the speaker's personal experience with chemistry as an example.

05:01

🔍 Identifying Weaknesses and Efficient Cramming

The second paragraph delves into strategies for identifying weaknesses and efficiently cramming for exams. It suggests using past papers to highlight frequently tested topics, comparing the exam preparation process to the game show 'Physical 100' on Netflix, where contestants adjust their training based on the show's focus. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of recognizing and focusing on weaknesses during cramming, likening it to fixing a hole in a boat. It also discusses the value of making and learning from mistakes, using space repetition to reinforce learning, and the mental benefits of struggling through problems. The speaker encourages understanding concepts deeply rather than just memorizing facts, suggesting techniques like changing the wording of questions to ensure true comprehension.

10:02

💡 Mastering Concepts for Effective Cramming

The final paragraph wraps up the video script by emphasizing the importance of understanding concepts for effective cramming. It discusses the 'aha' moment of comprehension and encourages chunking information to memorize less. The speaker also promotes making connections between different concepts to enhance memory and understanding. The paragraph concludes with a call to action for viewers to check out 'Student Accelerator,' a program designed to help students excel, and ends with a motivational note to take action.

Keywords

💡Cramming

Cramming refers to the act of studying intensively for a short period of time, typically right before an exam. In the video, it is presented as a necessary strategy for students who find themselves with limited time before an exam, like the scenario where the exam is in 3 days and the student has not prepared adequately. The video suggests a structured approach to cramming, focusing on prioritizing topics based on their importance and the student's weaknesses.

💡Organic Chemistry

Organic Chemistry is a branch of chemistry that deals with carbon-containing compounds. In the script, it is mentioned as a subject that the student dislikes and has missed a class for, contributing to their lack of understanding and stress about the upcoming exam. This subject serves as the backdrop for the video's advice on effective cramming techniques.

💡Weaknesses

Weaknesses, in the context of the video, refer to the areas of study where the student lacks understanding or confidence. The video emphasizes the importance of focusing on these areas, especially if they carry a heavy weight in the exam. It suggests using a 'traffic light system' to identify topics that are weak points and prioritizing them in the cramming process.

💡Past Papers

Past papers are previous years' exam papers that students can use for practice. The video recommends using past papers to identify patterns in the types of questions asked and to highlight a student's weaknesses. By doing past papers, students can predict which topics are more likely to appear and are of higher importance, thus making their cramming more efficient.

💡Traffic Light System

The Traffic Light System is a self-evaluation method mentioned in the video where students use red, yellow, and green dots to mark their level of understanding for each topic. Red signifies a weak understanding, yellow indicates a moderate grasp, and green means strong knowledge. This system helps in quickly identifying areas that need more focus during cramming sessions.

💡Heavyweight Topics

Heavyweight topics are those that are likely to appear more frequently in exams and carry more marks. The video advises students to prioritize studying these topics, especially if they are also areas of weakness for the student. This approach maximizes the potential for improving exam scores in a limited amount of time.

💡Spaced Repetition

Spaced Repetition is a learning technique where material is reviewed over increasing intervals of time. In the video, it is suggested as a method for reinforcing learning during cramming. By revisiting past papers and mistakes after some time has passed, students can better gauge their understanding and memory retention.

💡Understanding Concepts

Understanding concepts refers to grasping the fundamental ideas or principles behind a subject, rather than just memorizing facts. The video stresses the importance of truly understanding concepts to answer exam questions effectively. It gives an example of changing the wording of a question to test deeper understanding, which is a strategy for enhancing learning.

💡Chunking

Chunking is a memory technique where information is broken down into smaller, more manageable groups or 'chunks'. The video suggests using chunking to simplify the learning process during cramming. By grouping related information together, students can reduce the cognitive load and make it easier to remember and recall information.

💡Student Accelerator

Student Accelerator is a program mentioned at the end of the video, designed to help students improve their academic performance. While not directly related to the main theme of cramming, it is presented as a resource for students seeking additional support and strategies to excel in their studies.

Highlights

The transcript discusses the stress of an upcoming exam in organic chemistry, a subject the speaker finds difficult and missed a class for.

The speaker admits to procrastination, resulting in binge-watching Netflix instead of studying.

A realization of the urgency to study is presented, with only 20 hours left before the exam.

The contrast between organized students and those who cram is depicted, with the latter group feeling unprepared.

The importance of studying in advance is highlighted, but the transcript focuses on effective cramming techniques.

The 'cramping protocol' is introduced, emphasizing prioritizing study topics based on personal weakness and exam weight.

A technique called the 'traffic light system' is suggested for self-evaluating and marking topics with red, yellow, or green dots.

The value of past papers is explained for identifying heavyweight and lightweight exam topics.

The concept of ignoring strengths when cramming is presented, focusing on weaknesses to minimize exam losses.

The use of past papers to compile a list of mistakes for focused revision is recommended.

The importance of understanding concepts rather than just memorizing facts is discussed.

Changing the wording of questions to test understanding and make connections between concepts is advised.

The method of 'chunking' information to reduce the amount of memorization required is introduced.

Making connections to existing knowledge is emphasized for efficient learning.

The analogy of a boat with a hole is used to illustrate the importance of addressing weaknesses.

The transcript concludes with an offer for a 'Student Accelerator' program to help students excel.

A call to action for viewers to apply the cramming techniques discussed is made.

Transcripts

so you're stressed cuz your exam is soon

it's in 3 days time the thing is you

never really liked organic chemistry and

you ended up missing that one class as

well and so the whole topic doesn't

really make sense to you but it's all

right because it's an important exam and

you're going to I'm locked in I'm locked

in it's going to be okay and so as

you're walking to your desk to sit down

and study your foot slips and you end up

like falling back on your bed with your

phone in your hand wo wo wo what

happened and you end up binge watching

another Netflix show and another whole

day passes and before you know it

there's only 20 4 hours left of the exam

you feel like crying and as you do

everything you feel that impending sense

of Doom of the exam coming up and you

realize [ __ ] it's time to

crank the morning of exam I'd always see

like this clear divide on one side I see

the organized students who known about

this exam like months before they it was

even announced they had made like a half

a year study plan and they were ready to

crush this exam they'd be chilling in

like the corner they'd be doing like

their breathing

exercises because they were all set but

on the other side there was me and the

other students who'd have like our

textbooks in hand and they were like

pacing up and down trying to remember

one more fact before we went in the exam

Hall knowing that we were probably

cooked yeah obviously ideally we would

study in advance we do what the good

students were doing but the thing is

[ __ ] happens whether you just forget

you're on vacation or whether you're

like playe got delayed or maybe you're

just lazy like me for a lot of the time

you might as well learn how to cram the

correct way so this is how you can cram

for your exam in under 24 hours and

still get the best results possible

chapter one

priorities the number one mistake that

students make when they cramp is they

try to go through the topic list in

order and they decide to like cover all

of it that's a really really bad

approach and it's the one I did when I

cramp for a lot of the time I'd go

through like all the topics in order and

this would have been an effective way to

study if every single topic would be

tested in the exam in that order but

that's not what an exam looks like right

you need to follow this cramming

protocol your goal is to study the

topics by the following rank so firstly

you want to study your weakness but

something that's also the heavy exam

weight then you want to study your

weakness but St that's lightweight in

the exam and then you want to study your

strengths that will be heavy weight in

the exam and then you want to study your

strengths that will be the lightweight

in your exam things that have heavy

weight in the exam basically means that

they come up more often they're going to

make up more marks but as you can notice

you always want to focus on your

weaknesses if you focus on the stuff

that will come up a lot and also things

that you're weak at you end up cutting

down the amount of time that you need to

study we can ignore your strength a lot

of the time when you cramp because in an

exam where is it that you're losing

marks it's with your mistakes right and

so even if we revise a lot of the time

we like to reinforce our strengths we

like to focus on our strengths but if we

follow the crumming Matrix protocol you

can see that you have to focus on your

weakness even if it might not come up in

the exam because the point is if you

don't know it even if it's like a small

amount you're not going to know how to

do it and so the way to find your

weaknesses firstly to use the traffic

light system next to that same topic

list put like a DOT of like either a red

dot a yellow dot or a Green Dot kind of

do a self- evaluation on what topics you

know so basically I remember I'd be

doing this with chemistry some of like

the topic points I wouldn't even know

what they meant so that' be read but

some topics are crazy easy like it

literally just be like describe the

arrangement of solid liquids and gases

and so I know if we did the standard

cramming I'd have to still cover that

topic like the same amount as all the

others but that makes no sense because

firstly it's probably not going to come

up that much so it's a low exam weight

but it's also my strength and so that's

like on that list it's like my fourth

priority you one quickly since this new

school year is approaching and it's

getting closer and closer you see like

students around you and maybe you as

well have that new kind of like new

school year new me type of thing going

on I'll get better grades I'll blow my

teachers away with like amazing homework

I'll have a brand new study routine and

I'm going to get like perfect grades

this year and it's all nice and well to

set these goals but how do you know that

this year will turn out any different do

you even really have a plan for it what

is it that you will do to make the

difference and if you know in the back

of your mind there's some doubt and

discomfort about what I just said then

you should check out this 24 minute

study master class that I made for free

on how to become the best student in

your class it will give you a full

breakdown on how to study what makes

like a top student and basically

everything that you will need to succeed

so if you want to go into the new school

you're feeling refreshed and you want to

give yourself the best chance to become

the best student you can be watch that

video info the link is in the

description and you'll be in for a treat

anyway back to the video another way to

find your weaknesses are to do past

papers and this is my personal favorite

I do a past paper and then I note down

which topics I got wrong and then I

highlight that topic in another color

then you end up having a list of your

strengths and weaknesses to find out

whether like in the exam it's going to

be a heavy or a lightweight some

teachers already like tell you

apparently they tell you like this is

going to be tested more so make sure to

look at this more but for my teacher

they never told us that the way you can

do this is just do past papers past

papers are literally the previous year

version of the same exam so although the

question like wording might be different

slightly the structure and composition

will be the exact same for my biology

exam there was so many topics right I

think biology is like one of the

Sciences where it has the most amount of

content and if I try to study all of

them I would have never been able to but

after doing like five past papers you

see that some topics like kidneys

protein synthesis always came up in

every single past paper and so I

unconsciously find out that they're

heavyweight exams whereas some topics

like ey or coordination response rarely

ever came up so I was able to structure

my revision around those topics that

came up heavily like the nephrons and

protein synthesis you know when you have

those moments in tests where you study a

lot but like that topic you spent like 7

hours studying just doesn't come up the

reason that this happens is because

you're studying everything including

like the lightweight exams this is why

past papers are so useful you kind of

get a road map you kind of get to

predict what topics will come up and

obviously this isn't like a decisive

thing but think of it like this the

analogy I like to use is the show

physical 100 which you guys might have

seen on Netflix and basically it's like

a game show where physically fit people

as you can hear from the name there's

100 physically like fit people and

they're trying to find like the number

one physically fit person you know and

in the first season like the very first

season people didn't like what physical

100 would mean because physical is a

very very broad term right for a lot of

people some people thought it mean like

lifting weights like the heaviest

weights because that's physical but also

some people thought it would be like

endurance or some people thought it

would be like jumping there's so many

different aspects of the physical so in

season one there was like a wide array

of people but after like the first

season happened the show was actually a

lot of endurance based like if you guys

watch the show it was a lot of like

cardio and like you know stamina

endurance which is actually quite niche

in the physical but people like in

season 2 so when they redid this again

they knew that so like when they were

doing the interview like people were

saying like they trained specifically

cardio and like CrossFit Etc because

they realized that endurance would be a

high heavy weight point of this

competition exams are very very similar

although biology is very broad there's

actually only like a couple of main

points that will actually be tested and

you can predict this you have to like

keep doing past papers over and over

again and then you really start to make

up and like see the patterns of what

topics are tested and I promise you that

like as you go through your topic list

firstly you can cross off topics that

you know are very very easy or you know

like regardless for example like the

easy topics I was talking about and so

you've already cut down your list of

revision from that after you do one pass

paper you can cross off your strength if

with no revision you able to get those

right oh that's your strength you don't

need to cover it so cross out all your

strengths and suddenly you're left with

a list that's only like half or maybe

like a quarter or even less than that of

topics that you know you need to focus

on that's like a blessing because

suddenly you've cut down the amount you

need to study and That's essential when

cramming because it's all about

efficiency chapter 2 ignoring

strengths when cramming you have to

ignore the strengths we touched upon

this briefly but you can use this

further if you were building a boat and

there was like a massive hole in the

bottom but you are like focused on

putting like better cells like a better

propeller and you're like painting it

you're making it look all nice that's

would be all pointless because at the

end of the day that boat will sink

because of that big hole at the bottom

doesn't matter how good the boat looks

doesn't matter how advanced the Sails

are because that one big hole at the

bottom will make the boat sink it's the

exact same with exams exams is something

where you want to lose as few marks as

possible right you have to drill your

mistakes when cramming because that's

where you'll use the most marks doesn't

matter how strong your strengths are

because your strengths will never

outperform your weaknesses an iron chain

with one Rusty link is as only as strong

as a rusty chain the best way to do this

is to spam past papers as we talked

about and then to compile a whole list

of mistakes so when I we used to do my

past papers I used to like compile a

whole list of mistakes and then I let

some time pass and then I redo it again

and again because when you let some time

pass that's when you can really see how

much you remember and understand this is

space repetition try them again and if

you get it right amazing you just made

your weakness of strengths if you still

get it wrong amazing you're able to see

where your hole is in the boat imagine

you weren't able to find the hole in the

boat until the exam that's terrible

right people are really scared of making

mistakes because it lowers your

self-esteem when they doing past papers

and they get like 60% but the more

mistakes you make in the past papers you

should start to see that as something

good because that's one less mistake

you'll make in the actual exam brain

scans prove that students who spend time

correcting mistake exhibits more mental

activity and when you have to fight

through a problem more neurop pathways

are formed struggling to learn and

making mistakes is what increases mental

capacity in the gym it's not like the

fun like easy reps that gave you the

muscles it's like the last couple of

reps so you're like failing struggling

like you're making like weird noises and

like it really hurts like training to

hypertrophy properly like it really

hurts right that's when you see muscle

growth you have to make the task and

like past papers as difficult as you can

so that you make mistakes and then make

sure to practice them you're able to see

where your mistakes are and chapter 3 is

understanding the

concept you have to grasp why the answer

is why it is you have to understand the

overarching thought or concept it's kind

of like if you have the main picture you

can just Trace over it so ask yourself

what is the concept being tested and how

does it relate to the bigger picture an

easy way to do this is as you do a

question change the wording of the

concept so that another answer is

correct so what this means is for

example in this question what type of

blood-like vessel transports blood into

the heart we know that the answer are

veins right but then let's say in the

question we change the word in into out

suddenly you have to understand the

concept to understand like even though

it's like that one question what is the

reverse of that well we know that if it

was carrying blood away from the heart

it would be an artery and so suddenly

it's also testing your understanding by

when you're doing a question you're

changing the wording and thinking of it

outside the box these are things that

will give you that extra points of

knowledge and it really tests your

understanding make connections between

Concepts patterns similarities and

differences trying to spot those are key

for example like a really effect way of

cramming so instead of learning like

double of everything if you learn what

happens when your lung inhales you know

how it exhales because it's just the

opposite trying to find these patterns

similarities and differences are how

your brain is going to remember and it's

very efficient for cring try to chunk

your information together into chunks so

that you have to memorize less for

example if you memorize like food tests

and like their respective colors

individually that's like 12 different

things you have to remember but suddenly

if you remember like the starting color

and the color change all together that's

only like three different things you

have to remember at once learning is

simply just making connections to things

that you already know once you know

pressure you don't have to relearn like

ideal gases in physics or like the lungs

or like nephrons in ultra filtration

because they're all just pressure and

once you understand that one thing

you're able to understand all these

different other things once you

understand the relationship you have

that moment where it's like oh like it

actually finally makes sense that's the

moment that we're trying to get for and

so with that you should have no problem

crumming for your next exam even as a l

was like 24 hours and I'm sure you do

well and by the way if you found this

useful you probably like learning from

me and so if you want to get extra help

you might want to check out student

accelerator which is my program that

helps students become the best that they

can be in minimal time so if you want to

check that out click the first link in

the description as always take action

and I'll see you next time

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