10.5: Case Study: Cramming

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Case Study: Cramming

Alicia has been struggling in her Biology class. She received a D on her first test and a C- on her second exam. During class, she is engaged, and she pays attention to her instructor while also taking notes. She does study for her exams, but typically her studying is cramming the night before the test. She is a busy mom who also works part-time, and cramming seems to work best for her schedule. When she finishes studying, she feels like she understands and knows the material, but when test time comes, she can not recall needed information.

1. What advice would you give Alicia about her situation? What could she be doing differently to retain the information better that is needed her exams?

2. How might the SMART test-taking plan help Alicia?

3. Thinking about the memory, studying and test taking tips discussed in this chapter, what are two things that Alicia could do differently to increase her exam scores? Why might these things improve her grades?