College Crammer
By Mona, age 19, Philippines
Sweet Designs Featured Writer
There's a big difference between high school and college students. In high school, teachers still spoon feed their students. The teacher takes good care of the students, and all the students have to do is show up, and everything is provided for them. High school students also spend a longer time in school and cutting class is a grave sin.By contrast, in college, we choose our own schedules and teachers. They also leave us on our own to take down notes and to study the lessons. It's also very easy to drop a class when you think you can't handle the requirements. We are given the freedom to do anything. This is good - it makes us independent and it teaches us my things about the "big bad world". However, being free to do anything you want can also lead to some bad qualities that a student can acquire, including one particular bad quality a person does not want to possess, especially when we become adults and we're in the workplace. It's a disease that college students get. It is curable, but when you get used to it, it might be hard to shake off. What am I talking about? I'm talking about cramming.
When I entered college, I was never accustomed to cramming because I never crammed in high school. But, as I experienced a lot of free time and choose not to attend classes at times because I'm lazy (my school gives us 9 cuts per subject), I started cramming. It's a trait I wish I'd never acquired, but unfortunately, I became a victim.
The first time I crammed was a group history paper. We did it the night before the due date and it was cramming because the teacher gave us the instructions a few months before. It was a fun night because we finished writing our 20 page paper in the wee hours of the morning, and it was a great bonding experience. As it turned out, we got an A on the paper, and ever since that time, I started cramming like crazy. Studying for tests a few hours before the actual test, writing papers that were assigned to me a long time ago, but only doing them the night before they were due, and all those other cramming experiences.
So far, cramming has been going well for me. I just hate the feeling of panic when I don't get started on something. I lose my focus, and I lose the chance to perform better because everything is just crammed up in my head. Because of cramming, I settle for mediocre grades even when I have the chance to aim higher. Cramming has happened to me, but this does not mean all college students need to cram.
For those incoming college students, learn from me. Cramming might be working right now, but in the long run, it makes you feel like you are underachieving like the way I am right now. I urge you to spend your newfound freedom wisely. Don't be pressured to cram because you want to have fun with your friends instead of doing your paper or studying for a quiz. Trust me, there is plenty of time for everything - this I have learned too late. College will determine your future and therefore you should do your best. College is the time to make good and even bad choices - just don't let cramming be one of them.