Should you cram or study a little every day?

Revision scheduling, cramming, revision timetables.

Axis: a little every day, spaced … cram before the exam

Answers by date: 12 records in 10 sources, newest first; the answers above are the current ones. shift and revise mean the advice changed; tension — speakers disagree.

date	who	answer	source
2018-05-07	Ali	With an exam in two days and little revision, Ali would find past papers, work out what will be asked and tackle his weakest topics first, asking what he would least like to face tomorrow.	Live Q&A + Hangout - Bank Holiday vibes - Ali Abdaal, Cambridge medical student 00:42:25
2018-05-01	Ali	Two weeks before an exam, Ali advises focusing on exam technique, because two weeks is not long enough to gain much knowledge.	First Live Hangout + Rapid-fire Q&A 00:18:02
2018-04-24	Ali	To choose what to revise next, Ali and Jake ask what they would be least happy about if the exam were tomorrow, and find it is the eyes.	Study with Me + Revision tips from friends - Cambridge University medical student VLOG #32 00:04:57
2018-04-18	Ali	Having no revision timetable, Ali chooses each day's topic by asking which topic he would be least comfortable with if the exam were later that day.	Study With Me + 10 Productivity / Revision Tips - Cambridge University medical student VLOG #31 00:00:58
2018-04-14	Ali	Answering students who asked on Instagram for last-minute tips a month before their exams, Ali says a month is not last minute but plenty of time.	Last Minute Study Tips, Flashcards, Essays & Maths - Exam Revision Q&A with Cambridge students 00:06:56
2018-04-12	Ali	Ali says it is better to study consistently than to do 10 hours one day and nothing for two, because spaced repetition works on consistency; two to four efficient hours a day is fine.	Motivation, Stress & Time Management - Exam Revision Q&A with Cambridge students 00:06:53
2018-04-10	Ali	Ali plans to go over the abdominal exam questions again the next day and again the next week, as spaced repetition.	Study with me + My revision method - Cambridge University medical student VLOG #30 00:04:52
2018-04-09	Ali	shift: Ali used to make revision timetables, but these days he never makes one: he uses his spreadsheet and decides each day what needs working on and what will make his brain work hardest.	How to Study for Exams - Spaced Repetition · Evidence-based revision tips 00:22:47

More answers (4)

date	who	answer	source
2018-04-09	Ali	Each time Ali studies a topic and actively recalls it, he writes that day's date in the next column of the topic's row of his spreadsheet, building up a record of repetitions.	How to Study for Exams - Spaced Repetition · Evidence-based revision tips 00:13:57
2018-04-09	Ali	Ali recommends spacing recall within the same day: after topics one and two, test yourself on topic one, about two hours later, before starting topic three.	How to Study for Exams - Spaced Repetition · Evidence-based revision tips 00:07:04
2018-03-24	Ali	Ali recommends spaced repetition: he kept a spreadsheet of his topics and revisited each the next day, a week later and a month later, starting about three months before his exams.	Exam Revision Tips with Ibz Mo 00:09:14
2017-12-23	Ali	Looking back, Ali thinks doing little work in the days before his finals was fine: after three-plus years of preparing in clinical school, working flat out for the last two or three days would not have made any difference.	Procrastinating before finals - Cambridge University medical student VLOG #19 00:00:21