Finals week can be overwhelming and stressful for both students and teachers. There proves to be a high amount of studying, cramming and lots of preparation. There is one point that when studying for finals, students rely on memorizing their materials rather than taking the time to learn and understand the materials.
“I think I prioritize memorization when it comes to vocabulary and specific things, but in general, I just try to remember what I learned and why I learned it in the general messages,” says sophomore Lily Jenses-Pelletier.
Notes, study guides and time to focus on the materials are beneficial studying tools for students. However, with so many finals to prepare for, many students turn to memorization over learning. It is very time-consuming to take the time to re-learn or refresh your mind on all the topics covered in one semester. This can lead to many students cramming in all of the knowledge and trying to have it memorized, rather than understanding the whole process behind what they are reviewing
“I prepare for finals week by making flashcards and posters about what I’ve learned the entire year,” shares Jenses-Pelletier.
While memorization can set a student back in the long term, it is still a strong study option in many areas. One example of this is in subjects such as vocabulary, a skill where a key aspect is memorization of a word. This is one example of how learning can rely on definitions rather than relying on learning.
“Memorization is about a specific thing, and it’s trying to understand one right answer for something. And learning is trying to understand the message and the general theme of what you learned, and getting a deeper sense of what you learn,” explains Jensen-Pelletier.
Finals can rely on strong study habits, work ethic and learning abilities, but can these be aided or substituted by memorization? It can be hard in such a stressful time to rely on memorization to help with a student’s success during finals week, but in the end, memorization can not overtake learning, and most commonly aids a student’s learning habits.
