Are you the kind of person who can’t get something done until the day before the deadline? Or do you work in advance?
Cramming is the act of trying to absorb a vast amount of information in a short amount of time, typically right before a deadline, like an exam or project. It’s often linked to last-minute studying or task completion, which can cause stress and result in poorer retention of information. Cramming is generally less effective than spreading out learning over a longer time.
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However, some people are natural crammers and still manage to complete a task before the deadline, and even excel at it!
One such person is Kyle Magistrado, who topped the January 2022 Medical Technologist Licensure Exam (MTLE) from the University of Santo Tomas.
In an interview, he expressed his surprise upon learning that he not only passed the board exam but also ranked among the top.
In a Facebook post, he revealed that he had just three weeks to prepare for the exam after a challenging semester, and he didn’t share his plans with friends because he doubted he would pass due to lack of preparation. He also mentioned that, due to limited time and motivation, he could only dedicate one or two days to study certain subjects.
“I had no choice but to hold on to that belief that cramming will get me through it again,” he posted.
“All I could do then was pray to God to help me make peace with myself if unfortunately I don’t pass. The next 8 days were filled with so much anxiety and self-doubt. I was telling myself that there’s already merit in trying, no matter the outcome,” he added.
Photo courtesy: Kyle Magistrado (FB)
He shared that he originally intended to take the exam before graduating from college but “got lazy and backed out.” He also mentioned that deciding to take the exam in the same year felt like a “now or never” opportunity.
With his MTLE results, Kyle aims to become a fully licensed doctor, acknowledging the urgent need for more physicians in the medical field to “bridge the gap and address healthcare disparities in the country.”