Concept vs Cramming ?

[chmobeenafzal]

Asalam o Aliekum Everybody !
Today i have another interesting topic about one of the major problem in students. I Hope that everybody will share their suggestions on it. Everybody says that be clear your concept if you want to pass competitive exam don't cram, So , I have some question about concept that what is actually concept is I mean that if we look to the syllabus of FPSC so get the idea that one must remember the important part of syllabus For Example if we talk about physical sciences then Please tell if i want to remember it that what is the age of earth then it is a cram because it changes day by day, like this example there are many things to cram in css syllabus therefore my humble request to serious students that share your Routine and Method of study so that we may have clarity between concept and cramming. Thank you so much PAKISTAN ZINDABAD , PAKISTAN PAINDABAD

[aishalam]

Originally Posted by chmobeenafzal

Asalam o Aliekum Everybody !
Today i have another interesting topic about one of the major problem in students. I Hope that everybody will share their suggestions on it. Everybody says that be clear your concept if you want to pass competitive exam don't cram, So , I have some question about concept that what is actually concept is I mean that if we look to the syllabus of FPSC so get the idea that one must remember the important part of syllabus For Example if we talk about physical sciences then Please tell if i want to remember it that what is the age of earth then it is a cram because it changes day by day, like this example there are many things to cram in css syllabus therefore my humble request to serious students that share your Routine and Method of study so that we may have clarity between concept and cramming. Thank you so much PAKISTAN ZINDABAD , PAKISTAN PAINDABAD

Understanding a concept basically means getting a grip on the core ideas and theories that the topic encompass. Cramming on the other hand is basically rote learning of the wordings and data.

Now why cramming is discouraged is simple; it's technically useless. We live in an age where things are progressing by the hour hence statistics are false one minute to the next. Just like you mentioned learning the EXACT age of the Universe is futile because a) it would change by the time you would appear in the exam and b) (which is even more likely) the methods used to get to the estimate would have become obsolete as something could've been theorized or proven in the interval that negates the theory or sometimes another completely new theory could have been proposed which has gained support.

So instead of cramming the exact age of the universe, it would be more beneficial for one to try and understand HOW scientists estimate it, WHAT are the major theories (and how much support they have), and what is the generally believed consensus on the age of the universe. Structuring your answer in this manner would show the checker that you have a well-rounded view of the topic. You don't even have to go into much detail as this isn't an astrophysics paper but understanding the basics will get you a long way.

Also filling ones head with numbers and trivial data is not really helpful in the long run either. In the professional field and in real life no one is going to ask you to name the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty off of the top of your head. If you want to know, one can EASILY google it. We are living through the Information Revolution. Information is easily accessible to us. I really don't understand why we are still so obsessed with cramming it into the rather limited space we have in our poor Craniums. Our efforts would be better served asking the Whys and the Hows, fostering a sense of curiosity and by trying to look for the nuance and the different perspectives in every field. Critical thinking is important and it is a skill sharpened through practice.

In any case, I hope my comments above have helped in some way. Best of luck!