Why Understanding Beats Memorising Every Time

It can be tempting to try and memorise everything for an exam, especially when time feels short. But real learning happens when students focus on understanding the material, not just repeating it.

When you understand something, you can apply it to different types of questions, explain it in your own words, and remember it much longer. Memorisation often only works for simple facts, and even then, it is easy to forget under pressure.

A good way to test understanding is the "explain it to a friend" method. If you can clearly explain a concept without reading from your notes, you probably understand it. If not, it is a sign you need to dig deeper — not just memorise more.

At the end of the day, exams reward thinking, not rote memory. Focus on making sense of the material, and success will follow naturally.