What do you think the best ways to study are?

I know lots of people cram shortly before the test does that really help?

Cramming never helps. The fear of possibly missing something will always creep in once you're off to take your exam. It's always better to be prepared. Look at the boxers who try to lose weight too fast to make it to the weigh-in. They lose a lot of energy and are likely knocked out early in the fight!

That is a good comparison. I know that personally when I try to do almost anything last minute without proper preparation that things often do not turn out nearly as well as I would have hoped. Not to mention that cramming in such a fashion to me would add so much more stress to an already nerve wracking situation.

Hey, folks, check this Wikipedia entry out. Cram schools are apparently prevalent in Asia. They are thought to have improved the level of education in those countries, although that is highly debated. Me, I'll never cram when I have enough time to study. I have better chances of passing exams when not cramming.

IT could be that this works well in Asia, but there still has to be some basic knowledge present for cramming to have any affect at all!