“Put simply, cramming doesn’t work,” says Associate Professor Penny Van Bergen from the Faculty of Human Sciences.

Penny instead emphasises the importance of active study techniques, spacing out study, and remembering to sleep and eat well. “As exams approach, it is important that students have brain-based strategies for learning,” she says.

“This isn’t as simple as reading information over and over. In fact, research in educational psychology shows that reading and re-reading is a poor strategy for retention. To maximise memory, and success, it is important to use information actively. Consider advising your children to create their own exam questions, make organisational maps, or test their friends. This strengthens the ‘encoding pathways’ in their brains,” she says.

“To remember information in the long term, research also highlights the importance of spreading study out over multiple sessions, and interleaving it with other subjects.

“Finally, make sure they look after themselves. Our brain is an organ, and it needs both sleep and fuel for memory to work effectively. If it helps, think of the brain during study as a muscle during exercise – keep it active, feed it well, and train a sensible amount per day.”