Best Time to Read for Assimilation: 5 Proven Secrets to Smash Your Exams (No More "La Cram La Pour")

You’ve been there before. It’s two weeks to JAMB or your final WAEC paper. You’ve been staring at your Chemistry textbook for three hours, but if someone asked you to explain what you just read, you’d probably stutter.

It’s frustrating. You feel like you’re putting in the work, but the results aren’t showing.

Here is the honest truth: Hard work doesn’t always equal success if the timing is wrong. You might be fighting against your body’s natural rhythm. Finding the best time to read for assimilation isn’t about copying what the class scholar does. It’s about hacking your own brain to work smarter, not just harder.

Let’s break down how to find that sweet spot so you can actually remember what you read in the exam hall.

Table of Contents

1. The 4 AM Miracle (The Early Birds)

There is a reason why our parents always yelled at us to wake up early and read. Scientifically, they were on to something.

Between 4:00 AM and 7:00 AM, your brain is fresh. You haven’t been stressed by Lagos traffic, annoying WhatsApp messages, or school drama yet. The cortisol levels in your body are naturally rising to wake you up, which can actually help with alertness.

Plus, let’s be real—it’s the quietest time. If you live in a noisy environment or a crowded hostel, this might be your only window of peace before the generators start roaring.

Who this is for:

Students who feel “groggy” at night.
Those who need to memorize heavy theories or formulas.
Anyone preparing for morning papers scheduled by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).

2. The TDB (Till Day Break) Grind

On the other hand, we have the night owls. These are the students who come alive when everyone else is asleep.

I used to be like this in university. The hostel was too loud during the day, so I did my best work between 10:00 PM and 2:00 AM. The isolation can be perfect for deep focus, especially for subjects like Mathematics or Physics where you need to solve problems rather than just memorize text.

But here’s the trap: A lot of students think they must do TDB to be serious. That’s a lie. If you find yourself reading the same line five times because your eyes are heavy, you are wasting your time. You aren’t assimilating; you are just suffering.

If you are going to pull a late-nighter, ensure you’ve had a nap during the day. Don’t cheat your sleep cycle.

3. The Danger of the “Afternoon Dip”

Imagine this: You just finished a heavy plate of Eba and Egusi soup at 1:00 PM. Then, you decide to pick up your Government textbook.

What happens next? You sleep.

Between 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM, most people experience a natural dip in energy. It’s biological. Trying to force assimilation during this time is like trying to push a broken car up a hill. It’s exhausting and inefficient.

Instead of fighting it, use this time for lighter tasks. Organize your notes, check the syllabus on the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) website, or just rest. Save the heavy reading for when your brain wakes up again in the early evening (around 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM).

4. It’s About Your Rhythm (Not Your Friend’s)

I had a friend who could read with music blasting in his ears and still score an A. If I tried that, I’d fail.

You need to test yourself. For the next three days, try this experiment:

Day 1: Read a topic early in the morning.
Day 2: Read a similar difficulty topic late at night.
Day 3: Read in the early evening.

After each session, close the book and try to write down everything you remember. The session where you remember the most without struggling is your winner. This self-awareness is crucial for success in higher institutions like University of Lagos (UNILAG) or UI, where the volume of work is massive.

5. Sleep Is Not the Enemy

There is this toxic culture in Nigerian schools that says “sleep is for the weak.”

Ignore that. Sleep is when your brain moves information from “short-term memory” (what you just saw) to “long-term memory” (what you need for the exam). If you read for 12 hours straight but don’t sleep, your brain doesn’t have time to “save” the file.

According to the Sleep Foundation, lack of sleep kills your ability to focus and consolidate memory. So, getting 6-7 hours of sleep isn’t laziness; it’s a study strategy.

Final Thoughts: Quality Over Quantity

Don’t obsess over how long you read. Obsess over how much you kept.

Whether you choose the cool quiet of 4 AM or the solitude of midnight, consistency is key. Pick a time, stick to it, and turn off your data. The notifications can wait, but your grades won’t.

Now, go pick up that book. You’ve got this.