So, you want to set yourself up for exam success in law school?
For the longest time, I thought that exam preparation begins 2-3 weeks before your exam.
It turns out that exam preparation is supposed to start at the beginning of the semester.
Yes, the moment the semester starts is the moment you start your exam preparation.
That’s why this blog post will dive into the 5 things you can do throughout the semester to set yourself up for exam success.
1 – Do exam notes as you go
One of the reasons why exam preparation starts at the beginning of the semester rather than 2-3 weeks before your exam is that the timeframe between your last class and your exam is very limited.
That’s why you don’t want to be spending that limited time creating exam notes. You would much rather have them ready to go.
Plus, you will also be busy with other assessments and work for other units, making that time even more limited.
It honestly can just take an extra 30 minutes, but will save you time in the long run once it gets closer to your exam.
RELATED: 5 Tips for Starting Law School
2 – Case law list as you go
I won’t expand on this one too much because it’s pretty much the same as the first one, except this is in relation to your list of cases.
3 – Don’t miss a week
Of course, life happens. You get sick, or some event happens during the semester.
But it’s still so important to stay on top of it. Missed work accumulates fast.
And look, if there is one thing you can do (if you don’t have time or capacity to catch up on the lecture or attend the class), it’s to create your exam notes. That is something to not miss.
Keep in mind it doesn’t have to be perfect notes. It just has to be something, because it’s better than nothing.
RELATED: How I Overcame Failure in Law School
4 – Address concepts you don’t understand immediately
If you know my story, you may know that I failed 8 classes when I was a law student. One of the reasons why I failed a class was that I didn’t address the concepts I didn’t understand immediately. I left it down to the wire.
As a result, by the time I started preparing for the exam, I got overwhelmed with the amount of things that I didn’t know. That’s why addressing things as you go is so helpful because it saves you from that stress.
5 – Address questions at the end of every class/office hours
Take advantage of class time or the professor’s office hours to ask any questions.
This can be any concepts that are not clicking for you (Point 4), or any need for assistance catching up on missed work (Point 3).
From experience, the easiest and fastest way to ask questions is in person. When I was in law school, I made sure I did my readings and watched the lecture before the class. This is so I can prepare any questions I still didn’t understand to the teacher, and speak with them after class.
If I happen to be on campus during the professor’s office hours, I sometimes take advatnage of it whenever I have burning question or need assistance.
To Wrap Up
Since exam preparation begins at the start of the semester rather than 2-3 weeks before, there are some things you can do throughout the semester:
- Do exam notes as you go
- Do your cases list as you go
- Don’t miss a week
- Address concepts you don’t understand immediately
- Address questions at the end of class or during office hours
P.S I suggest reading these blog posts next:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hi, this is Lauren! I’m a lawyer from Melbourne, Australia.
I failed 8 classes when I was in law school, got 3 High Distinctions in my last semester, and now I’m a lawyer. I know how overwhelming law school can feel.
That’s why I have created this little space for aspiring lawyers on my blog!
About laurenbarri.com: I create content on all things personal development, productivity, self-care, and habits! There is also a law to lawyer hub specifically for those who want to be lawyers and thrive in law school.
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