As your first set of law school final exams approaches, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed about how to begin preparing.
Law school final exams require more than just mere memorization; they test your ability to apply rules of law to complex scenarios.
If you are unsure of the best way to prepare for final exams, here are three targeted tips to help you level up your studying.
Create a realistic finals study schedule
A study schedule has multiple benefits. It helps ensure you make the most of the time you have left to study, and it allows you to be strategic about when — and how long — you study for your exams.
It is a good idea to study for one or two subjects per day (and no more than two). For example, if you plan to study eight hours on a given day, you may spend four hours in the morning on Contracts and four hours in the afternoon on Torts. Or you may spend the entire day on Contracts.
A few tips for creating your schedule:
No need to treat all subjects equally. If you struggle more with Con Law than Torts, spend more time on it.
The day before a specific final only plan to study for that class. It will be hard to focus on anything else.
Incorporate one “break day” (or a half day, at least) per week.
Make sure your outlines are completed and memorized
Next, if you have not yet finished (or maybe even started) your outlines, get on that. The best approach is to create your own outlines for each class. Your outlines should focus primarily on the rules of law and any exceptions to those rules.
Your class notes are a great resource for creating your outlines. If you edit and organize your class notes, you will have an outline tailored to what will likely be tested on your professor’s exam. This is a better approach than using a commercial outline to study from.
Once you have your outlines set, focus on memorizing the elements of law and understanding how the different rules of law fit together. Active review techniques (e.g., quizzing yourself, making charts, diagrams or mnemonics) are far superior to passive techniques.
Take practice exams — and lots of them
Once you feel comfortable with the law, it is time to test your knowledge. It is critical to take practice exams before you take the final exam. The final exam will likely not just test whether you know the law, but whether you can apply it to a convoluted fact pattern that your professor invented.
It is best to get your professor’s past exams (with model answers) if possible. This allows you to get used to the structure and format of your professor’s exam. It allows you to see the types of issues they like to test. And it allows you to practice under timed conditions so you can simulate exam day.
After you take a practice exam, closely study the model or sample answer to see what went right — and what could be improved. This is a great way to find points you would otherwise be missing out on.
Preparing for 1L exams is challenging but if you create a manageable study schedule and focus on learning your outlines and practicing exams, you will be well on your way to earning that coveted “A.”
