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Our Agenda

Our Agenda. I. REVIEWING YOUR EXAM II. MEETING WITH THE PROFESSOR III. PERSONAL RETROSPECTION AND INTROSPECTION IV. MAKING A NEW PLAN V. Questions. Success on Law School Exams. Memorization is the start.  C Understanding is the key.  B/B-/C+

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Our Agenda

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  1. Our Agenda I. REVIEWING YOUR EXAM II. MEETING WITH THE PROFESSOR III. PERSONAL RETROSPECTION AND INTROSPECTION IV. MAKING A NEW PLAN V. Questions

  2. Success on Law School Exams Memorization is the start.  C Understanding is the key.  B/B-/C+ Application is the reward. A/A-/B+

  3. REVIEWING YOUR EXAM Before you meet with a professor to do a formal exam review, request to see a copy of the exam. Did I know the specific legal rules to properly answer the questions? Did I answer the question asked by following the call of the question? Did I break down discrete issues into separate paragraphs, preferably with clear headings and/or topic sentences using the key buzzwords?

  4. REVIEWING YOUR EXAM Did I allocate my limited time with care? Did I explain each step of my legal analysis? Did I remember to address the aspects that I know interest this professor?

  5. MEETING WITH THE PROFESSOR Tips for Having a Productive Exam Review • Be very clear about the professor’s requirements. • To the extent possible, carefully review your exam before the meeting. • Come to the meeting with only one thing in mind: learning from past experience and gaining from professional reaction to your product. • Above all, take an active role at this meeting; do not expect a packaged answer from the professor, pinpointing your precise strengths and weaknesses.

  6. PERSONAL RETROSPECTION AND INTROSPECTION Before you get too deep into the semester, it is time to do a personal inventory. Outlines: • Did I make my own outline or rely on old/commercial/committee-built outlines? • Was the format of my outline useful? • Did I make my outline at the last minute? • Did the outline give me a sense of how everything fit into the big picture or did it seem fragmented? • Did the outline properly highlight key buzzwords/principles?

  7. PERSONAL RETROSPECTION AND INTROSPECTION Study: • Were there important principles/standards that I really should have memorized? • Should I have spent more time with old exams? • Did I dip into the material periodically on a regular exam study schedule or did I try to cram right before the exam?

  8. MAKING A NEW PLAN The following suggestions are based upon common errors committed by first semester law students. Use these ideas in addition to the ones from your personal reflection on last semester to make a new plan for spring semester.

  9. MAKING A NEW PLAN • Consider a more active approach to reading cases in preparation for class. • Schedule time on the weekend devoted to re-reading and processing the week’s notes. • Schedule time at the end of each syllabus section to pull it all together. • Abandon excessive reliance on study guides that do the work for you. • Make use of blocks of time between classes.

  10. MAKING A NEW PLAN • Vow to contact the professor if you need clarification. • Discuss with a tutor any exam taking, outlining, studying, briefing problems that you are having. • Remember to have an early look at old exams and to ask a tutor or the professor about particular exam styles and preferences. • Think seriously about what time of day is optimum for your powers of concentration and be sure to take advantage of it. • If you have not tried it, consider approaching someone you know and suggest that you either study together or form a small study group – on a trial basis.

  11. Some Common Techniques that do not Work Re-reading cases is rarely an effective strategy. Reading an entire study aid right before the exam. Choosing to complete very few practice questions.  Treating all exam courses equally may lead to trouble.

  12. Some Common Techniques that do not Work Studying X course for a week, then Y course for a week, then Z course for a week, and so forth.  Not preparing for classes in order to study for exams more. Taking all of one's remaining absences at the end of the semester in order to study for exams more.

  13. Some Final Thoughts First, remember that all is not lost. Second, you probably don’t have to change much to get ahead. Third, get some help.

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