1L Exam Prep and Motivation Thread

[dabomb75]

I highly advocate either going to your guys' professors and just straight up asking them what their tests are going to be like/how you should approach them or talking to older 2Ls who did well about this kind of stuff. I've done this in the past couple of days and have found out that every single one of my professors wants something different on each of his tests.

Prof #1 - hide the ball issue spotter. Have to find the nuanced words/sentences that indicate a hidden issue spotter. The more issues spotted, the better the grade.
Prof #2 - throw the kitchen sink issue spotter. Just try out every single possible theory learned in class and figure out a way to apply it to the problem at hand, no matter how much of a stretch it is to try and apply said theories at the problem at hand
Prof #3 - on point issue spotter. No extraneous material, just wants a perfect, short, clean analysis of the specific issues mentioned and only those issues. Actually marks down for adding in extra stuff.

Definitely going to be approaching each class differently now with how I study.

[Kabuo]

Joining the insanity a little late. As of Tuesday, I have exactly 6 hours of fun planned per week (and I suspect that might go by the wayside soon). Other than that, it's all memo/reading/studying til Dec. 15.

[TatteredDignity]

Don't you mean December 8th?

[Kabuo]

Don't you mean December 8th?

Isn't our last exam the 15th? And isn't it Ks? And if it is Ks, then it's what I need to study for most.

[sundance95]

I highly advocate either going to your guys' professors and just straight up asking them what their tests are going to be like/how you should approach them or talking to older 2Ls who did well about this kind of stuff.

Do both-don't presume that what a professor says he wants is what he actually gives points for.

[alicrimson]

I too went to profs and found it helpful for tailoring my study methods to each class. That being said, the approach really isn't that different. It just changes the way I'm approaching practice questions, exams, etc. This weekend will be overdrive weekend. My final memo is due Monday. Ahhhhh! I know most everyone gets a B+ at my school in LRW but it would sure be cool to get that A. Especially if the grade comes out before finals. Oh, the confidence. Anywho, luck to all this weekend with your studies.

[istara]

I HATE research projects.

That is all..

[northwood]

got first draft of memo back this morning. had to basically start over. just finished serious editing. off to watch the office on demand, and then hit up torts all day tomorrow

[TheFutureLawyer]

got first draft of memo back this morning. had to basically start over.

yep. did some extra research and some editing, but still have most of it to do by Sunday night. The next 4 weeks are going to be no fun at all.

[crossarmant]

So my non-LS friend bought Skyrim yesterday and I went over there to play... Blacked out and realized I had played Skyrim for 17 hours in a 24 hour period. Finally willed myself to leave and have now closed the book on the fun portion of the semester and going into overdrive for the next 4 weeks.

Though, every single second until Dec 17th, I will know that game exists and is taunting me until Winter Break.

[brickman]

So are people taking practice exams? --I've got most of my outlines pretty well up to date and have been struggling to get the BLL memorized and all that jazz but there is still a good little chunk left in the classes. Good to just go ahead and knock out what I can now?

[queenlizzie13]

So are people taking practice exams? --I've got most of my outlines pretty well up to date and have been struggling to get the BLL memorized and all that jazz but there is still a good little chunk left in the classes. Good to just go ahead and knock out what I can now?

I'm going to try and finish my outlines (well mostly by Thanksgiving) and then use the rest of the time to take practice exams and go over them.

Two of mine are in good shape, one is in semi-decent shape and the last one needs some work, but I'm going to spend all Monday/Tuesday reading/doing supplements again and then doing outlines the rest of the time. Worked this week - all caught up with contracts and mostly with torts (although that one is going to be the longest. we've done so much). Also worked on memo every day so it is basically done, which I'm happy about.

[northwood]

spent the entire day working on torts.... 10-6

im going to do practice exams after thanksgiving, and do practice questions in the meantime..

i still ahve 2 more essays that get administered to me later this week. so until then im going to make sure all outlines are up to date

[SilverE2]

So are people taking practice exams? --I've got most of my outlines pretty well up to date and have been struggling to get the BLL memorized and all that jazz but there is still a good little chunk left in the classes. Good to just go ahead and knock out what I can now?

I'm going to try and finish my outlines (well mostly by Thanksgiving) and then use the rest of the time to take practice exams and go over them.

Two of mine are in good shape, one is in semi-decent shape and the last one needs some work, but I'm going to spend all Monday/Tuesday reading/doing supplements again and then doing outlines the rest of the time. Worked this week - all caught up with contracts and mostly with torts (although that one is going to be the longest. we've done so much). Also worked on memo every day so it is basically done, which I'm happy about.

Same here. This entire week has been spent on this memo, but I'm going to hustle to get my outlines done (about halfway done right now) by the time Thanksgiving break starts on Friday and then spend the rest of my semester doing practice exams. I finished reading for the semester about a week ago, so I can definitely see the finish line...

[ph14]

So are people taking practice exams? --I've got most of my outlines pretty well up to date and have been struggling to get the BLL memorized and all that jazz but there is still a good little chunk left in the classes. Good to just go ahead and knock out what I can now?

I'm going to try and finish my outlines (well mostly by Thanksgiving) and then use the rest of the time to take practice exams and go over them.

Two of mine are in good shape, one is in semi-decent shape and the last one needs some work, but I'm going to spend all Monday/Tuesday reading/doing supplements again and then doing outlines the rest of the time. Worked this week - all caught up with contracts and mostly with torts (although that one is going to be the longest. we've done so much). Also worked on memo every day so it is basically done, which I'm happy about.

Same here. This entire week has been spent on this memo, but I'm going to hustle to get my outlines done (about halfway done right now) by the time Thanksgiving break starts on Friday and then spend the rest of my semester doing practice exams. I finished reading for the semester about a week ago, so I can definitely see the finish line...

Basically my game plan as well. I need to find a place where I can get some practice exams though with model answers, since my profs don't give out many and usually no model answers at all.

[theavrock]

I've found a lot of model answers and exams online and through the stickied thread at 1L exam questions and links thread on TLS. It was kind of a pain in the ass to go through all the links and what not, but I've got at least 4 exams for each class I plan on taking in the next 4 weeks.

[alicrimson]

Wow... to everyone who finished all of their reading for the semester early, I am so envious of you. This reading for class and prepping exams is tough. I'm so grateful that there are only four more classes to read for and then review for the semester in torts and contracts. I'm definitely going to get a jump on reading in January so this doesn't come up again next semester. Final memo due tomorrow. Holy schnikes....

[gdane]

I'm done with my readings for torts and civ pro and done with my civ pro outline, but it seems like updating my property and torts outlines to completion will take me until wednesday or possibly even thursday. my memo and client letter are due on the 22nd. I want to start taking practice tests asap though.

It just seems that everytime I finish something and I think I can get started on practicing, something else comes up.

[AlexanderSupertramp]

It just seems that everytime I finish something and I think I can get started on practicing, something else comes up.

yep. Today was devoted to Contracts, well the SOF, gonna do the rest after a bit of football. Civil Procedure was Friday. I only found 2 practice finals for torts so I am saving those til after thanksgiving. I "get" this professor's teaching, though. I got a 19.75/20 on her midterm so I'm hoping not to be overconfident and slack off.

[crossarmant]

I "get" this professor's teaching, though. I got a 19.75/20 on her midterm so I'm hoping not to be overconfident and slack off.

I feel exactly the same way. I did really well on the mid-term, understand everything the first go round and have thus devoted a lot more focus over to Contracts and CivPro where I need a bit more help. I hope that I'm not getting over confident and resting on my laurels with Torts.

[gdane]

Lol. I wish I could feel that way about torts. I get the material, but its a closed book exam and there is soooo much crap. Just thinking about attackinga negligence issue seems like a bitch cause there'sa million forks to analyze. More points to earn I guess, but since its a closed book exam Im hoping I can memorize and remember how to analyze these forks.

Fucker torts professor. cunt.

[AlexanderSupertramp]

LOL- Yeah, midterms was just intentional torts. Negligence is a whole nother animal.

[crossarmant]

Lol. I wish I could feel that way about torts. I get the material, but its a closed book exam and there is soooo much crap. Just thinking about attackinga negligence issue seems like a bitch cause there'sa million forks to analyze. More points to earn I guess, but since its a closed book exam Im hoping I can memorize and remember how to analyze these forks.

Fucker torts professor. cunt.

Mine is closed book as well. Oddly enough, I feel better knowing that it's closed book because not only does it hinge upon your ability to write an exam, it hinges on your overall knowledge of the material cold. So, it's no longer an even playing field like it would be with an open book exam. I feel confident about my knowledge of the material so that helps a bit more.

Our midterm was mostly all negligence which wasn't too bad, the only part that I worry about are the different forms that damages take and the allocation of comparative negligence and the implications of joint/several liability abolition.

[dabomb75]

finished torts and property readings, hoping to finish Civ Pro reading by the end of tomorrow.

Contracts there's just no way to read ahead for this class because of the way the professor teaches so I'm not sure how I'm going to be able to take enough practice tests if I can't start until class ends

[AlexanderSupertramp]

I made the mistake of reading ahead in contracts, like wayyyyyy ahead, and got called on completely forgetting what I was supposed to pull from the case. Torts I'm done with and happy about. We don't really read for Property now, just do O to As. I've stopped reading for Civ Pro. entirely.

One of the sections at my school gets to use their UCC supplement book thing (that I've never opened) for exams including whatever they can write in it. I can't imagine any of my professors being down with that. I think we're going to have parol evidence, SOF, and a consideration essay in Contracts. Promissory Estoppel was the midterm. Civ Pro will be personal jurisdiction.