Too late to start outlining? Forum

[johansantana21]

Finals in 3 weeks!

[Holly Golightly]

I generally don't start outlining until a few days before my exam. Not saying that's what people should do, but 3 weeks is definitely enough time.

[03121202698008]

Eh, I wouldn't wait much longer but most people started outlining over Thanksgiving last year and finals were the middle of Dec.

[johansantana21]

Thanksgiving break is only like 2 days this year tho?

[03121202698008]

Thanksgiving break is only like 2 days this year tho?

That's about what it was last year. I said they started on Thanksgiving...it never really ended. Just kind of flowed into studying. I was perfecting outlines up until the day before the final as I used it on practice exams, etc and discovered holes in it.

[071816]

Yup it's too late. You might as well drop out now.

[Indifferent]

Yup it's too late. You might as well drop out now.

[therunningman]

It's never "too late" to start outlining. But if you have a few weeks what's the point? You would be better off studying an outline from someone who booked the class last year. For the utility of outlining to be maximized it should be done organically over the course of the semester. It should be done simultaneously with practice problems and in class hypos so you build a personal tool for exam taking. IMO

[johansantana21]

It's never "too late" to start outlining. But if you have a few weeks what's the point? You would be better off studying an outline from someone who booked the class last year. For the utility of outlining to be maximized it should be done organically over the course of the semester. It should be done simultaneously with practice problems and in class hypos so you build a personal tool for exam taking. IMO

Any more opinion on whether I should start outlining or not?

[03121202698008]

It's never "too late" to start outlining. But if you have a few weeks what's the point? You would be better off studying an outline from someone who booked the class last year. For the utility of outlining to be maximized it should be done organically over the course of the semester. It should be done simultaneously with practice problems and in class hypos so you build a personal tool for exam taking. IMO

Any more opinion on whether I should start outlining or not?

This person is an idiot. The largest benefit of an outline is in creating it. It shouldn't take that long to outline if you've been typing notes.

[Holly Golightly]

It's never "too late" to start outlining. But if you have a few weeks what's the point? You would be better off studying an outline from someone who booked the class last year. For the utility of outlining to be maximized it should be done organically over the course of the semester. It should be done simultaneously with practice problems and in class hypos so you build a personal tool for exam taking. IMO

Any more opinion on whether I should start outlining or not?

This person is an idiot. The largest benefit of an outline is in creating it. It shouldn't take that long to outline if you've been typing notes.

Umm. No. Not everyone needs to make their own outlines in order to learn the material. But nice try.

[09042014]

Just find old outlines. It's not worth making your own.

[ahduth]

It's never "too late" to start outlining. But if you have a few weeks what's the point? You would be better off studying an outline from someone who booked the class last year. For the utility of outlining to be maximized it should be done organically over the course of the semester. It should be done simultaneously with practice problems and in class hypos so you build a personal tool for exam taking. IMO

Any more opinion on whether I should start outlining or not?

This person is an idiot. The largest benefit of an outline is in creating it. It shouldn't take that long to outline if you've been typing notes.

What if your professor doesn't allow laptops? Kidding. We all know hand cramps are awesome.

On a more serious note, I should really start outlining or studying or something eventually. Our finals start mid-December. I take no notes when I read, and I periodically have to skip class for various reasons. I marvel with childlike delight at these people who have color-coded highlighting and such in their textbooks.

I bought a supplement for criminal - what the hell are these things for? At least half this shit isn't even what our professor taught - and I'm not talking about the topics we haven't covered or won't cover. Is this supposed to help me, or challenge me to figure out which parts are relevant?

[johansantana21]

I have old outlines, but I was thinking if it's not too late I could make my own outlines. I did start taking reading notes around 5 weeks into class so it shouldn't be too bad?

But was wondering how much of a help it is in actually making own outlines.

Isn't Desert Fox some genius slacker? Anyone else have relevant advice?

[ahduth]

Just find old outlines. It's not worth making your own.

I think this is a personal thing. Using someone else's outline/notes would feel to me like eating someone else's leftovers. Nutritious perhaps, but I feel more acquainted with my leftovers.

I'm a 1L though, what do I know.

[Gecko of Doom]

I have Contracts outlined through midterm. I was planning to start outlining everything else this weekend. Good to know other people are in the same boat. Either I'm not as screwed as I thought, or a decent number are similarly screwed. Either way, it makes me feel better.

[03121202698008]

It's never "too late" to start outlining. But if you have a few weeks what's the point? You would be better off studying an outline from someone who booked the class last year. For the utility of outlining to be maximized it should be done organically over the course of the semester. It should be done simultaneously with practice problems and in class hypos so you build a personal tool for exam taking. IMO

Any more opinion on whether I should start outlining or not?

This person is an idiot. The largest benefit of an outline is in creating it. It shouldn't take that long to outline if you've been typing notes.

Umm. No. Not everyone needs to make their own outlines in order to learn the material. But nice try.

I recognize...but I don't think you make that decision based upon the fact there are 3 weeks left to finals. If OP felt he didn't need to make an outline, why would he make this thread?

[johansantana21]

I have Contracts outlined through midterm. I was planning to start outlining everything else this weekend. Good to know other people are in the same boat. Either I'm not as screwed as I thought, or a decent number are similarly screwed. Either way, it makes me feel better.

I only started outlines for 1 class and that class was the easiest to outline for =/

[ahduth]

I have Contracts outlined through midterm. I was planning to start outlining everything else this weekend. Good to know other people are in the same boat. Either I'm not as screwed as I thought, or a decent number are similarly screwed. Either way, it makes me feel better.

I only started outlines for 1 class and that class was the easiest to outline for =/

I dunno, for two of my three exams, the professors or their TAs have said that not everyone will finish. For these "speed" or high volume exams, I'm not so much worried about knowing why exactly Sibbach was important as knowing it was there. I feel like cramming nearer to the exam will be most effective.

I'm also super lazy and quite possibly a waste of oxygen, so I wouldn't listen to me.

[therunningman]

It's never "too late" to start outlining. But if you have a few weeks what's the point? You would be better off studying an outline from someone who booked the class last year. For the utility of outlining to be maximized it should be done organically over the course of the semester. It should be done simultaneously with practice problems and in class hypos so you build a personal tool for exam taking. IMO

Any more opinion on whether I should start outlining or not?

This person is an idiot. The largest benefit of an outline is in creating it. It shouldn't take that long to outline if you've been typing notes.

ha...of course the largest benefit of an outline is creating it. But if your just throwing random shit from your notes together in a couple of days, your wasting you time (and probably not truly outlining). If I had 2 weeks to prep for an exam I would get a good outline from a student who already took the class and take practice exams non stop. That would be much more efficient because I would be actively using the material to solve problems. The whole point of outlining is forcing yourself to take a ton of time to really think about how everything fits together. If you don't have that amount of time, outlining is not an efficient exercise.

Edit: I just realized that it could seem like I am saying 100% don't outline at this point. That's not necessarily the takeaway. Even now outlining would probably be useful. But I really just wanted to challenge OP to consider whether outlining was the most useful thing to do now. This probably depends on the amount of time. If we're talking closer to a month...for sure outline away. But less than 2 weeks, then you have to do a sort of cost benefit analysis. Either way, outlining is probably more useful than reviewing your notes and definitely more useful than re-reading cases.

[03121202698008]

It's never "too late" to start outlining. But if you have a few weeks what's the point? You would be better off studying an outline from someone who booked the class last year. For the utility of outlining to be maximized it should be done organically over the course of the semester. It should be done simultaneously with practice problems and in class hypos so you build a personal tool for exam taking. IMO

Any more opinion on whether I should start outlining or not?

This person is an idiot. The largest benefit of an outline is in creating it. It shouldn't take that long to outline if you've been typing notes.

ha...of course the largest benefit of an outline is creating it. But if your just throwing random shit from your notes together in a couple of days, your wasting you time (and probably not truly outlining). If I had 2 weeks to prep for an exam I would get a good outline from a student who already took the class and take practice exams non stop. That would be much more efficient because I would be actively using the material to solve problems. The whole point of outlining is forcing yourself to take a ton of time to really think about how everything fits together. If you don't have that amount of time, outlining is not an efficient exercise.

Edit: I just realized that it could seem like I am saying 100% don't outline at this point. That's not necessarily the takeaway. Even now outlining would probably be useful. But I really just wanted to challenge OP to consider whether outlining was the most useful thing to do now. This probably depends on the amount of time. If we're talking closer to a month...for sure outline away. But less than 2 weeks, then you have to do a sort of cost benefit analysis. Either way, outlining is probably more useful than reviewing your notes and definitely more useful than re-reading cases.

I agree much more with your edits. After first semester, I started taking notes in a format much closer to an outline. That way I can review once over while I put into a final outline (about 8 hours per class) and start using it in practice exams. Seemed to work great second semester.

[Gettingstarted1928]

I still haven't figured out why making your outline is so important.

Lets say you were going to spend 40 hours studying for a particular final. Doesn't it make since to sit down and study an outline for 40 hours as opposed to outlining for most of that time and then studying it for the rest? Maybe I'm missing something.

[071816]

I still haven't figured out why making your outline is so important.

Lets say you were going to spend 40 hours studying for a particular final. Doesn't it make since to sit down and study an outline for 40 hours as opposed to outlining for most of that time and then studying it for the rest? Maybe I'm missing something.

Making outline = studying

[kaiser]

I still haven't figured out why making your outline is so important.

Lets say you were going to spend 40 hours studying for a particular final. Doesn't it make since to sit down and study an outline for 40 hours as opposed to outlining for most of that time and then studying it for the rest? Maybe I'm missing something.

Making outline = studying

Exactly. Outlining isn't just absent-mindedly abridging your notes. You start at the beginning and run through the concepts, reconsider hypotheticals, summarize important cases and doctrines, etc. What ends up on the page isn't really important. The important thing is that you sat and thought about these things as you created the document. Ideally, you don't even need the outline itself come exam time. It is the process of creating it that is so important, because that process equates to studying and synthesizing the course material.

[Always Credited]

I still haven't figured out why making your outline is so important.

Lets say you were going to spend 40 hours studying for a particular final. Doesn't it make since to sit down and study an outline for 40 hours as opposed to outlining for most of that time and then studying it for the rest? Maybe I'm missing something.

you are.