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I finally got around to looking at my final exam schedule and it's pretty difficult (compared to fall semester). Note, all substantive courses other than CrimLaw are taught over the entire year.

Legal Writing Final Memo Due - 4/24 (Tuesday)
Start of Reading Period - 4/25 (Wednesday)
Civil Procedure (Open Note) - 4/30 (Monday)
Torts (Closed Book) - 5/2 (Wednesday)
Criminal Law (Closed Book) - 5/4 (Friday)
Property (Closed Book) - 5/7 (Monday)
Contracts (Open Note) - 5/10 (Thursday)

I'm sure others have experienced a similar or even more difficult exam schedule, so I was curious if anybody had any input on three things:
(1) What I should be doing up to the start of reading period;
(2) What's the best way to approach the reading period with barely any study time between exams; and
(3) Best way to study with such a small amount of time between exams.

Thanks in advance.

gotta ration your time dude. STart studying for everything yesterday (aka now). You don't (and really should never) have the luxury of cramming between each exam.

oh lawd.

no advice here other then to maybe neglect your final memo a bit if the grade doesn't count on your GPA.

i think most people have crappy spring exam schedules though (me included, to some extent).

If I've learned one thing all year (and that's definitely debatable), it's that this is the time of year when law school turns into an endurance contest. Just be productive, yo, keep fightin' the good fight, no matter how much of a pain in the ass.

5 tests?!? Sheesh. And I thought 3 was bad.

This is me this past week

Make a schedule, and stick by it. Try to plan out taking three practice tests for each exam, however that may be. Stay on top of your outlines, and figure out ways perhaps of taking shortcuts to make time for that. And realize that if you're in that bad of a situation, so is everyone else.

I had 5 finals per semester during 1L and 2L. I would start outlining a month before, and free up some time by stopping the reading for class (maybe glance over case briefs online). The day before the test I would just do practice questions all day. It's hectic, but manageable. Good luck.

It is a bad idea to just run though and memorize all of the definitions of things for like property, since its mostly covenants, easements, and zoning? Would this help me on a test that is half multiple choice and half essay?

merc280 wrote:It is a bad idea to just run though and memorize all of the definitions of things for like property, since its mostly covenants, easements, and zoning? Would this help me on a test that is half multiple choice and half essay?

What do you mean by memorizing definitions? You should know what the general concepts/terms mean by now. Memorize the general rules, exceptions, tests, elements, and factors. Don't worry about policy stuff for a closed book, or any other gobbledy gook. Also make sure you practice diagramming the covenants/ easements question. I.e. which estate benefits, which is burdened, etc. This can really help for those questions.

leobowski wrote:

merc280 wrote:It is a bad idea to just run though and memorize all of the definitions of things for like property, since its mostly covenants, easements, and zoning? Would this help me on a test that is half multiple choice and half essay?

What do you mean by memorizing definitions? You should know what the general concepts/terms mean by now. Memorize the general rules, exceptions, tests, elements, and factors. Don't worry about policy stuff for a closed book, or any other gobbledy gook. Also make sure you practice diagramming the covenants/ easements question. I.e. which estate benefits, which is burdened, etc. This can really help for those questions.

Yeah that's what I was thinking. I know the general terms, just need to figure out all the exceptions all that can go with each term. I feel like its taking much longer for me to memorize and one hour of not studying throws off all that I've learned.

Should I just be doing the memorizing through staring at it and writing it down, or would be an insane time sink to make flash cards?

Most people do flash cards. Those are probably the best way to memorize rules/ etc. I'm sort of a weirdo in that I will memorize a 5-8 page attack outline and write it out repeatedly before a closed book exam. But I wouldn't recommend that. Do whatever helps you retain the material best.

Do you guys maintain your gym routines even before and during finals month?

My schedule is not quite that bad but I do have five finals. TCR is starting studying your face off NAO. The longer you sit around and think about how much it's going to suck, the more time you're paralyzed and don't actually get anything done. Trust me, that's how I ended up dragging myself through spring finals last year while having panic attacks every other day. It's not recommended.

FTR I'm a 2L. Flash cards have never worked for me at any level of schooling; what I've done the past three semesters is 1) make my own outline and have it done before reading period (which, at my school, is a weekend), 2) edit it, 3) handwrite it out to help myself memorize, and 4) make an attack outline. There is usually some review of either old model answers or supplement questions (E&E), too. I do attempt to keep my gym routine intact just to give myself a break from constant studying and because I know I feel better when I exercise, but I'm not going to do absolute shredder workouts the night before an exam that are going to leave me wiped out the next day. Know your limits but don't kill yourself worrying about doing "enough" studying. There is no such thing as enough, unfortunately, and the quicker you come to terms with that the better.

Good luck!

zeth006 wrote:Do you guys maintain your gym routines even before and during finals month?

I do, but I'm more of the "maintain a healthy balance of life/school/exercise/alcoholism" camp, rather than the "work 24/7 and kill yourself" school of thought. I see it as a necessary way to keep motivation and energy up, and destress several times a week to boot.

Finish that memo. Like tonight. Just get it out of the way and never think about it again. If it's graded, maybe spend a little more time on it, but seriously get it out of the way. Other than that, 5 exams? Damn, I've never had more than 4, and that was my worst semester. Good luck. However, everyone in your section is in the same boat, so there's no need to freak out. Just do what you can and be rested for your exams.

edit: the times where I've been in a real crunch right before an exam, I've just said fuck it to outlining and practicing exam-ing and just made notecards and spent a day memorizing them. That technique has actually worked very well for me. Can't complain about an A and an A- (sample size of 2, I know).

zeth006 wrote:Do you guys maintain your gym routines even before and during finals month?

no. i only work out at 12am and only two times a week rather then my usual, normal routine.

completely serious.

you have two open book exams what are you bitching about? you don't even need to study for civ pro..just make a checklist of all the rules

zeth006 wrote:Do you guys maintain your gym routines even before and during finals month?

I've gone from a 4 day a week split to a 2 day a week upper/lower body split focusing only on compound movements. It's fine, and it's only for a month or so.