How much sleep/night are 1Ls getting each day? Forum

[beach_terror]

oh, and avoid naps at all costs, naps always give me insomnia come night time

Naps are the devil, especially when they last much longer than you plan for them to (which is usually all the time with me).

Take a nap with your head on your desk, it's not comfortable enough for you to sleep too long.

[SmittenMitten]

I have developed a system where only half of my brain sleeps with the half it controls also unconscious at the same time. That way, while my creative side is taking a break, my analytical side will kick in and allow me to outline in a proper format and really work that structure into my memory. Then, once I have my structure built, I'll allow that side to rest and I'll awaking my creative side and do hypos applying the structure I have just built.

I have outlined my casebooks twice and found 3 systematic errors in at least 2 of the casebooks by utilizing this method. Fear me on exam day.

Is one of your error-filled casebooks the Epstein torts book? Because I have found it is riddled with errors.

[lawyerwannabe]

When people say they spend 35 hours a week for law school they mean time spent studying outside of class right? So, in the end, including time in class, law school is about a 50 hour a week "job"?

[3ThrowAway99]

Don't have my first final until next week so who knows how much sleep I'll get then, but I can say I have been sleeping like crap for the last month... I realized I really have to take it easier on the caffeine late in the evening and through the night.. The stress alone definitely keeps me up though even if I'm not drinking caffeine... I seem to be able to catch up when I need to.. I didn't think law school was going to be quite this disruptive to my sleep habits though.. I never thought of going to a full day of classes with 2 or 3 hours of sleep would be reasonably acceptable (though the following night I almost always make it up- that seems to be how my schedule works).. Kind of off topic but prob not unrelated.. Good luck getting the sleep you need! On the early comments about not sweating getting a ton of sleep- I think prob it's true that usually getting a lot of sleep is a good plan, but I noticed that some of the days in class that I have been most on the ball recently have been the ones coming off a couple hours (and in one case 0 hours) of sleep.. I also noticed one time recently that I got a ton of sleep and felt rested yet I was all over the place in my class answers- totally off the ball..

[3ThrowAway99]

At lawyerwannabe- more than that bro, at least for me... At least like an 80 hour a week job..

[kxz]

7 hours for me.

[SmittenMitten]

At lawyerwannabe- more than that bro, at least for me... At least like an 80 hour a week job..

It is however many hours it takes you to get everything into your head.

That being said, I work between 80-90hrs a week total right now, but my first final is in a week.

I don't think I've had less than 60hrs since September with legal writing

[lawyerwannabe]

As a 0L I am clueless and simply curious.

Do you study both on Saturday and Sunday? Do you ever take a day off?

I was thinking, going into law school, that 15 hours a week would be spent in the class and 40 hours a week would be spent out of class studying (7 hours a weekday, 5 hours on Saturday, and relax every Sunday to prepare for another week).

I may have an unrealistic vision of what law school was going to entail...

[Doritos]

exams in a week which means occasional naps with my head in my torts book at the library.

[Gamecubesupreme]

I don't understand why people are still reading casebooks/supplements at this stage.

If you're not doing practice exams by now, you're doing it wrong.

[SmittenMitten]

As a 0L I am clueless and simply curious.

Do you study both on Saturday and Sunday? Do you ever take a day off?

I was thinking, going into law school, that 15 hours a week would be spent in the class and 40 hours a week would be spent out of class studying (7 hours a weekday, 5 hours on Saturday, and relax every Sunday to prepare for another week).

I may have an unrealistic vision of what law school was going to entail...

I have studied a majority of every Saturday and Sunday. Between reading and legal writing (which is for a grade, not p/f) I have not taken a full day off since September. However many people probably have and will do fine. Earlier on I was doing less on weekends-but still reading and working on legal writing drafts.

[dailygrind]

I don't understand why people are still reading casebooks/supplements at this stage.

If you're not doing practice exams by now, you're doing it wrong.

you realize we don't all have finals on the same schedule, some people haven't finished their outlines; and classes which emphasize analogical reasoning require a strong knowledge of what cases mean?

[zeth006]

I don't understand why people are still reading casebooks/supplements at this stage.

If you're not doing practice exams by now, you're doing it wrong.

I haven't touched my casebook in weeks. I've glanced at my supplements a few times after taking PTs in the past couple of days to make sure I'm ok on a nuance. I plan to use supplements heavily for K and Civ as I only have 1-2 PTs to go off for both.

[SmittenMitten]

I don't understand why people are still reading casebooks/supplements at this stage.

If you're not doing practice exams by now, you're doing it wrong.

I haven't touched my casebook in weeks. I've glanced at my supplements a few times after taking PTs in the past couple of days to make sure I'm ok on a nuance. I plan to use supplements heavily for K and Civ as I only have 1-2 PTs to go off for both.

yeah my casebooks are sitting in the trunk of my car/have been for weeks.

Notes/outline/supplements

Doing shells/pt/cali

[OGR3]

At lawyerwannabe- more than that bro, at least for me... At least like an 80 hour a week job..

It is however many hours it takes you to get everything into your head.

That being said, I work between 80-90hrs a week total right now, but my first final is in a week.

I don't think I've had less than 60hrs since September with legal writing

I would just kill myself if I worked that much. You're talking 12 hour days, seven days a week.

[Gamecubesupreme]

classes which emphasize analogical reasoning require a strong knowledge of what cases mean?

And I'm saying if you're only reading the cases now instead of actually working on problems that will force you to incorporate them, you're doing it wrong.

[dakatz]

Def need at least 7 hours or else I seriously pay for it the next day. By forcing myself to do an extra hour of work at night, I lose my efficiency all day long. Not worth it.

[$$$$$$]

I dont know, i am pretty much doing problems for like 2 days straight before the final and just going through my outlines now and trying to just get the shit down pat. I think ill be ok. If I have the stuff down analytically then I think ill be better than not having it down. Plus as I go through the material I think about how to approach it on the exam.

[OGR3]

classes which emphasize analogical reasoning require a strong knowledge of what cases mean?

And I'm saying if you're only reading the cases now instead of actually working on problems that will force you to incorporate them, you're doing it wrong.

Practice Test->Review Test->Rework Outline->Repeat->Profit

[dailygrind]

classes which emphasize analogical reasoning require a strong knowledge of what cases mean?

And I'm saying if you're only reading the cases now instead of actually working on problems that will force you to incorporate them, you're doing it wrong.

actually, you said you didn't understand why people were still reading casebooks/supplements. and yes, you also said that we needed to work on PTs.

[005618502]

I don't understand why people are still reading casebooks/supplements at this stage.

If you're not doing practice exams by now, you're doing it wrong.

Does everyone at every school have access to practice exams? Are they specific to certain professors or are they just general for a subject and the same for everyone in the school? (sorry 0L here)

[OGR3]

I don't understand why people are still reading casebooks/supplements at this stage.

If you're not doing practice exams by now, you're doing it wrong.

Does everyone at every school have access to practice exams? Are they specific to certain professors or are they just general for a subject and the same for everyone in the school? (sorry 0L here)

It varies by school and professor, but generally each professor will have one or two exams on reserve. If you're really lucky they'll have a model answer.

I have two relatively new professors, so there's none on file. I've been working with a friend to create our own tests using pieces from other professors' tests, exam books, and making up our own questions.

[Alyosha]

classes which emphasize analogical reasoning require a strong knowledge of what cases mean?

And I'm saying if you're only reading the cases now instead of actually working on problems that will force you to incorporate them, you're doing it wrong.

And how many law school grades do you have? I know a considerable number of people who graded on to law review at my school that did not look at practice tests until the last few days before the final. Your approach isn't necessarily correct, and you certainly don't know who is doing it wrong if you don't have any grades.

[Gamecubesupreme]

classes which emphasize analogical reasoning require a strong knowledge of what cases mean?

And I'm saying if you're only reading the cases now instead of actually working on problems that will force you to incorporate them, you're doing it wrong.

And how many law school grades do you have? I know a considerable number of people who graded on to law review at my school that did not look at practice tests until the last few days before the final. Your approach isn't necessarily correct, and you certainly don't know who is doing it wrong if you don't have any grades.

They are also the kind of student that most likely would have done well even without doing practice tests.

Most students in law school are not that talented. Doing practice tests a few days before your actual final gives little time for you to actually reflect on what you did. This is an even worse idea if your professor agrees to look over your practice answers with you, which you should take advantage of as early as possible.

[dakatz]

I have to agree with those who say that practice tests are the way to go. That isn't to say that studying and reviewing the material isn't important. I spend quite a bit of time memorizing, reviewing, making flashcards, etc. These helped me reinforce the material to the point where I can easily spout off rules, elements, cases, etc. But my first practice test took me by surprise. However, the 2nd one really boosted my confidence since I am starting to grasp the way in which one takes a law school exam. Reading the model answer and seeing many of the points I discussed really boosted my confidence. It is impossible to really know where you stand until you test yourself.