What is your study strategy going to be for the first final? Forum

[bleedcubbieblue]

I have 4 days between the last day of class and my first final. My last LRW project is due 3 days before my last day of class. I'll have my outlines done and ready to go well before the end of classes (except content from the last few classes obviously). I assume I'll be doing practice tests and trying to memorize my outline in those last few days, but I'd love to hear if anyone has formulated a strategy or has suggestions as to what I should be doing in that last week or weeks leading up to the first final. Hopefully we can all chip in and put together a good strategy...

[Oban]

Fucking bitches and getting money


but srsly mang, do you what works best for you, thats like the golden rule for lawl school

[Wavelet]

Take practice test -> refine outline -> take practice test -> refine outline. Repeat until the final. No need to set aside time to consciously memorize your outline; it should happen naturally with enough repetition.

"Refining" consists of adding/cutting things out. But most importantly, it means organizing your outline in the most efficient way possible for use on the exam. Not the most efficient way for studying off of, or for teaching the course, or for pleasure reading. The most efficient way for use on the exam (hint: a 100 page treatise is not the credited response). Since this most efficient organization is a function of you and your professor's exam style, you need to take their practice exams and refine your outline after each exam.

You might also want to take the first couple practice tests without time pressure, so you can identify some weak spots (i.e., if you can't spot the issue given 5 hours, you'll need work if you hope to spot it in 3 hours under exam pressure). At the same time though, leave at least a few practice tests to be taken under exam conditions; if you only have a few practice tests, take them all under time pressure.

[stocksly33]

the only thing i would add to what has already been said... is practicing writing out all the rules into sentences, and shortening those sentences, and making them more clear. the last thing I want to do during a test is think about how to explain a rule.

[Mickey Quicknumbers]

My plan for the rest of the school year looks roughly like this:

October 9/10/11
Outline up to day for 2 classes

16/17/18
Outline up to date for the other two classes

30/31/1
finish outlining for all classes up to date

November 7-14
Take 5 practice exams and read getting to maybe

15-21
update/edit outlines, then 5 more practice exams

22-28
final memo due the day before thanksgiving, so focus on that

29-3
finishing touches on outlines + all teacher specific outlines I can get my hands on

December 4th onward: rock hard exam day, drink furious amounts of red bull.

[bleedcubbieblue]

I have 6 days between my 1st exam and 2nd exam. Then I have 4 days between my 2nd exam and 3rd exam. Do you think it would be wise to only focus on the most current exam during the in between periods?

[robin600]

I have 6 days between my 1st exam and 2nd exam. Then I have 4 days between my 2nd exam and 3rd exam. Do you think it would be wise to only focus on the most current exam during the in between periods?

Unless you feel really good about it, and you don't about another subject.

[bleedcubbieblue]

I have 6 days between my 1st exam and 2nd exam. Then I have 4 days between my 2nd exam and 3rd exam. Do you think it would be wise to only focus on the most current exam during the in between periods?

Unless you feel really good about it, and you don't about another subject.

?

[robin600]

I have 6 days between my 1st exam and 2nd exam. Then I have 4 days between my 2nd exam and 3rd exam. Do you think it would be wise to only focus on the most current exam during the in between periods?

Unless you feel really good about it, and you don't about another subject.

?

Don't overstudy for something that you completely understand when you don't understand another subject.

[stocksly33]

I have 6 days between my 1st exam and 2nd exam. Then I have 4 days between my 2nd exam and 3rd exam. Do you think it would be wise to only focus on the most current exam during the in between periods?

Unless you feel really good about it, and you don't about another subject.

?

Don't overstudy for something that you completely understand when you don't understand another subject.

this is something i can't decide about... i think i have a better shot in 2 of my classes than the other 2. i cant decide whether to focus on my weaker classes, or bust ass on the classes that i pick up really well... hope for 2 As and 2 Bs. instead of 4 Bs.

[LoriBelle]

I expend roughly equal study effort for each of my exams. Doing this, I tend to get lower grades on earlier exams and higher grades on later exams. This leads me to believe that my classmates as a whole study harder for earlier exams and slack off for the later exams, thus making high grades on later exams the "low-hanging fruit." Maybe it's just that they experience study burnout or whatever. I'm not at all sure how to incorporate this into exam strategy this semester, but it held true for both fall and spring of my 1L year. I would be interested to see if others found this true at other schools.

[bleedcubbieblue]

Would it be wise to study for all of the finals at once, or to study for each on separately. I feel like studying for one exam at a time would be efficient, but of course, I have no practical experience with this.