This is my plan....thoughts and advice requested. Forum

[swimmer11]

I am a 1L with a similar plan as OP and JC and I appreciate all the advice and criticism that has been thrown around in this thread.

For what it is worth, I have done LEEWS, read all the TLS articles, and Getting to Maybe and I have found them all very helpful with knowing what to look for in casebooks and listen to in class.

Still struggling with what to pt in outline tho.

[specialsnowflake]

tag

[emkay625]

I am a 1L with a similar plan as OP and JC and I appreciate all the advice and criticism that has been thrown around in this thread.

For what it is worth, I have done LEEWS, read all the TLS articles, and Getting to Maybe and I have found them all very helpful with knowing what to look for in casebooks and listen to in class.

Still struggling with what to pt in outline tho.

Me too. We're already 3 contracts classes in, and all I have covered is what a contract is and than branching from there (defining mutual assent and then explaining the requirements of an offer and an acceptance; defining consideration and citing/providing mini-explanations for relevant cases as warranted). I feel like I should have more but we honestly haven't talked about anything else in class...I'm worried I'm missing things but don't know what.

[AVBucks4239]

You shouldn't know what to put in an outline because you haven't covered enough yet. Contracts seems to go especially slow because the first 8 weeks are this hodge-podge of offer, acceptance, and consideration, and it all seems like the same thing.

But look up a complex offer/acceptance hypo. You shouldn't have a fucking clue what's going on, and that's okay. There's a lot more to learn that will complicate what you have already learned.

On a bigger scale, I actually don't recommend outlining until way later. What you have learned up to now is not only minimal, but things you learn later in the course will change your understanding of the earlier material. This means that you'll have to go back and do it over anyway, and all that time you spent outlining should have gone to something else.

So, just relax. Make sure you are mastering the individual topics you're learning now. A light bulb should click around week 7 or 8. When that happens, start outlining.

[LazinessPerSe]

I don't know why you guys come to TLS for advice. All of the 2Ls/3Ls here have told you to chill out and I don't think that's clicked for you. You don't need to stress this much. It honestly seems like you came here with this big plan and wanted some pats on the back / validation for how hard you're working. There is literally 0 point in stressing about what to outline 3 Ks classes in.

[20130312]

Nice to hear the validation. I'm gonna go have a beer.

[JCFindley]

I don't know why you guys come to TLS for advice. All of the 2Ls/3Ls here have told you to chill out and I don't think that's clicked for you. You don't need to stress this much. It honestly seems like you came here with this big plan and wanted some pats on the back / validation for how hard you're working. There is literally 0 point in stressing about what to outline 3 Ks classes in.

No stress here. Just want to separate from the pack at some point during the semester. TBH, law school is pretty low threat across the board I mean no one dies here if you mess up. For me, the debt will not be overwhelming even if I end up tending bar after three years. As far as jobs go I am looking at either the DA or PD route to build some experience before opening my own shop OR a boutique firm that specializes in aviation law. So long as my grades aren't way below median, I think my chances of landing the jobs I am looking for will depend as much on my background as my placement within the class.

All that said, I WANT to be first in my class but the top fifteen will be acceptable to me. Do I need that? Nope. Do I want it? You know it!

[AVBucks4239]

You separate yourself by mastering how to take a law school exam. Your plan, if anything, will set you up for failure in that you'll fail to see the big picture and you'll be worn out come exam time.

[llachans]

When I read threads like this, it makes me nervous. I'm a 1L and just finished my first week of law school. Monday I did roughly four hours of studying, Tuesday five hours, Wednesday and Thursday three hours, and none today. I plan on taking off tomorrow and using Sunday to finish up any LRW and using Monday for readings.

Is this an okay schedule for this early in the year? I've been able to fully read all of the readings twice and also brief them quite extensively. When I talk to other people in my section, they say they stay from when classes end (typically 4) until the library closes at midnight. I feel as though I'm grasping the information fairly well and was going to hold off on supplements and outlines until at least October.

I know I shouldn't compare my studying to others' (I do notice that some people's "studying" consists of facebooking, whereas my time in the library is solely focused on studying), but I can't help but second guess this.

Am I doing this wrong?!

[fatduck]

You separate yourself by mastering how to take a law school exam. Your plan, if anything, will set you up for failure in that you'll fail to see the big picture and you'll be worn out come exam time.

however, it sets you up for a great "grades are random! my luck is terrible!" excuse.

[AVBucks4239]

You separate yourself by mastering how to take a law school exam. Your plan, if anything, will set you up for failure in that you'll fail to see the big picture and you'll be worn out come exam time.

however, it sets you up for a great "grades are random! my luck is terrible!" excuse.

So true.

[sunynp]

The exam is the only thing that matters. Focus your burning energy on figuring out how to give the professor the answer wanted in the allotted time frame.

Your schedule is too exhausting. It isn't that who works the hardest wins; it is that the person who writes the exam the professor grades highly wins. Do you see the difference and where your focus should be?

Maybe you should work on making some friends, working out, etc. maintaining your mental health and morale is just as important as studying. Burning yourself out is a terrible mistake and can be difficult to recover from. I managed to burn myself out and had to literally take breaks every 30 minutes and get up and walk around. You do not want to do this to yourself, it is completely counter- productive.

[nonprofit-prophet]

Yea i agree with what's been said. I tried to do something similar both semesters, but you have to be able to adapt. There will be so much reading at times that you will need your breaks between classes to finish reading. Also, its probably best to do the reading throughout the week so its fresh in your mind during class. Finally, I think it's easier to outline towards the least 45 days of the semester. You have a better sense of the big picture then.

Sorry, I wasn't around the law school today. We can talk about strategies this week.

[JCFindley]

When I read threads like this, it makes me nervous. I'm a 1L and just finished my first week of law school. Monday I did roughly four hours of studying, Tuesday five hours, Wednesday and Thursday three hours, and none today. I plan on taking off tomorrow and using Sunday to finish up any LRW and using Monday for readings.

Is this an okay schedule for this early in the year? I've been able to fully read all of the readings twice and also brief them quite extensively. When I talk to other people in my section, they say they stay from when classes end (typically 4) until the library closes at midnight. I feel as though I'm grasping the information fairly well and was going to hold off on supplements and outlines until at least October.

I know I shouldn't compare my studying to others' (I do notice that some people's "studying" consists of facebooking, whereas my time in the library is solely focused on studying), but I can't help but second guess this.

Am I doing this wrong?!

I think they are either lying, slow readers, or perhaps they're writing out WAY more detail on case brief than they really need to look halfway decent to their classmates when called.

While I have a plan similar to the OPs I will be adding "stuff" throughout the semester and am NOT studying at that ops tempo yet. I don't even know what I don't know yet.

[thelawschoolproject]

First of all, Emkay you're going to do great There's no need to stress.

But, what I've heard [and wholeheartedly believe] is that people who had solid study skills prior to law school know what works for them and what doesn't. My assumption is that you know what kind of studying works for you and that you'll be flexible in adjusting that schedule if it doesn't seem to be working out.

Each person is different when it comes to this stuff. I plan to do a couple readings every day except for Sundays when I plan to get a pedicure or something. I think that trying to shove everything into the weekend seems a bit daunting, but if you find that's the best course of action for you then stick with it. I just know it wouldn't work for me.

Also, have the hubby buy you some wine and give you a massage. Don't stress girl. You're going to a great school and you really will be just fine!

[LazinessPerSe]

When I read threads like this, it makes me nervous. I'm a 1L and just finished my first week of law school. Monday I did roughly four hours of studying, Tuesday five hours, Wednesday and Thursday three hours, and none today. I plan on taking off tomorrow and using Sunday to finish up any LRW and using Monday for readings.

Is this an okay schedule for this early in the year? I've been able to fully read all of the readings twice and also brief them quite extensively. When I talk to other people in my section, they say they stay from when classes end (typically 4) until the library closes at midnight. I feel as though I'm grasping the information fairly well and was going to hold off on supplements and outlines until at least October.

I know I shouldn't compare my studying to others' (I do notice that some people's "studying" consists of facebooking, whereas my time in the library is solely focused on studying), but I can't help but second guess this.

Am I doing this wrong?!

What the hell are you spending 4-5 hours per night studying first week?

You're going to burn yourself out. I don't think 1Ls are listening/fully comprehend how much of a grind November can be/is. Don't get to November dragging your heels because you wanted to score brownie points with your peers in a pissing contest about how many hours you put in last night. You're not spending your time wisely. Do your readings (or skim them, like I did), glance at a supplement if you want to get a cheat-sheet on what the BLL is as you go, and enjoy September/October.

Protip: The best studying is not learning the material / reading the hornbooks / pouring over the cases. The best studying is doing practice problems/exams when you have a good grasp of the overall big picture near the end of the semester. That is what gets you points on the exam. That is when you should grind.

Freaking out because Dobbs isn't specific about whether smoke being blown in someone's face constitutes a battery does not get you points.

[emkay625]

When I read threads like this, it makes me nervous. I'm a 1L and just finished my first week of law school. Monday I did roughly four hours of studying, Tuesday five hours, Wednesday and Thursday three hours, and none today. I plan on taking off tomorrow and using Sunday to finish up any LRW and using Monday for readings.

Is this an okay schedule for this early in the year? I've been able to fully read all of the readings twice and also brief them quite extensively. When I talk to other people in my section, they say they stay from when classes end (typically 4) until the library closes at midnight. I feel as though I'm grasping the information fairly well and was going to hold off on supplements and outlines until at least October.

I know I shouldn't compare my studying to others' (I do notice that some people's "studying" consists of facebooking, whereas my time in the library is solely focused on studying), but I can't help but second guess this.

Am I doing this wrong?!

8 hours of studying a day seems like A LOT at this point to me. I've been doing about 4, and much older and wiser upperclassmen ITT have even said that's too much. I think you should relax. If they're having to study this much now, there's no other explanation than one of these options: 1. They are slow readers. 2. They are struggling to process the material. 3. They're lying. 4. They say they're studying when they're really on Facebook. Any of these things works well in your favor.

[emkay625]

First of all, Emkay you're going to do great There's no need to stress.

But, what I've heard [and wholeheartedly believe] is that people who had solid study skills prior to law school know what works for them and what doesn't. My assumption is that you know what kind of studying works for you and that you'll be flexible in adjusting that schedule if it doesn't seem to be working out.

Each person is different when it comes to this stuff. I plan to do a couple readings every day except for Sundays when I plan to get a pedicure or something. I think that trying to shove everything into the weekend seems a bit daunting, but if you find that's the best course of action for you then stick with it. I just know it wouldn't work for me.

Also, have the hubby buy you some wine and give you a massage. Don't stress girl. You're going to a great school and you really will be just fine!

this is why i love you tlsp. thank you. : )

[emkay625]

I don't know why you guys come to TLS for advice. All of the 2Ls/3Ls here have told you to chill out and I don't think that's clicked for you. You don't need to stress this much. It honestly seems like you came here with this big plan and wanted some pats on the back / validation for how hard you're working. There is literally 0 point in stressing about what to outline 3 Ks classes in.

I neither need nor want validation.

I just want a job.

[emkay625]

Yea i agree with what's been said. I tried to do something similar both semesters, but you have to be able to adapt. There will be so much reading at times that you will need your breaks between classes to finish reading. Also, its probably best to do the reading throughout the week so its fresh in your mind during class. Finally, I think it's easier to outline towards the least 45 days of the semester. You have a better sense of the big picture then.

Sorry, I wasn't around the law school today. We can talk about strategies this week.

Thank you for all your help. During the app process and now too.

[EvilClinton]

I don't know why you guys come to TLS for advice. All of the 2Ls/3Ls here have told you to chill out and I don't think that's clicked for you. You don't need to stress this much. It honestly seems like you came here with this big plan and wanted some pats on the back / validation for how hard you're working. There is literally 0 point in stressing about what to outline 3 Ks classes in.

I neither need nor want validation.

I just want a job.

I don't think you understand how this works. None of the the extra stuff you are doing is necessary (or sufficient) to get you a job. What you need to do is calm down and try not to burn out. You are spinning your wheels at this point. You don't even know what you should be studying or reviewing but you are so damn anxious that you have created some sort of arbitrary schedule to get yourself a job. Studying this early in the semester will not help you.

[llachans]

What the hell are you spending 4-5 hours per night studying first week?

You're going to burn yourself out. I don't think 1Ls are listening/fully comprehend how much of a grind November can be/is. Don't get to November dragging your heels because you wanted to score brownie points with your peers in a pissing contest about how many hours you put in last night. You're not spending your time wisely. Do your readings (or skim them, like I did), glance at a supplement if you want to get a cheat-sheet on what the BLL is as you go, and enjoy September/October.

Protip: The best studying is not learning the material / reading the hornbooks / pouring over the cases. The best studying is doing practice problems/exams when you have a good grasp of the overall big picture near the end of the semester. That is what gets you points on the exam. That is when you should grind.

Freaking out because Dobbs isn't specific about whether smoke being blown in someone's face constitutes a battery does not get you points.

Well, Monday and Tuesday, I have five classes so the 4-5 hours was reading the cases twice (first time through for general understanding and second time through for case briefing purposes) and then briefing them. I think I'll use this method until I become more comfortable with the cases. And then my three hours on Thursday was doing that damn Teply/Sloan stuff.

[Mr Madison]

Tagging this. I'm planning on following a mix of advice from the TLS collective wisdom thread and doing as many practice tests/hypotheticals as I can as soon as I have enough BLL down.

Question: At orientation 2Ls were saying that cases matter a lot for Civ Pro and that our professor is really intense about cold-calling people (he won't stop until he gets an answer). Is it possible that not briefing thoroughly enough could affect my grade in any way?

My LRW professor is also insisting that we brief cases in a more traditional method (for core classes) and to "not listen to the upperclassmen". Is short, LEEWS-style briefing still credited despite what we're being told?

[Pathika]

What the hell are you spending 4-5 hours per night studying first week?

You're going to burn yourself out. I don't think 1Ls are listening/fully comprehend how much of a grind November can be/is. Don't get to November dragging your heels because you wanted to score brownie points with your peers in a pissing contest about how many hours you put in last night. You're not spending your time wisely. Do your readings (or skim them, like I did), glance at a supplement if you want to get a cheat-sheet on what the BLL is as you go, and enjoy September/October.

Protip: The best studying is not learning the material / reading the hornbooks / pouring over the cases. The best studying is doing practice problems/exams when you have a good grasp of the overall big picture near the end of the semester. That is what gets you points on the exam. That is when you should grind.

Freaking out because Dobbs isn't specific about whether smoke being blown in someone's face constitutes a battery does not get you points.

Well, Monday and Tuesday, I have five classes so the 4-5 hours was reading the cases twice (first time through for general understanding and second time through for case briefing purposes) and then briefing them. I think I'll use this method until I become more comfortable with the cases. And then my three hours on Thursday was doing that damn Teply/Sloan stuff.

You are making life hard on yourself... there is no need to read each case twice... Read it once, then brief it... reading it twice is doubling your work.

[Hutz_and_Goodman]

I'm a 1L just finished my first week at a T40. I chose the school (full ride+stipend scholarship) over a couple T14s with money, for various reasons and now I'm trying to figure out a study method to make sure I do well.

My plan so far:

1. I'm reading everything and briefing the cases. Reading the footnotes with a fine toothed comb, and making notes of everything the professor mentions in class.
2. For each class I have a single document of reading notes and in class notes, that I'm editing and keeping up to date (bolding terms with a definition).
3. For each class i have a three ring binder with my notes to refer to.
4. I limited myself to one well-reviewed supplement for each class (usually the one recommended by prof).

I'm planning to assemble the material for each doctrinal class (Crim, Civ pro, Contracts, Torts), and at the semester take what will be an excess of information (probably 200 or so pages of notes for each class) and distill it down to a shorter version (maybe 40-50 pages) that I can work with as I study. I think all of my exams are going to be closed book. A number of professors have already said the final is majority applying law to fact rather than black letter law, although the latter is crucial and you need to know that cold.

My impressions of law school:

-some people have obviously read supplements, and are referring to concepts from much later in the semester. but these people aren't necessarily that sharp.
-everyone seems to be working very hard: harder than I would have thought. I'm planning to work 60-65 hours a week--which I did last week--but I'm not the only one.
--the tone of the class completely changed once classes started. A lot of comments about the curve and really obvious ass-kissing of the professor. someone said to me and a couple others that all grades determine is the first job, and after that they're irrelevant. at first I thought this was just an ignorant comment, but then it occurred to me that it might be strategic.
--having said all that, I like the classes so far. the other students are not bad, and some are very smart. I'm glad i made this choice, but also feel some pressure since I know that grades will mean a lot.