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All of my classmates seem intent on spending fall break on outlining, I've been reading ahead with the hope of finishing everything by the end of Oct. I don't understand how do people find time to study, perfect outlines, & take practice exams when you still have 200 pages of reading due every week before the exams.

I know a few of the authors of law school success guides mentioned that they were done with reading for substantive classes ahead of schedule, sometimes a month ahead of time.

Is there any consensus as far as the benefit of this strategy, especially from people who've done it?

I don't consider reading to be essential to good grades. But at least with your strategy you'd finish up way early to leave a couple of months for exam prep. I usually made do with about one month of exam prep so I think you'll be in good shape.

I did it as a 1L. I thought it was beneficial then because it gave me a whole month to do practice exams and learn how to do them well. I finished the semester reading and outlines (for the whole semester) by early November. I went back and modified my outlines as needed when we went over topics in class, but it gave me a pretty good sense of what I needed to know. And I had lots of time use the outlines and refine them.

Only crappy thing was getting coldcalled. I couldn't remember a damn thing about a case I read over a month ago. I reviewed a little before class to keep up appearances, but that was a little painful.

I don't think this was necessary for success, but it worked out well for me.

Also, it's a pretty big timesink. I didn't mind because I was basically shut-in. But if you want to go out 2-3 times a week, this strategy is probably not possible.

Reading ahead isn't going to benefit you directly at all; having more free time for sanity, practice exams/exam strategy, and outlining (which you will be more efficient at the more of the course you have gone through) might.

The reason you see it come up is that people are eager from day 1 of fall semester but there's not much to do on day 1 of fall semester. Reading ahead at least frees up time for when you can actually do some efficient studying/preparing.

Tag

I stopped reading entirely after, like, the fifth week of 1L.

That is to say: maybe the first half of your plan (the timesink of reading) isn't really necessary for the second part of your plan (the outline tweaking and exam prep, which actually returns on your investment).

I found the best strategy is to ignore readings until the last month or so, but pay attention in class. Then when you go back to read, you know what order to read in and what the professor found important.

-if you actually read ahead, then go on your separate pace (i.e. read everything, outline, and do practice exams). It will be such to get coldcalled, but who give a shit.

-if you don't think you can do it on your own pace, then don't.