Semester Survival Tips For Law School

Can you believe it? We're approaching the end of summer and school begins in just a few weeks for many students around the U.S. As any past or present legal student can attest to, semesters at law school present a very unique set of challenges. If you are just starting law school for the first time (or if you are trying to recover from a prior semester that was perhaps not as successful as you would have hoped), the team at the Law Offices of Phillips, McElyea, Carpenter, & Welch, P.C. are here to help you out!

How To Set Your Semester Up For Success

Unlike most courses at undergraduate universities, courses at law schools often build up to one final exam at the end of the semester. That means that your grade for the entire semester rides on a single exam - one single day! With so much riding on that one exam, it's critical that you begin preparing for the final exam on the very first day of class.

Study Tips

Of course, studying is the most important thing you can do to prepare for your final exam. The big test may be months away from now, but don't fool yourself into believing that you can wait to begin preparing! The sooner you get started, the more you will be able to internalize the material and the better you will be able to perform on the test. Here are some study tips to help you succeed:
  • Take Notes. The material covered in the classroom is vast and intense, but not as vast as your textbook! There is too much information in your textbook to possibly be covered in a single semester. By taking notes during class, you will be able to recognize which pieces of information are most important to the professor (and, thus, more likely to be on the exam).
  • Rewrite Your Notes. If you're like most students, the notes you take in the classroom will be jumbled mess. After each class period (while the lecture is still fresh in your mind), go back and rewrite your notes in a cleaner, more organized manner. Organizing the material will be make it easier to study later on, and going over the material again now will help cement the information in your mind.
  • Make Flashcards. Reading and rereading notes is helpful, but simply reading over information does not come close to the effectiveness of challenging yourself to reproduce the information on your own. You can make physical flashcards on index cards, or you can use online tools like Quizlet.com.
  • Start Today. You will likely take in so much information over the course of your semester that if you wait until the last minute to study for the exam, you might feel like your brain is going to explode! Starting to reread your notes and test yourself with flashcards early on, however, will let you approach the material in more manageable amounts. Not only will you perform better on the test this way - you will also stand a better chance of retaining the material after the semester ends.

Lifestyle Tips

Studying is critical, but the way you manage your time and your lifestyle during the semester will also have a big impact on your test-day performance. Here are a few suggestions to help you adopt a lifestyle that will contribute to your success.

  • Get Plenty Of Sleep. When we sleep, our brains compartmentalize all of the information it has taken in that day. This compartmentalization process is a critical part of retaining all that information. If you don't get enough sleep, your brain may struggle to remember everything you have learned.
  • Manage Your Time Effectively. There's a reason "time management" is such a hot topic among students and working professionals. Effectively balancing your time between work, play, studies, and chores is a crucial secret to success - and, unfortunately, much easier said than done. There are lots of different time management strategies you can use, and no one is better than another. You simply have to figure out which one works best for you and stick with it!
  • Surround Yourself With Good Students. Study after study has shown that we tend to adopt the personality traits, habits, and characteristics of the people we spend the most time around. By surrounding yourself with like-minded, good students, you will be able to use this influence to your advantage! Study groups are a great way to meet other students who are equally committed to doing well on the exams.

Good Luck!

We hope that you find these study tips helpful! If you should find yourself in need of legal representation at the Lake of the Ozarks any time in the future, we hope you'll keep PMCW Law in mind. Our team of experienced attorneys in central Missouri would be happy to assist you in any way we can!
Law Offices of Phillips, McElyea, Carpenter, & Welch, P.C.
The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely on advertising. When you need a knowledgeable attorney, we invite you to contact us to set up a consultation. Evening and weekend appointments are available. We have access to interpreters.

We accept Visa, MasterCard, and Discover.


85 Court Circle N.W., P.O. Box 559
Camdenton, MO 65020   GET A MAP
(573) 346-7231 - Telephone
(888) 236-2485 - Toll Free
(573) 346-4411 - Fax

Location: Camdenton, MO 65020, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

5 Reasons To Hire A Criminal Defense Attorney

Image
Criminal charges can turn your life upside down. If you are found guilty, you can suffer numerous consequences, including fines, imprisonment, and effect on your permanent record. If you are facing criminal charges, hiring an experienced criminal defense attorney can make a world of difference. Consider these reason why you should hire a criminal defense lawyer to represent your case. 1. Your Attorney Understands The Law It's no secret that the legal field is complex. Every law has exceptions, and every circumstance has different specific requirements. You need a criminal defense attorney that has experience dealing with these minute details and can help you use them to build a solid case. 2. Your Attorney Knows The Scene The Missouri Courts are like a world of their own. Each court has its own set of rules, social norms, and strict guidelines governing what behavior is and is not acceptable. If this is your first court case, you can not possibly know all of these unspo...
Read more

Legal Tips to Be Aware of When Entering Into a Marriage

Image
Congratulations! It is 2019 and this is the year you are getting married. Among all of the wedding planning, you probably haven't had time to think about the legal side of getting married. While it is not the most glamorous side, it is worth taking a look into. For example, has your fiance brought up the notion of signing a prenuptial agreement (prenup)? It is best to know what all comes with a prenuptial agreement and the advantages and disadvantages of choosing to sign one. Our attorneys at the Lake of the Ozarks are here to give you a few legal tips to be aware of when entering into a marriage. If you find yourself need a prenuptial agreement drawn up, call Phillips, McElyea, Carpenter, and Welch   today for your free consultation at 573-346-7231. Legal Tips to Be Aware of When Entering Into a Marriage Do You Plan to Legally Change Your Name After You Get Married? If you plan to change your legal name after marriage, here is what you need to do. According to the Misso...
Read more

Global Entrepreneurship Week: 5 Tips For Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Image
We live in a business-oriented society. From buying groceries to traveling internationally, we rely heavily on local, national, and international businesses for many a spect s of our lives. We have become so accustomed to using these businesses in our day-to-day lives that we now take many of them for granted. No matter how big a corporation is, it's important to realize that every business started out small at some point in time. Every business - even those with thousands of employees - originally began simply as an idea in the mind of one forward-thinking individual. Global Entrepreneurship Week USA We owe entrepreneurs a great debt of gratitude for the roles they have played in shaping our society, our culture, and our nation. Next week (November 14-20, 2016) is designated as Global Entrepreneurship Week USA in recognition of the importance of these forward-thinking individuals. In honor of this important week-long observance, our business attorneys in Camdenton MO ...
Read more