October 19, 2009
slides re multiple choice workshop
While listening to the workshop, view these slides.
Posted by sschmitz at 03:23 AM | Comments (0)
September 29, 2008
Are you tired?
If your answer is yes, if law school is wearing you down, then you should consider some time saving tips. The following article from the American Bar Association, titled Time Is Of The Essence For Smart Studiers, by Amy Jarmon, may help you catch up on your sleep & better yet, save you some time for social activities.
Law Student Division
Adviser
Time is of the essence for smart studiers
by Amy L. Jarmon
Originally published in: Student Lawyer, September 2007, Vol. 36, No. 1, All rights reserved
Time is often a law student’s enemy. We have all heard the stories. Law students lament that they sleep only five hours a night because they are constantly reading for class. They complain about frantically finishing writing assignments hours before the deadline. They consider it impossible to find time to outline, do practice questions, or review for exams.
Charles Buxton once said, “You will never find time for anything. If you want time, you must make it.” This adage is certainly true for law students who wish to succeed rather than merely survive. Proven strategies exist that make time for effective studying and still leave time for life.
How does one make time? Here are some techniques that can help you:
Realize that prior study techniques may not match the reality of successful studying for law school. Law school reading is more “dense” because it includes cases, which have a specialized language. Casebooks rarely have introductions, headings, graphics, or summaries. The volume of material covered is daunting. Many law professors guide students rather than tell them exactly what they need to know. Few law students made course outlines in college. Law school final exams focus on the application of material rather than the cases read.
Because of these differences, new strategies and regular review of material are essential. Many law students relate that they earned As in college while studying less than 15 hours per week and cramming for exams. Even those with graduate degrees remark on adjustments to law school studying. Older law students often relate that they have forgotten how to study.
Stop making “ad hoc” study decisions. Many law students decide day by day, or even hour by hour, what they will do. These law students are finding time for tasks instead of making time. They stay very busy, but most of them do not study efficiently or effectively.
Law students who are ad-hoc time managers often expand tasks into the time available (taking four hours to read what could have been read in three and a half hours). They procrastinate because they “have all day” to complete several tasks. They waste time getting ready to study. Consequently, they become focused only on reading for class. Other assignments and tasks are completed haphazardly. They grasp at shortcuts rather than more efficient and effective ways to study.
Make a weekly schedule that includes all of the study tasks for success. By having a regular routine that is modified but not reinvented, you take control of your study tasks. A full-time student will study 55–60 hours per week to complete all study tasks and prepare for exams during the entire semester. A part-time student will study 35–45 hours per week. The rewards are lower stress and guilt-free relaxation.
Critical study tasks to include are reading for class, briefing for class, reviewing before class, reviewing class notes after class, outlining, reviewing outlines, and doing practice questions. Other tasks may vary and include weekly tutoring, study groups, and extracurricular obligations. Following are the steps for making your base study schedule:
1. Make a template table for Monday through Friday with days as column headings and one-hour slots as row headings. Half-hour slots can be designated with a line dividing a slot into two parts.
2. Label time blocks specifically with the tasks. Examples: “read Income Tax,” “outline Evidence,” “review Torts notes.”
3. Include four to eight hours weekly for each project or paper course even if these tasks will start several weeks later. Any unused time initially can be allotted to other tasks or relaxation.
4. Fill in regular commitments first. These commitments may vary depending on your lifestyle. Examples: classes, tutoring sessions, morning prep time, commuting time, bedtime story for your child, church service.
5. Fill in seven to eight hours of sleep at the same time for Sunday through Thursday nights. Vary the weekend sleep cycle by two hours at the most. With more sleep, you will be more productive and retain more information.
6. Fill in a half hour per class to review your readings, briefs, and prior class notes before going to class. You will follow class discussion better, take better notes, and feel more confident.
7. Consider reading your class assignment two days beforehand. On Saturday, you read for Monday’s classes. On Sunday, you read for Tuesday’s classes. On Monday, you read for Wednesday’s classes, and so forth. Advantages of this system: you are less hurried and can learn the material rather than highlighting for later learning, you have more time to brief cases, you will be finished with the week’s reading on Wednesday, you have made time on Thursday and Friday for tasks such as outlining, reviewing, completing practice questions, and writing papers.
8. Write down an estimate for your reading/briefing time for each course for one day’s assignment. Estimate the longest time needed if your daily assignments vary in length. If your estimate is a range such as three to three and a half hours, choose the higher number.
9. Write down an estimate for your outlining time for each course for one week’s material. Estimate the longest time and take the higher number if you estimate a range. If you have no idea, include two hours per week. If you need to catch up, estimate the total time needed. Use that figure initially, and go to the lower weekly figure once you are current.
10. Fill in your reading time for each class. Choose times when you will be most alert. Consider reading for your most difficult course first so that it will not hang over you all day.
11. Fill in time for the remaining tasks: outlining, reviewing course material, working practice questions.
12. Fill in a half hour per class to review your class notes within 24 hours after class. In this time, fill in missing information and organize your notes.
13. Schedule your free time. Most law students schedule free time on Friday and Saturday nights. Choose realistic times to get up and begin studying on the weekend.
14. Add some flex hours that will not be used for studying unless you need them. Psychologically, it is easier to give up this time for study if you have already made that commitment. These flex hours allow you to reconfigure your schedule for unexpected assignments, illness, or other reasons.
Use a monthly calendar to indicate deadline dates. Set an artificial deadline two days earlier than the real deadline. An artificial deadline gives you flexibility if problems arise. Make a list of all of the small tasks to meet a deadline. For each task, estimate how long it will take you. Then, enter on the calendar the specific tasks to be accomplished each day to stay on track.
Use a prioritized daily to-do list for the specific tasks that will be completed in the time blocks designated on your weekly schedule. “Read Torts” is not specific enough. “Read Torts pages 120–148” is better. However, if you need a feeling of accomplishment, break down the assignment by cases or page numbers. Prioritize all tasks with designations that make sense to you.
You will need several weeks to monitor and finalize the weekly schedule. Do not give up if things sometimes go awry. The two-day method is easiest to start or restart on Saturday. Your law school experience will be more successful when you make time rather than find time.
Amy L. Jarmon is assistant dean for academic success programs at Texas Tech University School of Law in Lubbock.
Posted by rburkett at 08:00 AM | Comments (0)
September 22, 2008
Exam Writing
Read the Exam Writing Workshop early to get a jump start on your exam preparation. Don't spin your wheels in the wrong direction, follow these suggestions.
Posted by rburkett at 08:54 AM | Comments (0)
September 15, 2008
Time Management
Here are some time management tips, some of which will be very helpful during the last weeks of school and of preparation for finals.
These are taken from the Suffolk School of Law webpage.
TIME MANAGEMENT
We've all heard this familiar refrain from students - "I don't have enough time to get everything done!" While law school is quite demanding, most students don't have enough time for their studies because they aren't managing it properly. If you are having difficulty keeping up with your class work, consider the following time management tips. Lastly, notice that many of these tips focus on taking care of yourself. That is because 8 hours of study by a healthy, well-rested student are easily worth 12 hours of study by tired, frustrated student. Remember, you can't afford not to take of yourself during the school year.
Create a Study Schedule and Stick to It
We've all heard this familiar refrain from students - "I don't have enough time to get everything done!" While law school is quite demanding, most students don't have enough time for their studies because they aren't managing it properly. If you are having difficulty keeping up with your class work, consider the following time management tips. Lastly, notice that many of these tips focus on taking care of yourself. That is because 8 hours of study by a healthy, well-rested student are easily worth 12 hours of study by tired, frustrated student. Remember, you can't afford not to take of yourself during the school year.
Remember the "Hour Rule" When Studying
Studies have shown that your first hour of studying is the best hour, and your ability to retain material drops precipitously after that hour. Similarly, don't study for any one subject for more than an hour at a time. In fact, it is better to read or review a subject in four 30-minute sessions than one two sessions where fatigue and boredom a sure to set in.
Reward Yourself with Breaks
Fatigue and frustration are your greatest enemies when studying. To avoid them, reward yourself with short breaks. A good rule of thumb is to take a 10 - 15 minute break for every 60 - 90 minutes of studying. You'll be amazed at how much fresher you feel when you start studying again.
When Possible, Study During Daylight Hours
Although many students prefer to study during the evenings, research has shown that one day time hour of studying is equal to one and one half hour of evening studying.
Read As Close to Class Time As Possible
This will help ensure that the material is fresh in your mind, and will make you better able to take part in classroom discussions, follow the professor's lecture, and link the text to the classroom work.
Review Your Notes Within 24 Hours of Class
Most of us use some form of shorthand when taking notes so that we can keep up with the professor's lecture. Be sure to review your notes within 24 hours of class so that you can clean up your short hand while the lecture is still relatively fresh in your mind. Better still, type the notes into your computer after class. Typing the notes: (1) Can help you retain the material; and (2) Will be useful when you later start outlining the material for exams.
Allow Enough Time for Sleep
Make no mistake about it, the quality of mental work depends on sufficient sleep. Without enough sleep, memory is one of the first things to go.
Eat a Well-Balanced Meal
Dietary deficiencies can lead to lack of pep, irritability, distractibility, and mental slow down.
Make a Plan for Living
Time management must include physical exercise, social activities, and psychological rest and relaxation. Leave out recreation and exercise and you'll sacrifice concentration, memory and productivity.
Set a Cease Study Time
Don't be a workaholic. Do the best work you can until 10:00 or 11:00 p.m., then relax. This will give you an incentive to work on a regular basis rather than the cram and cease method that generally leads to pre-finals burnout.
Don't Spin Your Wheels
When your mind is wandering or daydreaming, get up and do something else-start or another assignment. Daydreaming is a clear sign from your brain that it is ready to move onto something new.
Make a "Do Not Disturb" Sign
Use it! Don't let others schedule your time to suit their needs.
Posted by rburkett at 08:00 AM | Comments (0)
September 08, 2008
To Study Group or Not to Study Group
Should I be in a study group?
NO, if you truly learn best on your own and you have found some other way to check your knowledge to be sure you are on the right track. Many of you report that you did well previously studying on your own, but because you get little feedback in law school until the final exam, it is easy to believe you are on the right track in your analysis when you are not. If not in a study group, find some other check on your mastery of the material before finals.
YES, if you learn best by listening to others or by talking out the material or by trying to teach the material.
If you do decide to join a study group, carefully select the members by their agreement to the purpose and method of the group. If it is to be social and academic, choose those who want that. If it is to be business only, choose those. If you want personal support as well as a chance to learn, choose others like yourself.
Then set some rules - e.g., meet once a week and review notes in each course for 45 minutes per course. Meet once a month and work through CALI problems for property and Examples and Explanations problems for contracts.
If you know you want social time, build it in but set a time limit, then go to the study agenda.
Do not divide up responsibility for outlining. The value in outlining is in the process of doing the outline, not in the reading of someone else's product.
Do alternate leading the discussion. it is when you try to explain the material to your peers that you learn it or learn the gaps in your knowledge. Rotating this taks assures that everyone has a change to "teach."
Do use your time to review, fill in gaps in your notes, but most importantly test your knowledge by doing practice questions. This will help you master the law, master analysis and prepare you for the exam. Tips: use CALI exercises, problems assigned by your professor, problems in Examples and Explanations, Siegel's study aids, Lexis' Q and A series, or, best of all, old exams your professors gave or problems your professors post for you.
For more tips, see Succeeding in Law School, ch. X.
Posted by rburkett at 08:00 AM | Comments (0)
September 01, 2008
Beyond Briefing
You've heard about the "Outline" but what does it mean to you... Study Skills Workshop will help you draft and outline that works for you.
Posted by rburkett at 08:56 AM | Comments (0)