Written by Simar Anand - Well-being Officer for the Insight Project.
As a 1st year JD student, I found exam seasons at the University of Leicester Law school fairly challenging, just as they are elsewhere. Whether you excelled after last-minute studying or did better with a few extra days of prep, this blog post will serve as your Ultimate Exam Season Survival Guide! Exam periods at UoL Law can be far less stressful if you implement these three study hacks into your routine early on in the semester.
My Source: just trust me.
1. Try to complete and organize your notes the week that they are given to you. Based on my personal experience, this is a habit we often overlook. But your future self will definitely thank you when you start working on the summative and formative assignments. Find a system that works for you and keep all of your notes for lectures, readings, and tutorials in one place! This also makes studying and preparing for tutorials far more efficient and saves you a lot of time. Time spent otherwise searching through your files for all of your materials. I would highly recommend using OneNote or Google Drive to organize your notes, that way you can also access your notes from anywhere!
2. Incorporate appropriate breaks! Brain breaks are critical to your performance in law school. It is possible to become too engrossed in the information you are revising, and it may feel like taking a break will make your study flow end. In actuality, you need to give yourself time to take in all of the information and process it. Planned breaks will become your best friend. Make the most of your breaks by engaging in activities that will reenergize you! Get some fresh air, go to the gym, meet a friend for coffee, or even watch an episode of your favourite show! Do whatever you need to do to de-stress and re-energize. TAKE THOSE BREAKS! They’re as important for you as studying and revising!
3. Use online resources like Law Teacher or Law Prof to read summaries of cases if you are having trouble comprehending them. Then, try to summarise cases using your own words! Write things out in a way that makes sense to you. Oftentimes, case law will be difficult to memorize and apply to cases. We’ve all been there, unsure of the main facts or what was ultimately held in each case. These helpful online resources provide summaries and break down relevant points, making them easier to find. Keep in mind that you are the one learning the content, not the other way around. So, find resources and techniques that you learn through the best!
There you have it! Although I only used the title of this blog to draw you to my post, and this isn’t quite the ULTIMATE exam season survival guide, I still hope that you got some helpful tips for tackling your next exam season at UoL Law! Have fun with it! Your hard work will be rewarded!
And…If you came to this post right before an important exam… Good luck to you too, fellow exam-taker!