Hi! I'm a first year law student and I need some advice on new study techniques. Right now we're doing commercial law and we have two exams in total. One in late November, which is the easier one that is only contract law, and the other one in mid January. I also have an exam I have to retake in early December.
So my questions are:
1. How do I best plan for all three exams?
2. What is a reasonable amount of time to study?
3. General study techniques
Hi!
It's great that you're thinking about this early, and planning makes a huge difference! Balancing three exams can feel like a lot, but with a plan it is completely manageable. A study plan will be very dependent on your individual working style, but I'll share some general tips that can help!
Planning
I would start by mapping out all three exams on a calendar. Since your November contract exam is first, focus most of your time there for now while setting aside a few short weekly slots to review topics for the December and January ones - that way, nothing gets completely forgotten. After the November exam, shift to the December resit, and then move fully to your January paper.
Study Time
I always used to treat university as a full-time job, so try and aim for 6-7 hours a day (taking into account any lectures or seminars). However, consistency matters more than long sessions. Closer to each exam (about 2 weeks before), try to increase the hours and focus on daily active recall and timed questions if you can, as this will prepare you best for the actual exam. I always used (and still do!) the Pomodoro technique to allow me to take regular breaks, and I've found that these work best.
Study Techniques
These will be very unique to each person, but a list of techniques you could try:
- Active Recall: quiz yourself regularly instead of rereading notes. Flashcards (e.g. Quizlet) work great for definitions and principles.
- Condense your notes: create a "one-page summary" per topic - just key cases, principles, and tests. It's important that you write this in your own words and that you understand the underlying law and principles.
- Past Papers + Problem Questions: make sure that you are practicing applying the law, as this is a good way to spot weaker areas that you need to go back over.
- Spaced Repetition: keep revisiting topics you've already studied to lock them in and ensure that you are retaining the information.
- Mix it Up: it might be useful to alternate between reading, writing, practice answers, and active recall - this helps retention and keeps you motivated to study.
Also, don't underestimate breaks, sleep, and small rewards - they make a huge difference in keeping you motivated!
You've got plenty of time to do really well - just keep thing structured and consistent. You've got this, and best of luck with your exams!
