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Special Tips for Taking Law Exams

published July 30, 2013

By Author - LawCrossing
Published By
( 2 votes, average: 3.6 out of 5)
What do you think about this article? Rate it using the stars above and let us know what you think in the comments below.
SURVIVING FIRST-YEAR EXAMS

Whether you take time off before going to law school or go directly to law school after college, law school exams are unnerving. An entire semester of material-weeks and weeks of cases, statutes, theories, and policies-crammed into one test upon which your entire grade rests. If being called on blindly in class makes you uncomfortable because of the pressure, wait until you experience your first round of exams! Surviving exams is probably the most difficult aspect of the first year in law school. Below are some tips to help you survive and prosper.


KNOWING IT COLD IS NOT ENOUGH

Without a doubt, the most important tip regarding test-taking is to know the material as well as humanly possible. That goes without saying. Even when you know the material, you still face the challenge of being able to perform well on an exam-that is, to prove to the professor that you know everything you do. A common complaint among law school students is that their exam grades do not reflect how well they knew the material. "I cannot believe I didn't do better on that exam. I knew that material cold."

The reality is that knowing the material cold is not enough. Doing well on a law school exam also requires strategizing and taking certain critical precautionary measures. A quick walk-through of the types of things you should do immediately before, during, and after the exam should help you do as well on an exam as you think you should or, perhaps, do better than you thought possible.

THREE PRE-EXAM TIPS
  1. STAY COMFORTABLE AND FOCUSED.

    The day of an exam is usually a stressful one. The key to doing well on the exam, therefore, is remaining as comfortable and focused as you can. A number of things can help you achieve that comfort level on the big day. First of all, make sure that you get to school early. If you are prone to oversleeping, set two alarm clocks for yourself or make a deal with a fellow classmate that you will call each other in the morning. The point is that you don't want to feel rushed or panicked about being late. Getting to school about a half-hour before the exam starts will allow you to clear your head and relax before the exam begins. If you get there just as time is called, your mind probably will not be focused enough. Unless you have unusually good bladder control, avoid drinking too many liquids the day of the exam, particularly caffeine-laden ones. One of the biggest pressures you face on a law school exam is the pressure of time. Five or 10 minutes wasted on trips to the bathroom is unnecessary and can even be fatal in a short one- or two-hour exam.

  2. DON'T STUDY ON THE DAY OF THE EXAM.

    Some students think the best way to prepare for an exam is to study every possible moment-right up to when the exam begins. Big mistake. Unless the exam is in the late afternoon, you should organize your study schedule around the presumption that you will not study for the exam at all during the day of the exam. The closer you get to the exam, the more nervous you probably will become and the less likely you are to remember what you study. Go to bed the night before an exam feeling confident that you have learned all that you can and that you know the material as well as possible.

    Likewise, discussing the material with your friends right before an exam is a bad idea. Hashing out disagreements and different interpretations of the material with your classmates is useful during the semester. Two minutes before an exam it will only confuse and distract you.

  3. BRING A SNACK AND EARPLUGS.

    I was so nervous before my Contracts exam that I could not eat even though the final was not until 1 P.M. As I was getting through the first question, I noticed that I was getting hungry; by the second question, my stomach was rumbling; by the third question, I was STARVING! My stomach was churning for food. The moral of the story is to eat before the exam or take something with you! - AMY THOMPSON, INDIANA UNIVERSITY.BLOOMINGTON SCHOOL OF LAW

AFTER THE EXAM

After my Torts exam, my section went to a nearby pub to celebrate. Over a beer, a section mate and I started discussing the exam. He began to go into detail about the battery issue in the first question. Battery issue? I had missed it completely. I started freaking out. I was sure I had flunked. He said, "I hate to say it, Shan, but it's not a good thing that you missed that issue."

Three weeks and much self-bereavement later, I got my exam back. I tentatively peered at my score- full points on the first question. I guess battery wasn't an issue after all. The experience taught me not to discuss exams when they are over', but just to move on to greener pastures, or the next exam. - TRICIA SIMPSON, FORDHAM LAW SCHOOL

Believe it or not, even though the exam is over, there is one additional "test-taking tip" that is critical. After the exam, leave immediately. Do not stop to talk with friends and colleagues about the exam. There is nothing worse than finishing an exam and then freaking out because your best friend Sally discussed something in her answer that you did not even see in the fact pattern. And it happens every time when you meet and chit-chat about the exam. Make a pact with your friends early on that no matter how tempted you are, you will not discuss the exam once it is over. Move on. You have more important things to worry about rather things that you can actually control.

published July 30, 2013

By Author - LawCrossing
( 2 votes, average: 3.6 out of 5)
What do you think about this article? Rate it using the stars above and let us know what you think in the comments below.