Outlines, Study Guides, and IRAC Checklists
Sometimes it can be
difficult to find the motivation to study for finals. Especially after writing LRW
memos and taking midterms. Taking a more active approach to studying will help
you overcome the monotony of going over your outline continuously. You can
start by turning your outline into a more useful and interactive study guide
that asks questions and gives hints to the answer or making an IRAC checklist
for each of the rules that you have covered in your class. The active part of
recreating your outline will make you think about the material thoroughly and
will help you to remember why and how the rules work in different fact
patterns.
IRAC checklists are
particularly helpful because they will help you to organize your thought on the
issue and the facts during the exam, saving you valuable time for writing your
answer. Writing the rule on each checklist will help you to find and memorize
the correct words for each rule so that you are maximizing your “easy” points
on each exam. Actively writing these statements will help them to be automatic
when you are under the stress of exam week. Set up an outline with each element
of the rule and leave room for both sides of the issue, that way you will not
forget to argue for both sides (if that is the call of the question). Make sure
that you include the exceptions and leave a place to argue how the exception
applies or does not apply.
Another
way to memorize rule statements is to make flashcards. You can use the flash
cards to study when you are at home for Thanksgiving, ask your family and
friends to quiz you on them while you are eating turkey and dressing or while you
are recovering from the tryptophan. Making a rule statement flashcard is easy
if you make it immediately after the rule is covered. Waiting until the end of the semester to
start flashcards (or outlines) will make the task overwhelming and significantly
more time consuming. Don’t wait for the
reading week to catch up on studying for finals!
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