Finals Finals Finals...SO SO SOON!!!

The Final Final Exam Message

Midterms: Check

Papers: Check

Finals: Ehhh

As the semester comes to a close, you are probably freaking out about finals.  The truth is, Law School exams are different then any other exam you have taken.  They require you to think deeper, come up with solutions, and use the applicable law to come up with a solution or discussion for your paper.  They also come with anonymous grading, so while your class participation may earn you some extra points in the end, the professor won’t know your grade until you find out.  While this time period may be exhausting, nerve racking, or even terrifying; you can get through this and will get through this.  Here are some tips on how to get through this:

1.     Organize your outlines

By now, you have at least learned to organize your outlines.  Finish them up, preferably outlining daily to organize your notes and concepts. 

It may be beneficial to cut your outline down to the necessary components by creating a study outline.  This will allow you to study the necessary pieces of the law and not get bogged down by the additional elements placed in your outline that may be repetitive or not relevant. 

2.     Practice writing out final examinations

Law School Exams are a craft, they require you to look at the issue, rule, analyze the rule with the facts, and conclude, otherwise known as the infamous IRAC.  Practicing this craft in advance will lead to further success by being able to issue spot the facts relevant to the question, match the appropriate law, and successfully conclude why your argument is the best argument.

3.     Meet with your professors

I know, they may scare you in class, but these are the people making the exam and grading the exam…their input on your writing and outlining is crucial!  Meet with them if you feel confused, meet with them to go over practice exams, or even overview of an outline.

4.     The Day Before/Of The Final Exam

a.     Get to bed at a reasonable time-you may think that you can study into the wee hours of the morning, but you need time to rest your brain.

b.     Get some good food in you-I know pizza may be your staple, but brain food is essential to cognitive growth.  Try some of these: https://draxe.com/15-brain-foods-to-boost-focus-and-memory/

c.      Cut off studying after a certain time-I know you think that cramming until the last minute helps, but that last second is proven not to be as beneficial as you may think.  Study hard, but get yourself some rest and relaxation.

d.     Keep calm…which may sound like the last thing you want to do, but freaking out will only make taking a final exam worse.

Law School Exams are a different beast then any other exam you will take.  They require rigor, energy, and memorization.  Study, study, study!!!

Best of Luck! See you next semester! 

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As seen at CULS-Weekly Happenings

A Day in the Life: Upcoming Events at CULS

Please join the Capital University Law School Community for our Third Annual Diversity Week! Our plethora of Student Organizations will be hosting various events targeting issues in today’s society, as well as personal and professional development!  Most events include meals and best of all…each event is FREE to attend!

A little on CULS Diversity Programs:

Here at Capital Law, we strive for diversity, creating programs and organizations that benefit religious, ethnic, even political diversity across the Law School!  These organizations provide opportunities for connecting with those who share a commonality with you, as well as great networking opportunities!  The list includes, but is not limited to:

Christian Law Society

Capital Equality Alliance

Law School Democrats

Law School Republicans

The American Civil Liberties Union

The Federalist Society

And many more!

Don’t see an organization?  Make one yourself!  Gather a few people and contact our Director of Diversity and Inclusion, Branden Smith at bsmith10@law.capital.edu about funding and chartering an organization! 

Midterms are over, now what?

Post Midterms Blues…How to Make Good out of a Bad Situation

You were always a great student in high school; in college you could cram for a midterm or final and still pull an A in the class.  You get to Law School, and you think, “my writing is good, and I’m a pretty good test taker.”  Then you get into your first exam, think you did well, and the grade that comes back says otherwise.  If you’re like me, you probably are panicking now…debating if you can even handle this, or even freaking out that you will bomb the entire course because of one bad midterm.  Well if you are freaking out…stop!  Freaking out, especially in Law School does not lead to much good, in fact, it can be  completely contradictory to success.  However, if you are like I was, thinking that bombing an exam will lead to bad grades, bad job prospects, and questioning your ability to be a lawyer, these bits of advice may help to calm you down as they helped me.

1.     You’re not the only one who did terrible on the exam-even if you were one of the lower grades; chances are, more than just you struggled on this exam.  Law School exams are different then any other exams because they challenge you to apply the law you learned to a scenario, not just questions on whether you read a case or not, so go easy on yourself, this is new, and you gave it a shot.

2.     Use this as a learning experience and talk to your Professor-I know, the last thing you want to do is talk to the person who gave you a bad grade.  I recall getting my contracts midterm back and freaking out at the thought of talking to my professor.  However, when I finally did meet with him, he was helpful in giving me the guidance on how to improve.  He showed me where my strengths were, and where I can improve.  Even though Law School professors may not always be the warmest people, they really want you to succeed, use them as a resource to learn what they want on an exam and how to prepare accordingly.

3.     Be glad its not the final-I’m sure the last thing you want to think about is the final after a terrible midterm.  However, be glad that this was only a few percentage points of your final grade and not the final exam.  This midterm is practice, you get to see how the professor tests, what to expect of their grading, and how they like your responses to read.  Work on this from after the midterm until the final, you will thank yourself later.

4.     Practice, Practice, Practice-Now that the midterms are over, or will be over soon, use this score as an opportunity to practice for the final.   Practice from the midterm you were given as a hypothetical, and use past midterms (if your professor will let you use them) to build model answers.  That way, when the final comes around, you will know exactly what your professor will want, and can put a strong answer to paper.

I cannot stress this enough, but midterms are not to hurt you, they are to help you learn and understand the professors testing style and where your strengths and weaknesses might lie.  During 1L, they are one of the few opportunities you have to practice for the final exam.  As you reach upper level courses, many professors do not offer a mid term exam, so take these as a gift to practice and perfect your craft before the final exam rolls around.

Image taken from fastweb.com