It’s Spring! Preparing For The Stretch Run

It’s Spring! Preparing For The Stretch Run

It’s Spring! Preparing For The Stretch Run

Spring is here, or just about here. For law students, they’re making the turn and heading into the stretch. Only a few months remain until final exams. For students waiting for later to catch up, it’s “later” – now is the time to make good on self-directed promises. Typically, law students, especially 1Ls, have little left in the tank and are near exhaustion. Here are some tips for students to maximize all the energy, resolve, and hard work they have left.

  1. Celebrate. There’s no reason to panic if you feel tired and completely “spent.” You’ve made it this far through the school year. Trust yourself that you can finish the job. Celebrate and feel good about the fact that you are about to complete your first (or yet another) year of law school. Enjoy the fact that you are meeting the challenge of law school. Buckle up, make the big push forward, and succeed!
  2. Organize. Consider when you will change your primary focus from daily class to final exam preparation. Ensure you know what to expect regarding material and format for each final exam, especially if this is unclear. Determine how and when you will study for each individual subject and test. Use time efficiently. Add the important points from classroom notes and case briefs for material in the last few weeks leading up to finals to your outlines as you do the work rather than waiting until a later point in time such as the weekend. No student should be finishing an outline a few days before the exam.
  3. Refresh. Take some personal time – a spring break – no matter how short. Find a way to enjoy the transition between seasons, (even if it is hardly noticeable like it is here in California). Try to be more physically active. Make the most of any break or vacation time.
  4. Clarify. Focus on answering or clarifying any questions regarding the material in your outlines. Determine if any issue, sub-issue, minority view, etc., is missing. Utilize professors’ office hours now, weeks before the final exam, rather than days before the final.

 

If you are interested in becoming an exceptional legal advocate, consider the benefits of the California Desert Trial Academy. As a member of CDTA’s growing family, you’ll receive access to our student and alumni attorneys, who freely and openly share their legal experiences, career advice, and academic tips. Call us today at (760) 342-0900 or find out more online here.

 

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