Let’s get honest. Before the first exam, I Googled “what are law school exams,” “How to Take a Law School Exam,” etc. We had a lot of guest speakers come and they all said the same thing:
“The exams are all essay questions and will just test your ability to take a test, not the knowledge.”
Well they all lied.
The first two exams I took in Crimes and Torts included ZERO essay questions and were all about knowing the material completely. Both exams did not require simply choosing the correct definition of a concept. They both were about knowing the key concepts and being able to apply the concepts to a fact pattern given.
That being said, here are a few things that I learned from taking these exams.
- You have to know the material. Like really know it. Being familiar with the concepts are not going to be enough to apply them. It is best to take down examples that the professor gives in class or ask for better ones. Taking the time to understand why and how the facts of the case apply the principles of the concept will help you breeze through these types of questions.
- Outlines are not enough. If you remember from my previous post on study tips, I never had to study and now that I do, the minimum is not enough for me. Outlines are great to condense notes, especially when your full note doc is 81 pages long (guilty). But, I used the outlines to then go through and highlight the terms I was not 100% confident in. Then, I made a Quizlet, wrote out my main terms I needed to know, and even found helpful videos online.
- Take the time to read through each question more than once. This was something I did not do. I was so pumped up on nerves and Bang energy drinks that I semi-rushed through the exam and missed some very easy questions. Sometimes the professor will basically give you the answer by clue words in the fact pattern and you really just have to pay attention and make the time to go through it.
Finding what works best for YOU and the ways that YOU study are key to success on exams. I hope my advice is helpful and can lead you to finding what works best for you.
Keep shining
Bona Fide Brunette 