Time is almost always an issue in law school. While you may feel like you have little control over the time challenge, there are some ways to minimize stress and the potential to become overwhelmed as the end of the semester nears and finals and papers gear up.
Assess before you begin
It’s hard to manage what you don’t know. So, before you dive deep into your final exam studies or a required paper, practice what you probably learned to do as a 1L: Get out a calendar and mark down when each of your finals takes place and when your papers or projects are due.
It will be worthwhile to note which exams are open book and which are closed book, as this can help you map out how (and how much) you study — and what time will remain for your writing. Then go a step further and mark off specific days and times when you plan to outline for each of your classes and when you plan to study for those finals. Having a roadmap to refer to over the coming weeks will serve you well as you manage your expectations and goals.
Evaluate your outlines
Speaking of outlines… How are they coming? Are they up to date? Do you have time set aside each week to continue to update them? If not, you will likely want to add in some time on your calendar for this activity.
Get a little refresher on outlining.
Follow your professor’s instructions
Professors will often provide guidance on how much time should be spent on certain tasks, like studying for a particular section of the final exam. Pay attention to those instructions. Your professor designs the final exam with certain time constraints in mind, and the time is likely to correspond closely to the value placed on each part of the exam.
The same holds true for papers. Take note if your professor gives you dates for topic selection and rough drafts due. If, on the other hand, you aren’t given any information other than the final due date for a paper, it will help you to make small deadlines for yourself. These deadlines should account for:
- Topic selection
- Page and word requirements
- Time for doing research
- First draft completion
- Feedback from the professor
From here, you may want to break everything down into weekly goals leading up to your final paper’s due date. You will be better prepared for what’s to come without leaving too much to the last minute, during the time when you’re also trying to power through your exam studies.
Allot time based on value
If your professor doesn’t provide time suggestions for writing and studies, assign time based on value. How much of your grade will a paper garner? How long is the exam scheduled for? Answers to these types of questions should help you determine where to prioritize your time.
Create a schedule — and stick to it
Once you have calculated how much time you should spend on each task, create a more detailed schedule on your calendar. Write down the timing for finishing one part of a paper and moving on to the next, and then stick to the schedule. If you happen to finish a task a little early, then the remaining time can go toward another section or turning your attention to exam prep.
Build time management with practice exams
As you may have discovered earlier in law school, professors will sometimes release old exams. This should serve as a reminder of the opportunity old exams provide. Take a few timed practice exams to evaluate your management of the clock without having to worry about an actual grade.
You’re so close to the semester finish line. Hang in there and find your balance. You’ll be glad you took the time! Check out these high-level tips for (once again) preparing for law school final exams.