Study Tips for Law Students
Revising for exams can feel daunting, especially when thinking about all the content that you need to go over! This blog post will explore study tips to incorporate into your daily routine to help you feel less overwhelmed when it comes to the exam period.
Do a little every day
There is no feeling worse than trying to cram all your revision the week or so before your exams. Studying for an hour or two every day can help you feel productive without burning out. I like to start my day by making a short list of things I want to achieve, which helps me stay organised throughout the day. Plus, it’s very satisfying to cross a task off after I’ve completed it.
If you struggle with staying focused, I find the Pomodoro technique very helpful as you are dividing your work into smaller, manageable chunks and taking frequent breaks. Don’t push yourself to study for hours on end – it’s the quality of your revision that matters!
Make good notes
It is important to have a good set of notes to revise from for your exams. I make sure to go over all my lecture notes and fill in any gaps I might have missed, before starting to narrow everything down so that the information is more condensed. This is also a good time to do any further reading that might help you answer exam questions and add them to your notes.
Look at past papers
These give you a great idea of what questions have been asked in the past and what is likely to be asked in the future. I like to group similar topics together and make a question bank so that I have a set of questions that could be asked on a particular topic. It is beneficial to practice answering questions, whether in timed conditions or not, to pinpoint gaps in your knowledge that you need to review. Looking at the examiners’ reports is helpful to see what mistakes students have made in the past, and it also gives a general overview of what examiners are looking for in an answer.
Make a case bank
You always need to cite cases in your essays or problem questions! I like to make a list of all the cases for each module with the facts, issues and judgments of each case. This way, when it comes to exams, I can easily see which cases are relevant to the question I’m answering, and it saves time as I’m not sifting through all my notes looking for one specific case.
Vary your study spaces
There are lots of different spaces to study in the Mile End campus – some of my favourites include the silent study spaces in the library, in the Graduate Centre, and overlooking the canal at the Canalside. I also like to explore different coffee shops near my area. Studying is not the most exciting activity to do, so I like to reward myself with hot drinks and pastries when I study in cafes. I find that varying the spaces I study in makes me more productive, as I’m not sat in the same place all day every day.
Try different study methods
For example, listening to lectures again to review content, or reading textbooks and consolidating your learning into mind maps or flashcards. I find mind maps helpful for drawing links across different topics in my modules, so I can see the wider picture of how concepts relate to each other. Flashcards are useful for remembering case facts and judgments. Experiment and find what works for you – perhaps you like to ‘blurt’ all your knowledge on a whiteboard to see where there’s gaps, or perhaps you prefer to relisten to lectures like a podcast while you go about your day. Trying different study methods makes it easier for your brain to absorb and process information.
Take time to rest
I hope some of these tips have been useful! Implementing some of them into your routine will help avoid burnout and feeling overly stressed when it comes to revision. Above all, make sure to prioritise your health and mental wellbeing – activities like connecting with friends or exercising are important, especially when it comes to the exam period.
Written by Yinghan Ye