Coping with the Pressure of Law School Examinations
By Laurie N. Robinson
The end of another semester is here and that means students are in the process of preparing for law school exams. This time of year can be stressful. Students are worried about one more thing in addition to summer employment—grades!
Preparing for end of the school year examinations can be overwhelming because you are processing a lot of information that you may not have covered during the semester and trying to stay calm.
On top of that, some of your classmates and even friends may turn (or may have already turned) super competitive. They may not want to share outlines with you or even yet, may not invite you to their private study groups.
No matter what the situation, don’t worry. You can make it through this process. Here are some quick tips:
- Take one day at a time
- Pace yourself
- Get organized by putting together a study schedule
- Take time to go to the gym and exercise thirty minutes a day
- Go to the library and review the professors’ past examinations
- Prepare an issue spotting outline
- Actual take a few hours to practice writing out a full examination (including the prima facie elements, defenses and arguments) – practice makes perfect in a time pressured situation
- Ask your professor to go over the practice exam with you to get his/her thoughts on what he/she expects from students on the exam.
You can do it!
If you find yourself getting stressed, remember to take a deep breath. Relax, relate, and release.
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