Finals are never just that

It has been a while since my last post, but there are many reasons/excuses for the delay. One is the cold I got for Christmas (it wasn't even on my list!), and the other is that once finals ended for me on December 15th I needed some down time to not think about law school for a while. That didn't really ever happen, since I had to buy books and begin my reading assignments for next semester. So, just because finals are over, nothing about law school is "final."

I have yet to get my grades back, but I think (hope) I did really well on them. My Contracts final consisted of 4 long-answer questions, which meant about a solid hour of writing for each question. My final turned our to be about 20 typed pages long. For Torts, there were two inter-related questions that took 4 hours, and that was another 20 pager. So, although we all want our grades back yesterday, I have to remember that the poor professors have to slug through 70+ 20 page papers. It will be a while.

I do have some tips for evening students to prepare for finals (this blog is never far from my mind, although at times it is far from my to-do list). Here goes:

1. Keep going to school - Once classes are over, there will be a "reading period" when there is no class. Doesn't matter - go anyway. Now is NOT the time to break from your school routine. Even if you just sit in the library for two hours each night, you will get far more done than if you go straight home after work (which will make you feel like you're on vacation). As an added bonus, you will bump into other classmates and be able to bounce questions off of them (which is especially helpful since you won't have the ear of the professor anymore).
   
2. Form a dedicated study group - Many different books will tell you many different things about study groups. I know, because I have read them. Some will say they are the only way to survive, and others warn against them because they turn into gripe sessions. Both of these opinions are true. As an evening student, you do not have the luxury of time to pour over and reflect on the material all semester long, and you usually won't be able to get to the professor's office hours. Study groups are essential for our kind. Yes, you get a group of law students together at night into the wee hours, the conversation will drift off sometimes (and people get downright punchy), but it always gets back on track. You'll be amazed at how much your classmates know. Best advice - form a group EARLY in the semester, so that you know who to "weed out" if they aren't dedicated to studying in your group.
   
3. Take past exams - Most old exams are available in your school library, or on its website. Take them, and do not cheat!! Take them in quiet conditions under the allotted time, to make sure that you can pace yourself properly. This is what we did in my study groups, and then we shared our answers afterwards. At first you will panic because you all spot different issues, but once you realized you missed Parol Evidence, you will never forget it again!
4. Start your outline one month in - Whether fall or spring semester, begin a rough outline (even if it is just copying and pasting your notes). You will NOT have time during the exam to refer to any materials (at least, you won't if you're on the right track), so start your class outline early enough that you have it memorized by the time your final rolls around.
   
5. Take the Professor, not the Class - This is a piece of advice handed down to a classmate from an upperclassman, and it is so true. Relying too much on commercial outlines or other sources than your class notes will be certain death. Each professor has his own "baby" that you should pay special attention to (for example, my torts professor was a products liability guru and is very big on public policy - things the casebook and outlines hardly went into).
   

This isn't all-inclusive, of course, but this is what worked for me my first semester in, and I think I will stick with it. I left both finals completely calm and confident. I may get Cs in both classes (thanks mandatory curve!!), but I know I did my best, and felt good about the semester's work.

Spring will be hell. I'm taking Civ Pro and Crim Law, which I am looking forward to, but they also have us taking Legal Research and Writing!! Don't let the one measly credit fool you - LRW is what separates the future attorneys from the future eBay power sellers. It's extremely time and labor intensive, and as such, you may not see another new post for a while.

If you do, it means I have gone to cooking school.