Empowering communities with the power of law and story.
“We did it!” Those were the remarks I heard as I finished my last exam of the Winter Semester: Contracts. A four-hour final that left us all tired, slightly defeated, excited for winter break, and one step closer to achieving our attorney dreams.
As we filed out, there was a sense of camaraderie between us, first-year law students who had survived our first round of finals. We had shared weeks of panic, frantic studying, and the challenge of reviewing 15 weeks of material in 3 weeks. Although, as evening students, our winter exams looked a little different. We only had a Contracts final and a Torts midterm.
To be honest, law exams are exactly what you expect. They’re tough, long, and tiring. But there are a few strategies I picked up that helped me get through exams.
First, start early. Do not wait last minute to outline. Do multiple-choice questions and write practice essays weeks before your exams. Second, use study groups and office hours. I can not stress enough how important this is. My study group, which started as a small group of 4, grew to 10. In these sessions, the competitiveness of law school fades, and we all genuinely want to help each other succeed in the courses.
When it comes to exam day, give yourself time to think, and do not jump into the essay without reading the question carefully. Your first guess is usually wrong. Take time to think through every fact and outline your response first. Trust me, it’ll save you time when you start writing your essay.
Ultimately, law exams are difficult, but when you put in the work beforehand, the confidence you feel walking into the exam room is unbeatable.
Now that finals are over and I’ve had a restful winter break reconnecting with family and friends, I’m ready to learn from my past mistakes and start this semester fresh. At least I can say, “One semester down, seven to go!”
TOPICS: 1E, Exams & Finals