Author: Beau Baez

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law school academic success Personality Skills

How Curiosity Plays a Crucial Role in Learning

Learning and curiosity have a deep relationship, and in fact, interest complements knowledge. We learn to the best of our ability when we are curious to know about vivid things. If you are not eager to know about something and various aspects of your subjects, your learning may remain incomplete. Besides, most of the most significant discoveries and innovations of the world started with curiosity. Those who could make a real difference to the world were keen to unlock new verticals of learning. So, it would not be wrong if we say that curiosity is the first step towards efficient understanding

A mountain, which is a metaphor for motivation.

To substantiate, there is a research-based study that affirms the vitality of keenness in the process of learning. According to this study, curiosity in students is as imperative as intellect in ascertaining their performance in their academics. Also, according to research in neurology, eagerness makes our minds more receptive to learning. When we are curious to learn, our brains tend to enjoy the process of learning and holistically grasp knowledge. Imagine if there was no curiosity in Albert Einstein, physics could have remained deprived of some crucial findings. If the Wright brothers were not keen enough, who knows if aeroplanes could have been a reality or not. 

Needless to say, if you look at learning as an objective or a destination, curiosity is the journey to it. Would you be able to learn something you are not passionate about or are not interested in? You may be able to cram things for the sake of doing well in the exams and may even achieve good grades. But what about learning? This is perhaps the biggest problem with the prevalent education systems. The education systems are killing curiosity in students and learners to make them adapt to a method of continuous assessments or exams. However, learning and actual development in students is taking a back seat in this new trend. This blog talks about the various aspects of curiosity and how it supplements learning by playing a pivotal role in it. Next, let us analyse the different ways in which interest is essential for learning. On the other side of it, you can realise the importance of being curious while learning. The magic of curiosity can do wonders to make you passionate about the learning process. 

5 Reasons why curiosity is vital for learning

1. It promotes active learning

Curiosity makes your mind much more robust and more open to learning new information. Curious students often ask questions during lectures and are keen to find the right answers. So, their mind is always receptive to learning and is active to grasp as much information as possible. Besides, they are keen to go beyond textbook knowledge and look to apply relevant experience in their day to day activities. Not only such students excel in their academics but also outshine others in terms of knowledge. In current times of cut-throat competition, holistic development is critical for students to achieve success. Therefore, in your pursuit of this comprehensive development, active learning can play a crucial role. Moreover, active learning is an essential prerequisite for some fields of study like engineering, law, and so on.

2. It attracts new ideas and observations.

Students who are eager to learn are often observant of new ideas. They have a knack for the exploration of various fundamentals of the education of the world. Besides, they try to create relevance with new ideas and discover ways to incorporate them into their pursuit of self-improvement. Curious students are committed to enhancing their knowledge by learning new things almost every day. However, students who do not have this eagerness only look at education as a system of exams or assessments. Can you relate to it? With curiosity, you can unlock new doors of success and skills for your personal growth. It can also build in you the sufficient ability to innovate and improvise in different areas of life. In its absence, you are often dishonest to your education and take it as a burden. You need the right motivation to keep pushing yourself to do well and excel. Thus,  We can now affirm that curiosity can be a vital cog in your study motivation.

3. It rewards learning

Curiosity also has the prowess to make learning more rewarding for students. Curiosity prepares the brain for learning and makes learning a joyful experience. Based on this experience, students find subsequent learning pleasing and rewarding. Besides, they can see education as making a real difference in their life and their personality. This is another reason why you should look to develop curiosity in yourself to make your learning wholesome. If you are not keen on learning something, it becomes a mere formality. So, curiosity can make you fall in love with knowledge and rediscover your perspectives. If you are eager to learn, you will always associate learning with pleasure.

4. It unfurls new possibilities.

All the successful science experiments started with a curious idea. As they became successful, they opened a world of new possibilities for human civilisation. So, there is a lot of power that is intrinsic to the idea of curiosity. You can unlock new opportunities and horizons for yourself when you learn with curiosity. Without eagerness, these possibilities may remain latent around you, and you may never see them. But if you are keen to build on your knowledge each day, it can help you to realise or build new skills. Further, these skills can prove to be crucial for you when you start looking for your dream job. Hence, being curious is one of the best ways for self improvement that you can ever discover.

5. It leads to personality development.

Curious students are fond of asking questions and challenging the merit of things. When they ask questions to their teachers on a regular interval, they can capitalise on their communication skills. Besides, in the process of asking questions on behalf of the class, they develop strong leadership skills. So, you can see that with eagerness to learn; you can incorporate a lot of soft skills into your personality. The process of being a curious learner can make you a much more vivid person than you have ever known. This confidence can give you an edge over others when the competition gets down the wire.

To wrap up, it can be concluded that learning is incomplete without curiosity and the willingness to learn. We tend to learn better when something intrigues us and inspires interest in us. Also, eagerness to learn adds a lot more value to the learning process. Learning can be fun when you are curious to grasp knowledge and are excited to discover new ideas. Moreover, there are scientific testaments to the correlation between education and curiosity. Further, In professional courses like medicine or law, curiosity becomes far more essential. Such professions require abundant knowledge and the ability to think beyond the ordinary. Thus, to be a successful lawyer or a doctor, curiosity is almost indispensable. You should continuously look for various ways in which you can encourage interest in yourself. This curiosity can take you places in your career graph and boost the prospects of meeting your career goals.

Categories
Exam Preparation law school academic success Study Technique

Case Briefing Demonstration

Case briefing is a learned skill, which takes time to master. It doesn’t have to be long, and in fact should not be more than half a page long. Yet many law students abandon case briefing after a few weeks in law school.  To help you understand how to master this simple yet important skill, I have prepared a case briefing demonstration video. Below you will find the three cases I used, which I highly recommend you read before watching the video. To get the most out of this demonstration, read the cases first, case brief them, and then watch the video. Compare your result with mine.  You should find that you have more time to complete case briefs, and you will also be helping prepare for your finals using the IRAC exam writing method.

 

Cases Used on YouTube Demonstration

Polmatier v Russ

Fruit v Schreiner

Stinnett v Buchele

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Essay Exam Exam Grading law school academic success Torts

Professor Taking Essay Exam

Professor surprised at reading exam

I created a video, watch a professor take an essay exam, where I take a torts bar exam question I’ve never seen before.  Using bar exam conditions, I limited my time to 30 minutes and took it closed book.  This process was useful for me, because it reminded me of the extreme pressure my students encounter on the bar exam and on law school exams.

Useful Exercise

young woman studyingThere are several reasons why students will find this exercise valuable.  One, it helps them understand that even an expert struggles to complete a bar exam in 30 minutes.  Two, they can observe how an expert uses their time to first prepare to write and then write.  I then wrote the exam using the Nested IRAC method, an organization technique to ensure you don’t miss anything.  Three, they can see an expert make mistakes, and still earn a decent grade on the exam.

The second part of this exercise was to grade the exam using a grading rubric used by many state bar examiners.  I first discussed the grading rubric, then reviewed the bar exam grader’s model answer, and finally reviewed my essay.

Comparing Answers

As I compared my answer to the model answer, I was surprised by a few things. For starters, I noticed that the grader was assigning points almost exclusively for duty and breach of duty. Yet the call of the question asked me to “explain” my answer.  I understood this to mean a full negligence discussion.  That required not only duty and breach, but also actual cause, proximate cause, and damages.  To do this for each of the three plaintiffs was impossible on a 30 minute exam–a poor job in designing this exam.  A more focused question by the bar exam designers would have yielded better answers.  Oh well, c’est la vie.

How Many Points?

Another problem with the essay question was the point allocation of 15% for the final issue on the unforeseeable extent of injury (i.e., the eggshell plaintiff rule).  The call of the question appears to give it equal weight with the first question, which was comprised of three parts. Thankfully, I was running out of time when I got to this issue.  Therefore, I did not spend more time on it than was necessary. But I didn’t know that when I was taking the exam.  So the lesson here is to do your best. There really isn’t a way to know exactly what the grader is looking for.  Make sure to discuss all the main issues, and if you have time then discuss minor issues.

The Documents

Here are the documents I used for this exercise:

 

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Study Technique Time Management

Time Management Using the Pomodoro Technique

Do you struggle with wasting time and need a tool to help you focus your attention?  The Pomodoro technique, developed by Francesco Cirillo in the 1980’s, is been used by me and millions of others. Let me quote from his book, The Pomodoro Technique. “Every day I went to school, attended classes, studied and went back home… feeling that I didn’t really know what I’d been doing, that I’d been wasting my time…. It was clear to me that the high number of distractions and interruptions and the low level of concentration and motivation were at the root of the confusion I was feeling. So I made a bet with myself, as helpful as it was humiliating: Can you study – really study for 10 minutes?” Does that sound familiar? Do you have problems keeping focus? Even if you are reading, do you ever find that you’ve been reading but you stopped thinking about the reading several pages earlier?

Franceso’s Plan

So here is what Francesco did. He went to his kitchen and grabbed his tomato shaped timer (this is the link to the one I purchased).  By the way, the Italian word for tomato is pomodoro. He then forced himself to study in concentrated bursts, with small breaks in-between each study segement.

Recommended Approach

First, decide what task you are going to work on. Second, set a timer for 25 minutes.  Third, start the timer and continue working on your task until the timer goes off.  Fourth, stop when the timer rings, place an X on a piece of paper, and take a 5-minute break.  Fifth, after the break, go back to the second step and do another pomodoro.  A pomodoro is each uninterrupted 25-minute session, so if something breaks the 25 minute session you don’t mark that down as a completed pomodoro—your good intentions don’t matter.  Finally, when you have four X’s on your piece of paper, take a longer break:  15 to 30 minutes. For those of you that are already studying for long periods of time, you may find that this method helps you with mental exhaustion.  Also, it will help you with knowledge retention. Our brains need breaks to process what we have just learned, so you may learn more by taking mini-breaks rather than longer breaks every few hours. In other words, this technique may allow you to study more efficiently.

Kitchen Timer

With regards to the timer, Francesco recommends a manual kitchen timer, a piece of paper, and a pen or pencil. He believes that taking the timer and winding it creates a psychological decision on your part to complete the task. From a behavioral perspective, you now associate setting the timer and working till the timer goes off, which strengthens your commitment to completing the task. The key is to not give up right away. You should notice a difference within a few days, and mastery of the pomodoro technique anywhere from a week to three weeks of use.

My Experience

As I was preparing this episode I decided to search for pomodoro apps. Sure enough there are several, so I downloaded a free one called Focus Keeper Free. It makes a ticking sound, just like a manual kitchen timer.  It has a digital countdown and an analog rotating scale like a kitchen timer. At first I thought the clicking sound would be disturbing, but the sound was actually soothing.  Ironically, I usually have long periods of time without interruptions, but during my first 25 segment I got a phone call and my wife came in to talk to me.  This means I can’t count that segment as a pomodoro.  The app also has a five minute timer that comes on for break time. After a few weeks, I decided to purchase an analog kitchen timer.  I like the physicality better, and it also allows me to move my phone away from me (one of my main distractions). As with any time management technique, the pomodoro technique may or may not work for you. Some people swear by it and others despise it.  All I can do is suggest that you try it for a few weeks and see if it works for you.  For example, do some practice essays using the IRAC method.  If you’ve got a kitchen timer start with that, but if not, try it with a free time management app for a couple of days.

 

 

Categories
Essay Exam Exam Preparation Torts

Rule Statements on Exams that Get Top Grades

Hand writing word rules, for rule statements

There are ways to write rule statements on exams that get top grades.  Many students don’t know how to do this, even though it’s not a difficult skill to master. Specifically, students fail to provide thorough rule statements. A thorough rule statement is one that accurately defines the primary issue, each relevant word in the issue, and any related issues.

Desk in rules statement exampleFact Pattern Example

Brad and Bella are in the same high school math class. One day before class, Brad thinks it would be funny to pull the chair from under Bella as she is sitting down.  He quietly goes to Bella’s chair, and just as she is sitting down he pulls the chair out from her. Bella falls on her rump, but is not physically hurt.  Bella is quite embarrassed by Brad’s action. Discuss all causes of action Bella can bring against Brad.

Poor Rule Statements

A poor rule statement for this question might read: “A tort occurs when someone intentionally hits someone else.” The rule discusses parts of a battery, but fails to mention the tort by name.  It also fails to identify, let alone define, all the relevant terms. It is not enough to identify some amorphous intentional torts and fail to specify battery.

Average Rule Statements

An average essay answer might read like this: “a battery is the intentional contact of another in a harmful or offensive manner.” This is a good basic definition for battery. However, it fails to define the three key elements of battery: intent, contact, and harmful or offensive. You may want to watch this video on battery for a deeper understanding of this tort.

Reached top of mountainSuperior Rule Statements

A superior essay will have a rule statement like this:  “a battery is the intentional contact of another in a harmful or offensive manner.  Intent is defined as someone who desires the act, or has knowledge to a substantial certainty that the contact will occur.  Contact is defined as the physical touching of a human being.  And finally, harmful or offensive is measured by what society deems as harmful or offensive.” As you can see, in addition to the average rule statement, you must also define intent, contact, and harmful or offensive.  Why?  Because these three key terms will drive your analysis.

IRAC Method

Remember, it is not enough to use the IRAC method in an answer.  Even average answers tend to use IRAC, but they miss out on points because they fail to define necessary key terms. You don’t have to define obvious words like “is” or “the.” But you do need to define every term that judges and lawyers find significant. And by significant, I mean words that can be disputed at trial.

Application

Finally, don’t forget that a great rule statement is only the first step in getting a good grade. Some students have superb rule statements, and then bomb the application section of their essay.  It is imperative that you apply the facts to the rules to get higher grades. This isn’t the only thing that differentiates the average answer from the superior answer, but it is a significant factor in students receiving lower grades.

How to Improve

The best way to improve is through practice.  You need to take short practice exams and then get feedback on how you performed.  Most professors will not review your practice exams, so get help from your academic support department or private tutor.  Also, create a small group for the sole purpose of taking practice exams. If you’re not in a group, you may want to watch this video on law school study groups.

 

 

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Classroom Study Technique

How to Take Notes in Law School

Law students in classroom taking notes

Cornell UniversityHow to take notes in law school isn’t difficult, if you use the Cornell notetaking method. Developed at Cornell University over 50 years ago, it has been used by people around the world to better organize their thoughts. Once class is over, you will have a better way to find what you covered in class, and to connect ideas covered in previous sessions.

Handwrite or Type Notes

This has become an issue because many students wanting to take notes in law school on their computers during class. While it is possible to use this method on a computer, the preferred method for taking notes during class is by hand. I’ve discussed this extensively in a video called Handwrite or Type Notes. The problem with typing notes is that the mind uses a different part of the brain when typing. And that part of the brain doesn’t retain information very well.

Paper

Cornell method paper take law school notes

The first step is to have the right paper. While you can search for Cornell Method paper and purchase it pre-formatted, you can easily format any paper, lined or blank, with a ruler and pen.  To format the paper yourself, go two inches (5 cm) from the left side and draw a line from the top to bottom, dividing the paper into two columns.  You will take your notes in the much larger right column, and leave the left column alone during class. At the bottom, draw a horizontal line two inches (5 cm) from the bottom, which you will also leave blank during class.

During class you will place all of your notes in the right column.  Don’t try to outline your notes during class. Instead, focus on the content of the discussion.  Now, if there is material that is sequential in nature, then you may want to number it. But don’t try to place the material into a much larger organizational system during class.  For example, suppose that your Torts outline you have Trespass to Land under section III(C).  That is fine, but don’t worry about that during class time.  So if your professor says there are 5 elements to Trespass to Land, then by all means write down 1 through 5, along with the elements. Just don’t worry about aligning it to your outline during the class discussion. By the way, I made a video on Trespass to Land that you might find useful.

Capture Ideas

Next, don’t take verbatim notes. Instead, capture the most important ideas. Since they are your notes, write telegraphically. You have likely seen movies where someone received a telegram. Because people paid by the individual letter they sent, telegrams sound choppy, yet they are completely understandable.  You can employ the same technique and avoid words like a, an, the, or for.  Also, use abbreviations.  In law school, many students use a capital K for contract, a p for plaintiff, and d for defendant.  These are your notes, so create abbreviations that work for you.

CUE Column

Shortly after class, you will use the left side column, which is called the cue column. Cue, spelled C-U-E, are your cues for helping you understand what is in your notes.  You should write down key words in the cue column that correlate to your notes in the right column.  For example, suppose your class discussion was about mutual assent for a contract.  In the cue column you might write down “offer” in one spot and then further down the page you might write down “acceptance.” One advantage of using key words is that you can then find those key words on other pages where they appear, allowing you to tie concepts together, even though they might have been discussed at different times during class, or even over several classes.

Summary Section

Finally, the blank section at the bottom of the page is a summary section.  After you complete the cue section, summarize your notes on that part of the page. This is critically important, because each time you engage with the material you learn it at a deeper level.  Much more so than will occur if you only reread your notes. This is very similar to the Elaborative Interrogation technique, which helps create new connections between concepts.

 

 

Categories
Essay Exam Exam Grading Exam Preparation

The Rule Dump: #1 Law School Exam Mistake

Wrong way sign

The rule dump is the number one mistake students make on their law school exams. This is when the student throws out as much information from the course that they can remember, hoping that some of it will stick. Usually the rule dump, also called a brain dump, occurs all on the first page of the essay. Let me explain why professors hate it and why it is hurting your grade.

College Exams

In college, the best grades go to student answers that have lots of information.  This is because most college professors test students on knowledge retention. In other words, if you demonstrate that you read the material you get a good grade. That exam writing style will not work in law school.

Law School Exams

While law school essay exams do require you to know the law, that is only the starting point for a well written essay. Law school exams are testing you on higher level thinking skills. In fact, law school professors grade exams by allocating most of the points to those exams that apply the rules to the facts.  So here is what law professors think when they see a rule dump.  We start asking ourselves, does this student understand the issue or is the student trying to throw everything they know into the answer because the student is confused. For more information on the levels of learning, you may want to look at this article on Bloom’s Taxonomy from Vanderbilt.

Relevance

On a business associations exam testing on vicarious liability, the facts clearly state that Mat is an employee.  Some students will then provide a rule dump with all of the rules needed to establish that someone is an employee, like the level of control between principal and agent. But none of that was necessary as the facts provided that Mat is an employee.

That leaves me wondering if the student understands the issue or not. And guess what happens when there is uncertainty?  Students receive lower grades. It is possible that the student understood the issue, but because the student employed the brain dump method that student ended up with a lower grade. The learning point here is that you should only provide the rules that are needed to answer the question.

Conflicts

Another problem with the brain dump is that you might provide different rules that appear to conflict with each other.  This will also cost you points. For example, suppose that you are writing a negligence essay. There are absolutely no facts provided in the question to indicate that the victims are children. Some students will then discuss the attractive nuisance doctrine. This leaves me wondering if the student understands the question or not.

Hidden Rule

A third problem occurs when the rule that is needed to answer the question is hidden with several superfluous rules. The professor might miss it completely or not appreciate how you wanted that rule applied to the fact pattern.

Three law students wearing suits. Rule dump post.Keep in mind that law school is a professional school, preparing students to become lawyers and not professors.  When you bring your case before a judge, or discuss your case with a partner, that judge or partner only wants to hear about the law relevant to the case—not everything you know about the law.  Judges, partners, AND professors are busy people, so only provide the rules you need to answer the question.

Finally, since all exams have some kind of time limit, you are wasting precious time discussing rules that, at best, will be ignored, and at worst, will cost you points.

How to Avoid the Rule Dump

The best way to avoid the rule dump is by using the IRAC Method. This is where you discuss each issue separately: state the Issue, provide the Rule, Analyze the facts, and give your Conclusion. Unfortunately, many students misunderstand how to use the method, so you may want to read my article on Nested IRAC, which explains in detail how use IRAC on a law school essay exam. Before any exam, you need to practice using IRAC. In addition to taking law school exams, incorporate IRAC into your daily class preparation by using the FIRAC Case Briefing Method.

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law school academic success Physical Study Technique

Study Space Ideas

Are you looking for some good study space ideas? Do you know how to create a study space that will help your learning? In this article I will discuss some tips to help you create a better study space that is more conducive to learning. Primarily, you can accomplish this by eliminating distractions from your study space.

Distraction #1: Internet

student surfing internet. Study space ideas post

When you get bored or the work gets hard, do you start checking your favorite social media site? Do you prefer Facebook, YouTube, and Reddit over boring tasks? Who doesn’t. When I grade exams, which I hate to do, I go and find a quiet spot in the library.  One great study space idea is to find a space without the Internet or your smartphone. Maybe you can leave your phone in another room, so you aren’t tempted. If you need your phone, there are apps that you can use to shut off Internet access for a set amount of time. Shut is off for 15 minutes to begin with, and then turn it off for longer periods of time. You might also find the Pomodoro technique useful in fighting an Internet addiction.

Distraction #2: Environment

For most people, the best temperature to study at is 77 degrees Fahrenheit, 25 degrees Celsius. A few degrees colder or warmer, and you won’t study as well.  In addition to temperature you need to think about the lighting in your study space.  Ideally, natural light is best, but if you are studying at night or in a room without a window, get bulbs that mimic natural night. This means avoiding yellow lights, which mimic candle light.  You want a bulb in the 5,000 to 6,500 kelvin range, which may look blue to you initially if you’re not used to them.  But in reality, bulbs in that range mimic natural sunlight, especially if you purchase a decent LED light bulb.  Compact fluorescents, by the way, are generally not very good at keeping their color, and might create a strange light.  I recommend that, in addition to getting a light in the 5,000 to 6,500 kelvin range, that you also look for an LED bulb that has a CRI above 90. CRI stands for color rendering index, so anything above a 90 will look natural, and not strange. I personally use the Hyperikon wide flood and Hyperikon standard base bulbs. Finally, make sure that your seating is comfortable.  Find something that is comfortable for you, whether that is a chair or a standing desk.

Cluttered desk. Study space ideas post.

Distraction #3: Organization

Your study space should be uncluttered, and it should be clean before starting the next day.  This will help you focus on studying, and not the mess around you. Also, make sure your study materials are all nearby.  You don’t want to keep getting up and down to go get something you need. Also, get rid of anything in the study space that might distract you, like novels, magazines, and pictures that cause your mind to wander.

What to Bring

Bring a large drink so you don’t have to keep getting up.  If you are going to snack, bring your snacks with you. Keep a small notepad on your desk to write down distractions.  For example, if during your study time you realize that you forgot to pay a bill, write it down and deal with it after your study time.

Location

Finally, think about moving your study space from time to time.  Scientific studies have shown that our brains work better when we are in new environments and do things differently.  To help my brain, I avoid driving the same way all the time, instead varying my path to keep the neural connectors working better.  For you that might mean studying at different coffee shops, or at least at different tables in the coffee shop.  In the library, move around—don’t always go to the same table.

Breaks

Make sure to take regular breaks. The brain is not designed to work without some rest, so build that into the routine. At some point, you may hit a mental roadblock and need to do something to break the mental roadblock.

 

 

Categories
Exam Preparation law school academic success

Do I Need Tutoring Services?

Woman providing tutoring services to law student

Are you considering tutoring services to help you next semester?  Maybe you got your grades back and you didn’t do as well as you wanted. Or perhaps you just want to do better with a little extra help. Whatever your situation, law school tutoring services can help you reach your goals.

Law School Professors

Law schools don’t provide the individualized attention you need to reach your full potential. At many law schools, professors are not available, will not discuss with you how to write law school exams, or will not review your practice exams. This is because most law schools reward professors who write law review articles. Not those who spend time helping students. Or, you may have a tenured professor who just doesn’t spend a lot of time at the law school anymore.

Academic Support Department

If you’re lucky, you’re at a law school with an academic support department. The professionals in these departments tend to have a great deal of expertise, which can help you improve. But most of these professionals are overworked, assisting more students than they can reasonably help. This means that they do triage, creating workshops on general topics like note taking and IRAC. And if you schedule a meeting with one of them, the meetings are usually short because they are booked in back-to-back meetings.

Law School Tutor

A law school tutor will spend the time you need working for you, listening to you, and figuring out where you need help. One-on-one law school tutoring is powerful because you’re not like everyone else at your law school. You came to law school with certain skills, knowledge, and abilities that are different from your classmates. Some of your classmates already have strong writing skills. Some of them were in majors, like philosophy, that emphasized the critical thinking skills needed in law school. Others went to private prep schools, which taught them how to study better.

running race so need law school tutoring

Let me use an analogy. You are in a race with your classmates. As you prepare to start the race, you all are placed on the track, but not all at the same starting place. Many of your classmates are starting the race closer to the “A” grade because of the advantages they brought with them to law school. Unfortunately, law school is not a level playing field. But you can learn how to outrun your classmates if you train the right way.

Self-Help

Now don’t get me wrong, going to your academic success department, reading some books, and watching videos on this channel will help. But most of your classmates are doing the exact same thing. For example, I recommend that you read Writing Essay Exams to Succeed in Law School, a resource I’ve assigned for years.  But you need help to run past your classmates in the law school race. And trust me, this is a race in every meaning of the word. Why? Because your professor will assign grades based on a forced curve, where there are few winners. Everyone will be ranked, highest to lowest. Those in first, second, and third place get A’s, and everyone else gets lower grades based on how they performed relative to the other students in the class.

Law Tutor Qualifications

So how do you find a good law school tutor? If you type “law school tutor” in your search engine, you’re going to find many options. Look at the qualifications of the tutors. By qualifications, I mean what have they have done during their career, not where they went to law school years ago. The law school someone attended is based on a standardized test score and undergraduate grades, not the tutor’s ability to help you succeed in law school today. Also, the grades they got in law school is not relevant. Why? Because you are not them. You do not have the same knowledge, skills, and ability that they did when they attended law school. Finally, remember that anyone can create a website and begin selling law school tutoring services. Use your critical thinking skills before you hire just anyone with a pretty ad to help you.

Ideally, you want somebody who’s taught thousands of law students. A law school professor makes the best tutor because he or she understands law students. The professor has worked with students, developing strategies to help struggling law students succeed. Also, law professors have written and graded exams, which helps them in providing their expertise to you.

Testimonials

Look for online reviews or testimonials. Has the tutor helped students throughout the country? Have they helped students at unranked law schools up to the elite law schools? What are others saying about them.

And finally, do you trust the tutor to do a good job? Sometimes you have to take a chance, so look for a free introductory session or a money-back guarantee.

Cost versus Benefit

Tutoring services are not cheap, at least from qualified tutors. You need to ask yourself: how much are better grades worth to me? Law students are coming out of law school with huge debt loads, with many now graduating with over $200,000 in debt. A tutor can help with higher grades, which can lead to law review, moot court, and other law school honors. And usually, once you’ve mastered law school exams and are getting better grades, you won’t need to continue with a tutor. But till then, you may want to weigh the cost and benefit of tutoring services.

Tip from a Law Student

I was lucky enough to go to a school that, had excellent professors, who were willing to meet with me. But occasionally I found that I needed help. In one class, for example, I needed a tutor, but I hadn’t planned for it in my budget.  I ended up earning my lowest grade in law school, and now wish I could have found a law school tutor.

So here is my advice:  set aside some money at the beginning of the semester in case you need law school tutoring services.  Place this future expense in your budget, and spend a little less money on going out.  And if you don’t end up needing a tutor, that’s a little more money in your pocket at the end of the semester!

Andrea

 

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law school academic success Time Management

What to do Between Semesters

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Wondering what to do between semesters? Are you bored, or ready to get a head start? Here are 12 tips on what to do between semesters. Some of the tips are school related, while others are not. The key is to find a balance between preparing for school and relaxing a bit—both are important. You may have two, three, or even four weeks off, so use the time wisely.

Tip #1

Family and friends. This is the time to reconnect with your family and friends. School is demanding, so take time over the break to visit with them, ask them what their last few months were like. Resist the temptation to talk about yourself, and instead listen to them. If you have trouble focusing on others, consider reading this short article on active listening.

Tip #2

Reflect on the past semester. Ask yourself what worked, what didn’t work, and what you will do differently. Not only in school, but in your personal life. I used to think reflection was silly, but there are significant educational benefits to self-reflection. You may want to start journaling if you don’t do so already.

Tip #3

Create process goals. A process goal involves how you are going to do things. For example, you may decide to get to school an hour earlier so that you can study in the library. Or you may decide to make flash cards each day after classes are over. A goal to get an “A” in a class is not a process goal. You can control the process, but not the outcome. To delve deeper on this, watch this video on how to set goals.

Tip #4

Plan next semester’s schedule. If you don’t have a schedule, then make one and stick to it. This includes not only going to class, but deciding when you are going to study, eat, sleep, exercise, shop, relax, and attend religious services.

Tip #5

Exercise. You need exercise not only for your body, but also for your brain. Studies show that exercise is correlated to increased cognitive ability.

Tip #6

Read a good book. And no, I don’t mean your textbook. Read something that is going to challenge you and get you to think about the great ideas. I recommend Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, Thomas à Kempis’ Imitation of Christ, Sun Tzu’s Art of War, Sertillanges The Intellectual Life, or any other of the numerous great books.

Tip #7

Review the material for next semester. If you have your textbooks, look through them and start getting familiar with what you will be covering next semester.

Tip #8

YouTube and blogs. I don’t mean for entertainment, though you should do some of that. Look for videos and blogs that will help you next semester. If you need help with writing essay exams, find a useful blog post, like this one on the IRAC method. If you are having problems with grammar, find blogs that will help you improve your language skills.

Tip #9

Online courses. If you can find online courses that will help you with the skills you need next semester, or in courses that you are going to take, then enroll in the course. I’m talking about relatively short courses so that you can complete soon, that way you can go into the semester with an understanding of the material. It takes our minds some time to digest knowledge, so get a head start over the break.

Tip #10

Watch a movie. Go out and enjoy some popcorn, a drink, and movie with some friends. This is the time to relax a bit before you start the next semester.

Tip #11

Enjoy nature. Find a park, mountain, ocean, or other nature preserve where you can walk outdoors. It’s important to get away from the city and enjoy an open space.

Tip #12

Improve your writing. Figure out where your writing needs improvement and then work on that area. I’m not saying move from a weak writer to the best writer in the world, but make one incremental improvement. The key is to not give up on this important skill, and instead to continue improving. One day, you will be the great writer that you need to be to get top grades on your essay exams. If you don’t have an exam improvement book, I recommend Writing Essay Exams to Succeed in Law School.

 

 

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