Let's Talk About 1L Finals
The spring semester of the 1L year is, for most, a little busier than the fall semester. By now, you’ve gotten acclimated to law school somewhat, but you’ve also been trying to apply for summer jobs, attend networking events, and create a more concrete picture of your future legal career. Despite all that is going on around you, it’s important to remember that your spring semester GPA is just as important as your fall semester GPA. Hopefully, exams now feel a little less daunting than they did just a few months ago.
As a 2L looking back, I certainly had some strategies for success when I was going into my 1L spring finals. Admittedly, I was not perfect at following my own advice, but trying your best and subsequently falling short is nothing to regret, especially in an environment like law school! So without further ado, this was my plan last year: (1) read ahead, (2) do more practice exams, and (3) reset my attitude.
1. Read ahead.
In your fall semester, I’m sure you realized that after your last class meetings, there was really only a little bit of time left over for you to study without distractions. Reading for class almost seems like a nuisance during those final weeks of the semester. In those final weeks, you have bigger priorities than simply preparing to get cold called the next day. To the extent that you can, I would recommend finishing all of the required reading material at least three weeks before your last class meeting. This is the only way to truly give yourself time to absorb the entire course and to read supplemental materials to bolster your understanding. Finishing your readings also sets you up with all the knowledge you need to complete a practice exam, which brings me to my next point…
2. Do more practice exams.
If you find that your brain freezes up when you read a fact pattern, this is a clue that you should get more practice! Therefore, you should do as many practice exams as you can before the last class meeting. In my opinion, experiencing a brain freeze during the official “reading period” is a terrifying experience because the actual exam date is so close, leaving you very little time to relearn anything you might need to relearn. The more practice you get, the faster you will be able to analyze facts, the less likely you will encounter a totally unfamiliar fact pattern. Doing past exams from your professors has the added benefit of getting you accustomed to the particular style of exam that they like to create.
3. Reset your attitude.
You want to go into your 1L spring exams thinking that anything is possible because it is. You don’t want to be ambivalent, discouraged, or exhausted. By the time that 1L spring exams approach, you may be looking forward to finishing your 1L year and anxious to gain some summer experience, so it can be hard to focus the way you might have done right before 1L fall finals. During this time, I believe that reminding yourself of your legal career goals can recalibrate your outlook and attitude towards the task ahead of you. This can be done through meditation, talking with family, or meeting a practicing lawyer for lunch or coffee, ideally before the official “reading period” hits. Once the 1L year is over, you will have laid the foundation for your legal career, but you will still need to build something on that foundation. You want to have something to be excited about when you reach the other side of your 1L spring finals because that will give you the energy you need to keep going.
Finally, I want to reiterate that you should only give yourself a hard time if you find yourself not putting in your best effort. You should not be beating yourself up for falling short of your expectations despite your best efforts. No matter what, the summer will be an exciting time to make plans for the future, and it’s just around the corner! So stay positive and study hard!
Cameron Chan's Bio: As a child, I was fascinated by mechanical things, like cars and architecture, and I was very interested in geography, so I suppose it is no big surprise that I chose to study chemical engineering in college. Thinking about a career, I was inspired by my parents, who are immigrants and lifelong blue-collar workers. They taught me to work hard and to work smart. I chose law school because I liked the idea of developing into a more well-rounded professional and getting more value out of my degree by going into IP. When I am not busy, I enjoy experiences like traveling, trying new foods, and going to museums.