Hi all!
I hope everyone enjoyed their reading week! I was relieved to get to the break, but welcomed it with some mixed emotions due to midterms I had the week following. I took the first few days of the week off and spent time with friends—it was great! I intended to start studying on Tuesday morning, but after a few days of relaxation, getting the drive to start studying again is so hard. I ended up procrasti-cleaning and doing personal stuff all day Tuesday, so I then set out to get school things in order on Wednesday morning. This little dance I had with myself led me to this blog post!
Midterms can be a daunting and stressful period and, outside of reading week, balancing the demands of classes, assignments, and extracurriculars can be overwhelming. I’m going to share some techniques that I use every semester to get through this period, and I hope they’re useful to you as well.
Tip 1: Create a Study Schedule
Crafting a realistic study schedule is key to conquering midterms stress. I used to think I would just study 12-hour days and get it done, but that would never happen and I’d feel down on myself for not doing enough.
I started breaking down my study sessions into manageable chunks, prioritizing the challenging subjects (more on this in Tip 2). I highly recommend it! Incorporate breaks to prevent burnout and allocate time for both review and practice questions. When I compare this to my cramming days, I can easily recognize how much a well-structured schedule can ensure success for comprehensive coverage of materials and good grade outcomes.
Tip 2: Break Tasks Up into Achievable Goals
The sheer volume of content and extensive reading lists can be overwhelming when you sit down to study. I like to break the work down into smaller, achievable goals. Tackling these more manageable tasks allows for incremental progress and gives you a sense of accomplishment along the way, which is so important for motivating yourself.
I also now try to start off with the content I don’t understand or that I need to spend the most time on. I used to start reviewing the stuff I knew to make myself feel more confident in the material, but invariably, that meant I would get to the most challenging material when I had the least amount of time and the least amount of energy left for studying. Start with the hard stuff!
Tip 3: Active Learning Techniques
I now try to engage in “active learning” where possible in my studying to solidify my understanding of concepts. In law school, I find this often means creating flow charts of various legal analyses. I talk out loud when I’m confused about a concept to literally talk myself through it in my own words. I also sometimes find a relevant “key concepts” flashcard deck online as a helpful way to test how much I’ve actually retained.
After all the reading associated with law school, it’s sometimes nice to turn a study session into something more dynamic!
Tip 4: Find and Use Peer Support
Facing midterms stress is a shared experience. If you are lucky enough to have friends or trustworthy peers in your courses, the formation of a study group can be a great way to check in on how your studying is going. There have been some courses I have done this, and others where I haven’t. I can say with certainty that the instances where I’ve met up with a group in a collaborative environment to discuss complex concepts have led to greater understanding. Sharing with classmates not only provides valuable insights, but also I have found it creates a sense of camaraderie which sometimes feels equally important.
Tip 5: Don’t Stop Taking Care of Yourself
I know this gets thrown in about school success a lot, but I do believe it! My friends and I regularly talk about how much worse we feel when we’re busy and we drop things like eating well and exercising. I am the first to use the excuse of “too much studying to do” to avoid getting myself to the gym. If you’re like me, at least try to take short breaks for a neighbourhood walk or a 10-minute stretch on a yoga mat to feel rejuvenated. Prioritizing self-care will ultimately provide us with the energy needed to navigate the demanding midterm period.
Mastering midterms as a law student is really tough! If you focus on these tips, I hope you'll not only survive midterms but also thrive, emerging even better equipped to navigate the challenges of law school.
Best of luck!
S.