Stay positive during your weeks of exams – you can do this! Pace yourself throughout each week and remember to take care of yourself.
- The night before a morning exam or the morning before an afternoon exam, plan light study only – read through your outline and complete easy practice questions. You will go into the exam less stressed.
- Cramming right up to the last minute is unproductive. You are better off getting a good night’s sleep than staying up to the wee hours before an exam. You need to be well-rested, alert, and focused in the exam.
- If possible with your exam schedule, take 2 or more hours off after an exam before you go back to studying. If your exams are spaced nicely, take the rest of the day off after an exam. Your body and brain will thank you.
- Do the best you can each day with your studying. If something goes wrong, put it behind you and start fresh the next day.
- Do the best you can on each exam. Realize that the days of needing 100% for a good grade are over. You cannot accurately guess what your grade will be when you leave an exam.
- After an exam is over, put it behind you and move on to the next exam. You cannot change the way that exam went. You can change how the next exam goes.
- Talking to others about the exam will only add to your stress. So smile, politely say you do not talk about exams, and walk away.
- It is very common to realize when you walk out of an exam that you missed an issue, forgot a rule, or did not address a fact appropriately. Put it behind you. Move on to the next exam.
- If you are not familiar with the room where your exam will be, check it out ahead of time.
- Is there a wall clock in the room showing the correct time?
- Do you know where you would prefer to sit in the room?
- Does the room seem overly warm or cold?
- Anything else about the room that is of note?
- Eat a good meal before your exam because your brain needs the fuel for all the heavy lifting it will do.
- Plan to leave early for your exam to avoid last-minute mishaps:
- Set multiple alarms or have a friend telephone you if you are a heavy sleeper and might oversleep an exam.
- Know where there are current road works that might mean altering your route. Have a Plan B if you are unsure.
- Remember to get to the exam room early enough to get settled and have everything ready to begin.
- Decide ahead of time where you want to wait once arriving early at the law school.
- In the exam room so you have first dibs on the seat you want.
- In your study carrel for some quiet and fewer people around.
- Outside on a bench or at a table until it is time to go in.
- Some place else that gives you a balance of calm and preparedness.
- Pack up the essentials that you need for the exam the night before the exam – you will be less likely to forget something.
- Laptop and its accessories if you are typing your exams
- Extra pens even if you are typing – you will want to make notes on any provided scrap paper.
- Your exam number if your exam is anonymous.
- Tissues, throat lozenges, or other medications that you need.
- Wrist watch if you need one to track the time (smartphones/watches are usually forbidden).
- Any items specifically approved by the professor for an open-book exam.
- Sweater in case the exam room is too cold for you during the 3-4 hours you will be sitting there.
- Know who you need to contact at your law school if you get sick or have a family emergency and wish to ask about rescheduling an exam.
Good luck in your studying and on all of your exams! (Amy Jarmon)
