Whenever final exams roll around, I find myself inundated with requests for study help. Students come to my office wanting detailed study plans and advice on how to make it all click before the exam. It can be easy to get bogged down in these meetings. Shouldn’t the students have been studying this whole semester? I don’t have a magic wand that can make a semester’s worth of knowledge make sense!
These requests make me pause and consider what law students actually need. Law students don’t need more willpower; they need smarter systems. Behavioral science shows that small, strategic “nudges” can dramatically improve how people learn, plan, and follow through. In Academic Support, nudges can help students study more consistently, avoid procrastination, and engage in deeper learning without feeling overwhelmed.
The best part? Nudges are subtle, simple, and require almost no extra time from students or faculty. Here are some nudges I suggest as students come to discuss study plans, no matter where we are in the semester.
1. The Implementation Intentions Nudge
Most students say things like: “I’ll study Evidence this week.” But behavioral research tells us that vague goals like this rarely lead to action. Instead, an implementation intention can spur students into action.
The base model for an implementation intention is: “On [day] at [time], I will study [topic] in [location].” So now, our vague “I’ll study Evidence this week” becomes “On Tuesday at 4pm, I will work on my Evidence outline in the library.” This provides students with a much more specific plan of attack.
2. The Two-Minute Starter Nudge: Reduce the Psychological Barrier
We all know that big tasks feel intimidating. Yet students often set lofty goals for themselves like “outline for two hours” then feel disappointed when they don’t meet those goals.
The two-minute rule starts by reframing the larger task as something too small to avoid. So rather than setting a goal to “outline for two hours,” students should instead tell themselves to “open your outline and update one case.” Then, once students start, momentum often kicks in. This nudge is especially effective for students who shut down when the work feels overwhelming.
3. The Commitment Device Nudge
People are more likely to follow through when they tell someone their plan. Implementing “commitment devices” are ways to capitalize on this. ASPs can help students use commitment devices by asking them to share their weekly study goal with a peer or mentor; offering a study check in form on Mondays and Fridays; and building micro-accountability into workshops (e.g., “before we leave, write one thing you’ll do this week and who you’ll tell”). The magic in this nudge is the social signal, rather than the work.
4. The Environment Nudge
Students often believe their habits are about motivation, but they may be more about environmental design. Students may not be setting themselves up for success because they’re trying to study in an environment not optimized for that purpose. Small nudges can help create a more productive environment:
- Encourage students to create a study-only spot even if it’s a corner of their apartment.
- Suggest phone baskets, website blockers, or do-not-disturb settings during deep work.
- Recommend that students set out books and laptops the night before to reduce friction.
- Encourage using visual cues in the study space to prompt action, such sticky notes and printed study plans.
When good habits are built into the environment, students won’t have to fight themselves to do the work.
5. The Pre-Commitment Calendar Nudge
This nudge encourages planning before stress hits. Planning in a calm state leads to better decisions than planning in moments of stress. ASP can nudge students to pre-commit to key tasks each week by encouraging weekly “study preview” meetings; sending weekly email reminders that includes planning templates; and encouraging time blocking. The goal here isn’t perfection; it’s proactivity.
6. The Reflection Nudge
Students often repeat ineffective habits simply because they don’t pause to evaluate them. Weekly reflection can help students understand what is and isn’t working for them. Sample prompts include:
- What study strategy worked best for me this week?
- What didn’t work, and why?
- What is one small change for next week?
Build reflection into workshops, coaching, or even quick end-of-class prompts to encourage this practice. Over time, students will realize that reflection turns experience into strategy.
Behavioral nudges aren’t about forcing students to work harder. They’re about helping students work smarter. When ASPs integrate small, science-backed prompts and advice into programming, students naturally build stronger habits, follow through more consistently, and develop the kind of sustainable study routines that lead to long-term success. A nudge may be small, but the cumulative effect can be transformative.
(Dayna Smith)
