"Law School 101”: getting off to a good start this semester

Daniel Cormack, Law Student at the University of Strathclyde, discusses his top tips for incoming first year students to ensure academic success this coming semester.

Whilst starting Law School is undoubtedly an exciting prospect, it can equally be as daunting. How do I effectively take and store notes? How do I manage my time efficiently? How should I approach learning material? The transition from school (or college/time out of education) to university is substantial. I have decided to share some top tips which have benefitted me to help you navigate this semester.

Taking and Filing Notes

Taking clear notes (from lectures and readings) and having an efficient filing system will make your life far easier when it comes to assessment time.

Lecture Notes

In terms of taking lecture notes, I find that having one document to store these in is best. Make sure to have a bold title for each lecture – e.g. “Lecture 1 – Introduction to Contract Law” – and leave a blank page before taking notes for your second lecture – e.g. “Lecture 2 – Formation of Contract”. This means all your notes are in the one place, making it easier to review a basic outline of your course come exam time.

Colour co-ordination is another top tip – use a different colour for any cases, legislation and any other references. For example, I use red for any case names, blue for any legislation, and purple for any academic literature referenced in my lectures. By doing this process after the lecture it means you can actively review your notes and really absorb the information.

Filing Notes

Create a folder in your computer documents entitled with the current year of study e.g. “First Year”. Then have subfolders for each semester; with each subject having its own folder. This way all your notes are organised according to subject matter. You won’t have any issues finding a document quickly.

If you prefer to take notes and file using paper, the same method above can be applied using ring binders.

Time Management

Invest in an academic planner. This makes it far easier to fit in classes, independent study and any other commitments you may have, as well as some vital down time.

Note down your classes for the entire semester in your planner and work out how to allocate your time around this. I find it best to make a rough week plan on the Sunday before the start of each academic week and then adapt it if anything else comes up or commitments change. Remember, independent study is a vital part of your routine – it is not enough to merely attend classes. You need to gain a deeper understanding of your subjects through reading.

Setting clear goals for each day will help you to avoid procrastination. It also means you won’t feel guilty about having down time as you will have allocated time for this in your planner.

Approach to Learning

Collaborate

Whilst independent learning is a pre-requisite of any LLB degree, working with others can really improve your learning experience, especially during exam time.

For example, getting together with a few friends to discuss a tutorial problem scenario allows you to pick out the key issues together and critically discuss each other’s ideas. When you go into a tutorial you will feel much more confident discussing potential answers to set questions.

It is worth noting that some tasks like reading chapters of a textbook or case research are best done independently so that you can retain information for yourself whilst forming your own opinion on the materials.

Do not worry if you are struggling to adapt at this point in the semester or are feeling overwhelmed – it is natural. Hopefully these tips can help you to establish a routine that works for you.