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Link on this page:
SCHEDULING
SEMESTER-LONG SCHEDULE
Useful Sites on Time Management
"Students who had more
accurate expectations than others about the time required for
particular law-school related activities performed better than predicted. Research has
shown that students who prepare written schedules and stick to them, study more
efficiently
and get better grades than students who don't", says the advisor of Office
of Academic Support,
Villanova University School of Law.
I
agree 100 percent, and thus would like to help the students work out their schedules
with my Excel spreadsheet planners, thereby "studying smarter"
rather than "being consumed by their studies", as tipped by the
advisor.
The following text
is sourced to
TIME
MANAGEMENT, and copied, with the
permission of Villanova University,
to help state clearly the function of each planner in Excel relative to the idea
of their advice in its entirety.
TIME MANAGEMENT By now, you're probably asking yourself: how can I get it all done?
There's no doubt about it--you have to put in a lot of time to succeed in law school. You have to study hard, but you don't have to be consumed by your studies.
Studying longer does not mean studying smarter, and studying longer does not always result in better grades.
But students who had more accurate expectations than others about the time required for particular law-school related activities performed better than predicted. Research has shown that students who prepare written schedules and stick to them, study more efficiently and get better grades than students who donft.
Several researchers suggest that you 1) prepare weekly schedules and
2) semester-long schedules. The weekly schedule allows you to schedule small blocks of time for day-to-day activities, while the semester-long schedule allows you to set aside large blocks of time for such things as writing a paper, extensive review, or taking practice exams.WEEKLY SCHEDULE (Excel file to download)
Start with a weekly time schedule that has the days of the week organized in hour or half-hour time slots. (There is a blank schedule in the "Calendar" section on GroupWise email or in WordPerfect under File, New, Calendar expert.)
Mark off class and other permanent time commitments like commuting time, study group meeting, even meals.
Photocopy this weekly plan so these permanent time commitments are already in place on each weekly schedule.
Schedule several short blocks of studying time. (Some suggest reserving two hours to prepare for each hour in class.) Study for 50 minutes and then take a 10 minute break. The average person can concentrate for only 50 minutes. After that, the learning curve and the attention span declines.
Schedule your study time when you are most mentally alert. Be honest with yourself. Some people can accomplish more in one daytime hour than two evening hours. Schedule difficult work, such as the first reading of cases, when you are most alert; use other times for less demanding tasks like reviewing notes or flash cards.
Like everyone, some students have trouble maintaining their attention span during study times. To stay focused, keep a notepad next to you. As you have distracting thoughts and ideas about things you should or could do, quickly write them on the pad instead of worrying that you will forget them. When you've finished studying, look at the notepad and do what you have to do.
Schedule time to review and outline each course.
Schedule long (1-2 hr.) exercise/activity breaks.
Block out a large period of time, perhaps Friday or Saturday night, away from studying.
Schedule several blocks of "emergency" time--time that can be used to make up for missed time on other parts of the schedule. Emergencies cannot be scheduled, but they always occur, and they take time away from your schedule. So, if you've scheduled gemergenciesh, you can make up for missed studying during the emergency blocks.
Mark off time for personal tasks, like grocery shopping, going to the doctor, etc.
Even schedule time for waking and going to bed, making realistic allowances for your individual sleep needs. Without enough sleep, memory is one of the first things to go, and health goes shortly thereafter.
Block out time to review your studying strategies for effectiveness, and modify your schedule when necessary.
SEMESTER-LONG SCHEDULE (Excel Calendar Webpage with links to Excel files)
Look at the academic calendar. Block out the days there is no class, study days, exam days, etc.
Look at the syllabus for each class. Schedule activities that are out of the ordinary.
Block out time to complete your legal writing assignments. Schedule time for research, for writing, for proofreading, etc.
Block off time to complete outlines for each courseBlock off time for practice exams.
Block off time for more extensive review individually and/or with your study group. Students who leave review until the end of the semester are often overwhelmed by how much they need to learn. Systematic review is key. Review cases before and after class; review your class notes daily, if possible, and weekly. Systematic review will greatly improve your memory and may actually save time because you will be able to understand new material more readily, and your outlining and exam preparation will go much more smoothly.
__________________________You may bristle at the thought of scheduling your life this way, but why not try it since the research shows that such schedules help contribute to law school success. At the very least, the schedule can discipline you and help you realize that while you have a lot to do, you can do it all.
Also, make your family and friends aware of the increased demands placed on you. Let those who need to see your schedule do so because they'll know that you have planned personal time with them. Then, protect yourself. Use your answering machine to screen calls, study in the library (but don't let other students distract you), or hang a Do Not Disturb sign on your door.
(Adapted by Sheilah Vance from materials prepared by Ruta Stropus and Charlotte Taylor, Academic Support Program, DePaul University College of Law; Paula Lustbader, Academic Resource Center, Seattle University School of Law, presented at the Law School Admission Council Academic Support Conference, 1993;1 Jeffrey G. Adachi, First Year Law School Survival Kit, (1996);2 Pamela Edwards, The Culture of Success: Improving the Academic Success Opportunities for Multicultural Students in Law School, 31 New Eng. L. Rev. 739 (1997)); Copyright 2000 Sheilah Vance.
Villanova University School of Law
OFFICE OF
ACADEMIC SUPPORT
TIME
MANAGEMENT
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