Sam’s Method For An Awesome Exam Month
As we are preparing for our Christmas decorations and waiting for Mariah Carey’s songs to run on the radio non-stop, the dreadful exam times are approaching faster than we anticipated. For some of us, exams always come with the feelings of anxiety and stress. That being said, help is around the corner for those that need it.
Ask your Academic Associate Dean for Help:
Usually, the formal person to go to regarding academic issues are the Associate Deans. Their job is to make sure that the course of the program runs smoothly, and that students are ready for their exam times. At my College of Law at the University of Saskatchewan, the Associate Dean always sends out an email ahead of exams, that detail the academic accommodations for students that may need it.
This is most important if you are an ESL (English as a Second Language) student, or are having circumstances that might impact your performance in writing your exams (such as learning disabilities, COVID-19, etc.).
Thus, this is usually the most formal route that you can take to make sure the accommodations you need are in place for exam time.
Talk with Your Network of Support, Go to your Study Groups:
Talk to somebody whenever you feel anxious, whether it is your best friends, your therapist or your doctor. One of the best exam therapies for me was when I would talk with my fellow classmates; we would vent about our frustrations, and then that would reset my anxiety/emotions and I could go back to studying.
In addition, I always ask my classmates to see if they have time to review the material or form a study group to go over any sample exams. The good thing about most of our classes is that the exams are usually open book, so we do not have to memorize the law or any cases. However, the law is the art of making sound arguments supported by precedents or statutes with detailed explanations. This is where talking with your study group or fellow classmates comes in handy. For example, I sometimes get writer’s block and do not know how to approach a legal issue from a different angle, but when I talk with my peers, they shed new light on those problems and provide me with novel ideas.
Take a Break Now and Then:
I cannot stress this enough, you need to take a break from time to time. Pulling an all nighter once or twice might be okay for a short period of time, but in the long run, it is going to cause more harm than good. Our body, brain, and mind, need proper rest.
For example, when I was short on time for a hard exam, I would divide my days into chunks of time. I would have a good night’s sleep, and then I would take power naps during the day.
Moreover, make sure that you avoid fast food during exam time. I always meal prep in advance of exam weeks and then freeze my food, so whenever I want to eat something, I will have healthy food ready that just takes a few minutes to heat up.
Another way that you could calm your nerves and rejuvenate your energy is to take a quick shower. I find that a nice warm shower calms my nerves and makes me feel rested and fresh, ready to get back to my studies.
Clean Up Your Notes:
We have around one month left until exams, at least at USASK College of Law. What I do during this time is clean up my Condensed Annotated Notes (CANs). If you have not taken any notes during the term, I highly suggest referring to your textbook and try to highlight the important parts of your materials. From there, you can create an index of references, pinpointing what topics or cases are located at which pages of your textbook.
There are also wonderful websites that have case briefs ready for you. I personally search the cases on big law firm websites, such as CanLii Connects. Another option is to use professional legal organizations archives, such as Indigenous Jurisprudence Autochtone. In this way, I can at least make sure that the materials are of high quality. However, you should always follow up with your professors when it comes to specific course content for exam purposes.
At the end of the day, we all should realize that the exam period is just a short period that comes and goes. If you have done your studies, taken care of yourself, and made the proper accommodations, then you should not worry much about it. The practice of law goes above and beyond law school exams, and these exams are just a tool to exercise your legal skills. When you are done with all of your exams, just order your favourite food, sit back, relax, and enjoy the holiday time!
