How to Become a First Class Law Student

#1 THInk big and not small.

Do not feel that studying law and gaining a high classification as your final mark is not achievable. Do not let self-doubt kick in or tell you otherwise. The moment you start to act like a first class law student it will just happen – you will just become that first class law student.

#2 COMPLETE THE READING.

Complete all required reading for your classes. Avoid falling behind; else, you may never catch up. Conduct your reading throughout times of day when you are at your most awake. Additionally, read in a setting that will not distract you or entice you to do anything else. Otherwise, you may discover that preparing for class takes significantly longer than required. it is all about effective study and not ineffective reading. 

#3 YOU MUST ATTEND LECTURES, WORKSHOPS, AND SEMINARS.

Most law lecturer’s present information in class that is not covered in the reading, therefore missing classes puts you at a significant disadvantage on the final exam. Additionally, there is an attendance requirement at most universities. You should not miss sessions. This is taken into account in your final grade when the law department makes a decision about your final mark in its yearly meeting. If you are sitting on the line in between two grades, your attendance is a factor that will decide in which classification you fall. I have seen this first hand.

#4 SUMMARISE THE CASES.

Take notes while you read. For each given case, jot down the legally relevant facts, the court's finding, and the court's reasoning for its conclusion. This kind of scenario is referred to as "summarising." Your case summaries should be succinct and concise.

#5 REVIEW YOUR NOTES PRIOR TO EACH SESSION.

Right before your tutorials, review your reading notes (case summaries). This keeps the examples fresh in your memory and significantly improves your ability to follow the class discussion, this will avoid the embarrassment associated with being unprepared. As a lecturer I always called on students to answer if they hid away. A lecturers job is to teach and they want to be satisfied that all law students are keeping up with the course.

#6 REMEMBER TO PAY ATTENTION IN CLASS.

Certain misled students utilise class time to purchase online, check their e-mail or search Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. If you have an addiction, get some help. Tuition is a significant expense. Do you really want to waste your tuition money “surfing the web” or playing Solitaire on your phone or laptop rather than participating in class based discussion? You must be committed to taking part in discussion making it persuasive and hard to challenge.

#7 TAKE PART IN CLASS.

Students learn most effectively when they are actively involved in the educational process. Put your knowledge in practice, this is where learning is going to happen. You have to be active and engaging because you are training for a future career as a solicitor or barrister and will be working in a very fast sector.

#8 TAKE NOTES IN lectures.

However, avoid being so absorbed in attempting to transcribe everything your lecturer says that you are unable to participate fully in class discussion. Before beginning your next reading assignment, examine your class notes and consider how the new cases you read influence the ones you have previously discussed in class. If you need to write things down make use of technology and record the lecture and then submit the recording for transcription. There are companies that charge a dollar a page such as Rev. The same applies to whichever course you are studying:

• LLB Degree Course

• GDL Course

• PGDL Course

• CILEX Course

• MA Course

• LLM Course

• LPC Course

• SEQ 1 Course

• SQE 2 Course

• Bar Course

• Career Coaching

#9 OUTLINE EACH OF YOUR CLASSES.

Outlines generated by more advanced students or commercially available outlines are insufficient alternatives for creating your own outlines. The analysis required to create a course outline assists you in determining the legal rules that apply to the course's subject matter, as well as the relationships between the rules. Without going through this process, you have a lower chance of mastering the topic.

Additionally, not all lecturers teach in the same manner. Indeed, many law lecturers do not even teach the same subject year after year. The only way to get an overview that is specifically customised to your course is to create one yourself. Prepare your outlines now, not during the reading week; you will never complete them on time. Some students like to outline weekly, while others prefer to outline monthly. Others like to outline as soon as a subject is done. Choose the timetable that works best for you and adhere to it.

#10 FOrming A STUDY GROUP.

Study groups may be a very beneficial technique for learning. Discussing course content with classmates might help you have a better comprehension and recall of the topic. Additionally, you might acquire beneficial study recommendations from your classmates. If you decide to create a study group, look for learned friends who are well-prepared for class and have similar academic objectives. Prevent your study group meetings from devolving into social or gossip sessions. Additionally, avoid using study groups to share the task. Finally, if you discover that you are not benefiting from your study group, you may choose to quit.

#11 REVISE, REVISE & REVISE.

Simply because you do not have an exam until the end of the semester does not mean you should postpone your revision until the end of term with the exams looming. You cannot cram the night before exams and expect to get a passing mark. As a result, schedule many revision sessions throughout the semester.

#12 get a private tutor to help you REVISe.

Prior to examinations, I can help a student get organised with their revision, with a strategy and provide revision sessions. This is an excellent approach to get answers to your questions without having to wait in line outside your professor's office. Additionally, during revision sessions, useful hints on how to compose exam responses in the most point-earning manner are covered.

#13 TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FEEDBACK.

If your professor distributes a practice question and indicates that he or she will assess your response if you submit it by a certain deadline, then do complete it! This is an excellent chance to get feedback from your lecturer and make any required improvements prior to your performance being formally evaluated.

#14 SKILLS WORKSHOPS.

Skills workshop courses address a variety of subjects, including outlining, time and stress management, and how to prepare for and write a first class law essay—all of which are critical skills for law school success.

#15 PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE EXAMS.

Do as many as you can. Preferably, exams already conducted by your lecturer such as mocks. This will assist you in determining the manner in which your lecturer designs his or her exam papers. The university or institution where you are studying has a collection of previous years examinations created by law lecturers. Whenever feasible, choose a previous exam paper for which a sample answer may be available. This enables you to compare your response to the sample and assess your performance. If there is no suggested answer on file, request that your professor examine and comment on your response. However, do not wait until the day before exams to request a review of your response from your professor. The sooner you inquire, the more probable it is that your professor will have sufficient time to evaluate your response. If not you can always ask a law tutor.

#16 MAKE A STUDY PLAN.

Numerous students blame the lack of time available to summarise cases, prepare outlines, and/or take practice examinations. They are incorrect! By planning ahead, you can ensure that you have the time to satisfy all of law school's requirements while still enjoying some extracurricular activities. With a tutor you can make a plan and stick to it. It is vital to understand the lecturer's expectations. Working with a tutor  you can anticipated a grade for each piece of work. Additionally, a tutor can provide specific ideas for areas that should be improved. If you want assistance contact me.