Spring 2020 Law School Study Tips (COVID-19 Edition)

The last month before the start of law school exams is an intense and packed time of study and reflection. This is exacerbated when classes are moved online and university facilities are unavailable, as they are now due to COVID-19, and as they were for me in my 3L year due to the 2018 York University Strike. Here are some tips to study and make the most of your final month of this law school semester with everything that is going on!

Stay connected to your classmates:

Whether it is through studying together over video chat or just seeing how someone is doing, both giving and, in turn, receiving, both academic and emotional support will be key in keeping you in a mentally healthy place. You also just might solve an issue you’ve been trying to focus on through the process of talking it out with a friend, tutor, or study group, which will be important to make sure you are understanding concepts without in-class instruction. I am also available and very happy to help if anyone would like to chat about preparation and managing their time. 

Try to catch up and get ahead:

Now is a great time in the semester to catch up on those readings that got lost in the shuffle of the semester. This will be important in order to consolidate your understanding in advance of new material arriving from your professor. This way, you’ll be ready to practice applying your knowledge as you begin to prepare for exams.

Create a schedule for yourself:

One thing I learned in attending classes exclusively online during the 2018 York University Strike was that it was important to create a schedule for myself. I would block off time to do readings, listen to lecture, and work on summaries in order to keep myself on track in the absence of a set weekly schedule. This was helpful in ensuring that I was not overly burdened in the lead up to exams, and I would recommend, particularly for 1Ls, to be careful not to leave the summary-making until right before exams.

Take time for yourself:

There’s a lot going on in the world right now with COVID-19, making it important for you to block off time in your schedule for you to decompress. Make sure that you don’t overwhelm yourself with exam preparation at the expense of everything else in life.

Stay confident:

Remember that despite the stress and circumstances, you’re an immensely talented person who can succeed at this despite the circumstances we find ourselves in. You can do it!

Please feel free to reach out to me to chat if you are concerned or looking for support with your studies over the next month!

Matt received his JD from Osgoode Hall Law School in 2018 and was called to the Bar of Ontario in 2019. You can find more about him here!