Law Schools

What To Do If You Are Underprepared For Your Upcoming Final Exams

Taking action is the only thing that can possibly help you in this situation, and time is of the essence.

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Sometimes, the end of the semester creeps up on you. Of course, you’ve been plugging along, doing your readings for class, working on your writing assignments, applying for summer jobs, and BAM you wake up 7-14 days before your first final exam to find that you only have the first two sections of your outline completed and zero practice questions done.

What do you do? Well, step one is usually to panic, which is totally understandable under the circumstances. But, often step two, due to being completely overwhelmed by your situation, is to freeze up, which is basically the worst thing you can do — because taking action is the only thing that can possibly help you in this situation, and time is of the essence.

Here are some action steps you can take today if you’re facing down the barrel of final exams with that “deer in the headlights” look on your face, that will actually move the needle closer to success.

1. Get a real handle on what needs to be done

Knowledge is power, so as scary as it may be, your first step is to create a list of exactly what needs to be done. If you don’t really have a handle on the work that needs to be completed, you will just aimlessly and frantically be jumping around from task to task. It will be difficult to focus and impossible to prioritize.

Once you know what has to happen, it is time to start slashing the list. Critically look through all your tasks and eliminate everything that isn’t absolutely essential. On the flip side, prioritize one to three tasks for each course that are crucial to your ability to be successful.

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2. Abandon class prep

Remember, this isn’t a list of best practices but rather what to do when everything is on fire and you have to make some tough choices. At this point in the semester, classes are either over or nearly over. If you have to cut corners, class prep should be the first thing to go. Do all the things that would normally make me cringe with judgment: skim the cases in the text book or read a canned brief in order to limit the time you spend on class prep.

You’re making a calculated decision to skip out on your reading to work on your final exam task list, so be sure that you actually spend the time you’ve freed up working on those tasks and not wasting it.

3. Let go of “perfect”

At this point, you will likely go into finals with half-completed outlines that aren’t color coded, properly formatted, or beautifully tabbed. And you’ve got to make peace with that. Every decision you make between now and exams must prioritize substance and content over form. You don’t have time to get caught up in little details that don’t matter. The most important thing is that the outlines and study aids that you create can actually help you get the grades you want on the final exam. “Perfect is the enemy of good” and “done is better than perfect” are officially your mantras moving forward.

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4. Prioritize practice questions

Yes, even over outlining. Okay, please pick your jaw up off the ground and allow me to explain. Practice questions are the single most important thing you can do to improve your final exam scores. This is because they test your knowledge and help you clarify any gaps you may have in your understanding. Practice questions also help to hone your IRACing skills, which are critical to your success. Most importantly, practice questions help you learn the law and how to apply it in a manner that your professors expect you to be able to do. So, even if it means a less complete outline, carve out time to work on as many practice questions as you can in the time you have left.

While you’re at it, BEG someone — a professor, a teaching assistant, someone from the academic success department — to review your writing. This is the best and fastest way to find out if you are on the right track. Remember, failure to plan on your part does not constitute an emergency on their part, so be extremely kind and humble when asking for their last-minute help.

5. Embrace the suck

During my 1L orientation, one of the professors gave us some great advice to “embrace the suck” that is your first year of law school. At no point is this more true than when you are cramming for final exams.

I am generally all about balance, self-care, and pacing yourself. But I’m also about buckling down, pushing through, and sprinting when it is necessary. At the most, you have two or three weeks between now and your last exam. Now is the time to push yourself as hard as you can. It will, in fact, suck, but it will be worth it when your grades come back!

I know everything seems bleak right now. But, if you can take a couple of deep breaths and start to put this plan in place, you can still pull yourself together in time to reach your goals.

Kerriann Stout is a millennial law school professor and founder of Vinco (a bar exam coaching company) who is generationally trapped between her students and colleagues. Kerriann has helped hundreds of students survive law school and the bar exam with less stress and more confidence. She lives, works, and writes in the northeast. You can reach her by email at info@vincoprep.com.

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