At the start of every new semester, promises are made, calendars drawn up and study habits formed. Will you be the kind of student who sticks to a study schedule, the one who knows every new student or the one who skips every lecture and only shows up for the exam? Take our quiz to find out what kind of law student you’ll be this semester…
It’s your first lecture of the semester. When you show up to class:
a) You have the textbook (carefully tabbed with colour-coded labels), you’ve done the first reading, tried the tutorial question and you’ve printed and started annotating the relevant legislation.
b) You greet your friends enthusiastically, sit near the back and half-listen to the lecturer while Facebook chatting to the person next to you.
c) First lecture? You know those are optional, right?
d) You sit near the back and take notes, but leave after the first break.
When’s your first assignment due?
a) On the Thursday of week five. You’ve already drawn up a study plan, even though question isn’t released until tomorrow.
b) Sometime in April? It’s the same week as the first party of the semester, so you’ll do it after that.
c) It’ll say in the unit outline, but there’s probably something due soon
d) Week five. You know how long it’ll take you and you’ll spend every free moment you have in the library when the question is released tomorrow.
It’s halfway through semester. How does your calendar look?
a) Full. Study groups are clashing with hours prescribed for reading and note taking, and you haven’t even factored in exam study yet. All you want to do is push everything to the side and sulk over a bowl of two-minute noodles.
b) Full. The law ball is coming up and you’re trying to organise pre-drinks, but you’ve been invited to two different events and you’re trying to figure out of you can attend both.
c) Full. You’re working extra shifts this week, your parents are coming to visit and you have to clean the house, it’s your best friend’s birthday on the weekend and someone your girlfriend knows is playing a gig tonight.
d) Full. You were in the library most days this week, catching up on lecture slides and making notes from the textbook.
Exams are in two weeks. You feel:
a) Anxious, stressed and despairing. You just don’t have enough hours in the week for all the study you absolutely need to do!
b) Excited! Exam week means you’re one step closer to end of exam drinks!
c) Fine. You’ve started your revision and you know what to expect
d) You’ve upped your hours in the library like it’s your full time job. A 12 hour shift is not uncommon and most of your study sessions are fuelled by cafeteria coffee and vending machine snacks.
You’ve just left your first exam. What do you do?
a) Crumple in a heap on the bus home; you’re exhausted. You only have a minute to rest though; your study timetable says revision for the next exam begins the minute you get home
b) Celebrate – one down!
c) Give yourself the afternoon off, and wonder why everyone stared at you in the exam.
d) Head straight from the exam room back to the library. You’re sure you’ve got some more work to do.
Tally your responses and see which type of law student you are!
Mostly As – The Keen Bean
You start the semester full of good intentions – textbooks purchased, study plans made, readings done. While it’s good to be organised, don’t get carried away with planning: if you can’t sustain the commitment you’ve set for yourself, you’ll burn out before the end of semester.
Mostly Bs – The Social Butterfly
You might not know when assignments are due, but you have the semester’s social calendar memorised. While it’s good to have a life outside law, make sure you don’t neglect your studies: try using social events as rewards for completing work.
Mostly Cs – The No-Lecture Ninja
Not attending a single class doesn’t deter you from collecting your credit points at the end of semester. You do what you have to do to pass the unit, but going to unnecessary introductory lectures seems like a waste of time. Try and drop in to a few classes and see if it helps: sticking to a schedule will make you accountable and who knows, the lecturers might actually know something.
Mostly Ds – The Library Lurker
You study a lot and you study hard – in fact, it seems like it’s all you ever do. While spending time in the library can be good, make sure you’re using your time efficiently.
Enjoyed this post? Sign up for the Survive Law weekly newsletter for more.