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Creating an environment in which you learn best is a basic requirement for law school success. Creating the best learning environment for yourself requires self-knowledge and sometimes a bit of compromise. Be alert for clues as to how you actually work best as opposed to how you think you "should" work.
The proper physical space is important. Your learning space should come well-equipped with an excellent chair, sufficient shelving for your case-books, reference materials, and supplemental materials, excellent lighting, writing materials, and room for both computer use and handwriting. You should also have some way of dealing with environmental noise, whether a quiet room, a CD of "white noise," or a good set of earplugs. And be aware that your studying efficiency is compromised by studying in front of the television, even if you treat it as "background noise."
What distracts you and how do you deal with that distraction? You may have to decide which is more distracting to you, the chatter of your classmates in the law school or the lure of working in the garden at home. This may determine whether you study at an assigned carrel, at home, at a table in the law library, or at a quiet under-used room halfway across the campus.
Most law students have one primary place of study, but be open to using two spaces. You may find one space more conducive to daily reading and case briefing, while another physical location is more suitable for the prolonged effort of outlining. If you learn best by creating large graphics, it's probably most advantageous to create those at home or in a classroom with chart paper that can be taken home. To avoid lugging heavy casebooks and computers all the time, consider studying some subjects at the law school and others at home so you don't tote 50 pounds of books each night.
For more class preparation tips, visit
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© Nancy Luebbert 2007
Last updated 2007-08-17
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