I’ve been curating content to help you do your best in law school. For those of you who are not active on Facebook or LinkedIn (or if the elusive algorithm didn’t reach you), here are links to The Law School Playbook’s most recent posts:
Another perspective on spaced repetition and the forgetting curve. 100% agree that reading content over and over is an inefficient and ineffective study technique. https://medium.com/better-humans/how-to-read-academic-content-once-and-remember-it-forever-e44f26d82566
A recent post explained how to outline, this short article explains why you outline. It's backed by the science of cognitive schema theory. "In general, the learner in schema theory actively builds schemata and revises them in light of repeated exposure to new information. Here it is important to mention that each schema is unique and depends on an individual’s experiences and cognitive processes." https://www.britannica.com/science/schema-cognitive
This article provides tips helpful for dealing with law school anxiety. Start your week off right by giving them a try! https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/treatinganxiety/2017/11/what-to-do-when-anxiety-affects-concentration
Although I don't believe there is a "right" or "wrong" way to take notes, this article highlights the many benefits of handwriting. https://www.npr.org/2016/04/17/474525392/attention-students-put-your-laptops-away?fbclid=IwAR1R7s1NKwug0wYlkt7SWCACNDg-NkbF5BUklVaOGtdJD05GBk1T7FHlDgI
Well worth the 4-minute read! https://elemental.medium.com/what-is-mental-toughness-and-where-can-i-get-some-e1e2ae
Having trouble staying organized? Here's one tool to help. https://doist.com/blog/todoist-guide-for-students/
Critical thinking helps in all facets of life. Be sure to check out my four Law School Playbook episodes on Legal Analysis to do your best critical thinking in law school. https://hbr.org/2019/05/3-simple-habits-to-improve-your-critical-thinking?fbclid=IwAR0BpxSkzBFzak4F-WQdmFA72P41p2UilNJxjg_eM7kWz21NcDQl5Ab2qfc
A reminder about the connection between sleep, learning, and memory. http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/…/benef…/learning-memory
Good motivation for 1Ls! https://teachlawbetter.com/…/…/another-letter-to-my-1l-self/
Have you checked out Asana? See how it can help you get and stay organized. https://asana.com/students
What makes a good exam answer? https://blogs.wsj.com/…/what-makes-a-good-law-school-exam-…/
Geared toward business but equally applicable to law school. https://hbr.org/2016/08/the-two-things-killing-your-ability-to-focus?utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin&utm_campaign=hbr&fbclid=IwAR10jpn_n_j31U2riMcUVacOEtOS7w5ijzm1MywJLTjWm06DC6q7a_BaOJk
New op-ed from Patrick J. Kennedy and Active Minds’ Alison Malmon: “As the school year starts, no matter who you are — student, friend, parent, teacher, advisor — ask someone you care about how they are doing… and listen. You don’t need to be an expert to help, you just need to be there.” https://thriveglobal.com/stories/students-need-ready-allies-for-mental-health-crisis/?fbclid=IwAR2ZMcHIpvHbxbks2yVeDmqDQsKRusXQLC7xo1IwrCNOr25NlIiBue0mfII
Seventeen minutes or not, breaks are important. https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/09/science-tells-you-how-many-minutes-should-you-take-a-break-for-work-17/380369/
Trying to improve your motivation and concentration? Give the Pomodoro Technique a try! https://francescocirillo.com/pages/pomodoro-technique
My legal writing students love when I refer them to the online resources from The Writing Center at Georgetown University Law Center. The handouts and guides are short and cover a wide range of topics like persuasive writing, writing for exams, and basic grammar for law school. Take a look and let me know what you think! https://www.law.georgetown.edu/…/the-w…/guides-and-handouts/