Law School Discussion

I got OneNote a few weeks before I started my 1L, thinking I would use the time to get used to it. But it was a complete waste of time. It is very similar to Word and if you have any capabilities when it comes to computers, you'll learn it in no time. It will be second nature. A few of the features might take a little while to get accustomed to, but not that long. You'll be fine if you get it right before class. In fact, it might be beneficial. I was able to get it thru my school very cheap, so check into student discounts instead of buying the Student version of Office for a couple hundred.

The ABA Law Student Division is definitely worth its $25 membership fee. Its a great source for networking, you get access to ABA conferences/meetings, etc. Also, if you don't have health insurance or can't afford whatever plan your school offers, the ABA offers a discounted rate thru it. Plus you can join some of the other sections and get access to info specific to the area of law you are interested in.

You can use commercial outlines such as Emmanuels or Gilberts or Crunchtime or whatever, to supplement your outline, but nothing takes the place of doing your own. There are so many study aids out there, you really need to find what works best for you. I used a mixture depending on the class. The only steady one I found that I liked was the Crunchtime series, but by no means is it exhaustive. I found it to be a great and quick review tool. The others you mentioned are more extensive, but you might not need that much.
The Understanding Series and other treatises and hornbooks I found to be more helpful during the semester when I was struggling with a concept. I wouldn't recommend using them as a review tool.
The key is to find what works best for you. Besides your own outline, the next best thing is one from an upperclassmen who had the same prof.

I agree with Jacy. If you absolutely cannot afford one, don't sweat it. Plenty of my classmates handwrote their notes and exams and did fine. I know some did it simply because they knew they would be distracted more by the laptop. But if you are already going in debt, it might be a good investment to go in debt a little more. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, and you should be able to get one that serves its purpose for a half decent price. But if it is less about the money and more about you not feeling comfortable taking notes/using a laptop in class, then maybe wait until the semester is underway and see how you're doing.

I have several study aids for first-year classes. I prefer to sell these as a lot for $25 including shipping and insurance. PM me if interested. We can arrange payment through PayPal

*Examples and Explanations Criminal Law - no marks, like new
*Casenote Legal Briefs Crim Law keyed to Kadish (but usable with any casebook) - new, no marks
*Gilbert Law Summaries- Property by Dukeminier -- some marks and highlighting
*West's High Court Case Summaries keyed to Dukeminier - new, no marks
*Basic legal Research: tools and Strategies. writing on inside cover.