Help! I can't pay attention in ConLaw!

[ElizaB]

This class is sooooo boring.  I have no idea what is going on and I have no idea what the prof is talking about.  And I can't pay attention.  It is late in the afternoon and I am a MAJOR morning person!  Tell me how to make myself pay attention.  Also, any suggestions on how to understand this boring subject.

[BigPimpinBU]

Stop Whining.

[Jumboshrimps]

You think Con Law is boring? Compared to contracts? Must be your prof.

Do you use a laptop in class? If so, stop bringing it. It's impossible to pay attention with online poker and CNN at your fingertips. If you really can't pay attention, you're probably getting very little from the class, so why go. You're better off spending your time with a commercial outline or on CALI... or sleeping.

[qaz123]

i have the same problem.  conlaw is just the most boring subject ive ever had to endure.

[midjeep]

I feel ya, my prof is monotone and the book we have is killing me. Im so sick of Marbury v. Madison. I have a con law bible for the class which is a verbatum transcript of what the prof says. Its over 140 pages long but he asks the most random questions.

[ellie500]

im with you - i was really excited about conlaw and now...I dunno, the reading just KILLS me. 

[ElizaB]

JumboShrimp - I loved Contracts!  It was my favorite class last semester.  Must be the prof.

Also, part of the problem is that we don't have a casebook.  We had to buy a packet of unedited cases and we read straight from those.  Plus he includes a bunch of supplemental reading.  I tried actually doing all of the reading for one 50 minute class and it took me 8 hours!  8 hour freakin hours for one 50 minute class!

The prof just came back from teaching at Harvard and I think he must be confusing UT with Harvard because I just can't read that fast and actually comprehend what I am reading.  He is a nice guy, but man, this is just not my class! 

Any reccomendations on good supplements.  I heard that a book by Erwin Chemerinsky was good but I have not been able to figure out which book by Chemerinsky on ConLaw is the one that is supposed to be helpful.

[tingirl]

I read an article that said students who brought laptops to class and made short trips on the internet actually could recall more of the class than those who only listened and took notes. But if the students had really long internet sessions they couldn't recall much of what the professor said. So maybe multi-tasking in class would be good for you, as long as your brain is active and you kind of 'check back in' with the class every minute or so. Maybe searching the internet for the topics the professor is talking about would help keep you engaged? or working on your outline at the same time?

[Jumboshrimps]

I posted this on another thread, but I honestly believe my Con Law professor's website is the ultimate Con Law resource:

http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/home.html

Everything we read for class is on the site, and he's really good at making potentially boring subjects interesting.

BTW, I'd rather be represented by a UT Law graduate than a Harvard grad any day of the week. How are things in Austin? I'd sell a kidney to be going to law school there.

JumboShrimp - I loved Contracts!  It was my favorite class last semester.  Must be the prof.

Also, part of the problem is that we don't have a casebook.  We had to buy a packet of unedited cases and we read straight from those.  Plus he includes a bunch of supplemental reading.  I tried actually doing all of the reading for one 50 minute class and it took me 8 hours!  8 hour freakin hours for one 50 minute class!

The prof just came back from teaching at Harvard and I think he must be confusing UT with Harvard because I just can't read that fast and actually comprehend what I am reading.  He is a nice guy, but man, this is just not my class! 

Any reccomendations on good supplements.  I heard that a book by Erwin Chemerinsky was good but I have not been able to figure out which book by Chemerinsky on ConLaw is the one that is supposed to be helpful.

[stuvxyz]

We've been doing Marbury v. Madison & United States v. Nixon for almost 3 weeks in Administrative Law.  I can imagine that it's equally boring to your situation--absolutely horrible.