So I'm done with my outline.... Now what?

[1LMan]

Yeah, check list format seems to be the way to go.  It worked well with the practice problems I did the other day.

I like the idea of tabbing my outline in a binder, I'm going to do that, great idea!  It is around 25 pages so I think it should be just perfect for an open note exam.  We shall see.  In the end its all about applying the law, not just knowing it.  The UCC stuff can be tricky so I need to focus more on that.  Tick tock tick tock. . . .

[jacy85]

Open book doesnt mean *&^%.  You should prepare for an open book exam as if it were closed book, closed notes, no nothing.

The only time you should have to use your book or notes, is when you KNOW something, but can't quite think of it.  Your book, notes, outline, etc is just there to trigger your memory.

Open book exams are a trap.  If you have to use your book or notes, your screwed.

Completely not true.  I've relied on my outline, another student's outline, my printed class notes, AND the casebook during one exam last year, and got one of the highest grades in the class.  Yes, it's fantastic general advice to know the material cold.  But in my experience, if I have an open book exam, my time is much better spent learning the details of the application than memorizing crap.  Realistically, you learn a lot of the material cold just by reading your outline, making notations, tabbing it, working with it.  But to sit and try to memorize it all?  Seems like a monumental waste of time to me.

You are NOT screwed if you use your materials in the exam room (and I have the grades to back this statement up)

[Ivy_Hopeful]

I have finished all my outlines and have been studying (2-3 hours a piece) them quite precisely all you can do is take Practice exams (if applicable) practice multiple choice target areas of weakness and study your outlines in a congrant fashion with your exam prep (in other words) study K outline.... then do K practice exam.... stude Crim outline .... then do MC's etc... I have the next 2 weeks mapped out from wake to sleep best way to get things done and if you have ANY questions as to the material put ASK PROF in bold nect to concpet and during review (if you have one) or office hours hit Control + F when u open your outline and hit find all this will highlite every ASK PRof SO YOU CAN make deadly sure your rules are staded accurately cause if not you are draining your brain just to learn new rules later ... luckily each one of my classes has review during week 14 (wrap up week) so this is easy for me .... but hang in there oh and BTW I have not been on LSD in forever... yet I was the first senior citizen on this site (look at when I registered) so I have been through the whole process trying to help y'all out now Im in LS im so happy and yet so BUSY best of luck to all in your studies (unless you go to my school, lol),

Darrell (by the way I am not in  an ivy school but the standards at my school are very high and they dont allow open book or take home exams.... but they prpare to be an attorney not just a memorizer...
GOOD LUCK! 

[eli250]

I've only taken two exams so far, but found the mini outline to be really helpful.  Two pages at 9 point font in three columns seems to be just enough room to fit the key points of the course on paper so it will jog your memory come exam time.  It saved me a lot of time during the contracts exam.  If I was talking about a UCC provision and just needed to find the section number it was a lot easier to look at the mini than having to go through the real outline.  It was a good review just creating the thing too.  It made me focus on what was really important.

[racheles05]

I've never done an outline that's longer than 25 pages. I'm not saying that what you do is stupid, but it's different strokes for different folks. People have to figure out what they're comfortable with and stick with that. I don't outline at all for closed book exams; I use flashcards, do sample exams and E&E/CALI hypos. That doesn't mean that everybody should review like that, but there isn't one way that works for everybody. Most of your grade is how you write the exam, anyway. I think a lot of students spend too much time trying to understand the material and not enough time improving the way they write exams, or the way they write period. I'm declining the Pepsi challenge, but I will say that I've booked two classes and my outline was no longer than 25 pages for either. For one of those classes, not only did I not use my outline during the exam, my outline was only halfway done. The learning process for me is all about reviewing my notes, not outlining.

Just so you know, you're giving bad advice. If you have an open book test, why the hell would you get your outline down to 1 page? That's the most retarded "advice" I've heard on this board. (and you hear a lot of it here) The point of an open book test is to have access to things such as a detailed outline.

Personally, I like to make my outline as detailed as possible. I usually end up with an outline between 40 to 70 pages. It just depends on the class. However, this is all for an open book class.

I know someone will say that this is stupid to have such a long outline, but for those people that say it's stupid, I'll take the Pepsi grade challenge and we'll compare how I did in these classes and how you did. I like my chances.

For a closed book class, I agree that smaller is better. That being said, a one page outline is still pretty ludicrous advice. I'd say 15 to 20, depending on what the subject is.

Also, I second reading over your outline over and over again, and marking it the hell up with a pen and a highligher. I also like to put sectional tabs on it so I can flip to a subject during the test when I'm unsure how to proceed on an issue. But if you actually take the time to make a great outline, and study it, then you really don't end up having to use it that much during the exam. It's just something nice to have in case you need it. It's like a security blanket.

Chances are you have a lot off extra junk in there.  Narrow it down as much as you can.  I have people in my section whose K outlines are over 40 pages, and one dudes is 60!

Mine is 8 pages.

Your grade is based on your analysis of the facts.

You have to know the rules and principles, and be able to recognize the ones that apply to the facts of the question.

Once you have the rules down pat, create a 1 page outline of your entire outline and memorize it.  If you know your outline, this will take about 20 minutes.  Then the first 5 minutes of the exam jot down this 1 page outline on some scrap paper.


Just so you know, I haven't taken an exam yet. 

Really?