Will these supplements hold me over in law school? (and are they even necessary)

[MiamiLaw]

Here is what I was thinking to get while I am in school for my 1L

1. Emmanuel's 1st year flash cards (all 1L classes)
2. Gilbert's First Year program for outlines (includes for all courses)
3. Examples and Explanations for all 1st year courses

Is it necessary to get all these because it is going to be like 500-600 bucks right here, on top of whatever I need to buy for my actual classes at school?

[Strong]

I would just wait. Seriously wait until you finish one week of school. Your professor nay recommends or advise against certain supplements. Or he might be the type that trys to tell you you don't need any supplements and if you use them you will fail his exam.

Follow along in class, go browse at the bookstore a time or two, and then buy. You'll probably get out for half the price you would if you just bought everything on the shelves.

[MiamiLaw]

I would just wait. Seriously wait until you finish one week of school. Your professor nay recommends or advise against certain supplements. Or he might be the type that trys to tell you you don't need any supplements and if you use them you will fail his exam.

Follow along in class, go browse at the bookstore a time or two, and then buy. You'll probably get out for half the price you would if you just bought everything on the shelves.

I know you aren't a fan of Planet Law School judging by the other thread, but it actually says in the book that if professors tell you not to get supplements, that they are straight up lying to you, and you need them regardless?  I was just under the impression that once law school starts it is like "BOOM!" and if I don't start studying all the necessary stuff from Day 1, it's gonna snowball and be too much to handle? Maybe it's not like I thought?

[lawmama09]

I've gotten flamed in the past for suggesting that supplements are a waste of money, but I really think they are. Our school has supplements available to borrow for free from the Dean of Students Office, and I have heard other schools have them in the library. You might want to see if your school has something similar, because at least that way you can check out what is there before you buy. Also, some of our professors mentioned supplements that they particularly liked, so those would be a better investment IMO.

I did like the flashcards, but I never bought any, I borrowed what I needed. We used them to drill in our study group toward the end of the semester, and they are not a bad review. The future interests set for property sticks out in my mind as being a very helpful set for a very confusing topic. I've used (borrowed) some E&Es to brush up on certain concepts before an exam, and I've worked through the questions in them as review before the final. They are not bad, but they are broad and not always tailored to what your professor has focused on in class. I can't comment on the Gilbert's, I never used them. The one supplement I did purchase this year, which I found very helpful, was Chemerinsky's Policies and Principles for Con Law. Our casebook was not helpful and neither was the prof, but I found the Chemerinsky book really clarified things for me.

There is a lot of debate about the usefulness of supplements on this board and in law school classes. I like them as a review/refresher at the end of the semester but that's about as far as I go. And I am very cheap, so I hate the idea of spending money on things that may not help me. Additionally, I would not advise reading them instead of your casebook, though many people in my class have done so. Also you may find that some professors are clear enough that you don't need a supplement for their class (my contracts class was like this). I realize this is a muddled post, but I hope it is somewhat helpful. You will probably get loads of replies from people who successfully used supplements too.

[MiamiLaw]

I've gotten flamed in the past for suggesting that supplements are a waste of money, but I really think they are. Our school has supplements available to borrow for free from the Dean of Students Office, and I have heard other schools have them in the library. You might want to see if your school has something similar, because at least that way you can check out what is there before you buy. Also, some of our professors mentioned supplements that they particularly liked, so those would be a better investment IMO.

I did like the flashcards, but I never bought any, I borrowed what I needed. We used them to drill in our study group toward the end of the semester, and they are not a bad review. The future interests set for property sticks out in my mind as being a very helpful set for a very confusing topic. I've used (borrowed) some E&Es to brush up on certain concepts before an exam, and I've worked through the questions in them as review before the final. They are not bad, but they are broad and not always tailored to what your professor has focused on in class. I can't comment on the Gilbert's, I never used them. The one supplement I did purchase this year, which I found very helpful, was Chemerinsky's Policies and Principles for Con Law. Our casebook was not helpful and neither was the prof, but I found the Chemerinsky book really clarified things for me.

There is a lot of debate about the usefulness of supplements on this board and in law school classes. I like them as a review/refresher at the end of the semester but that's about as far as I go. And I am very cheap, so I hate the idea of spending money on things that may not help me. Additionally, I would not advise reading them instead of your casebook, though many people in my class have done so. Also you may find that some professors are clear enough that you don't need a supplement for their class (my contracts class was like this). I realize this is a muddled post, but I hope it is somewhat helpful. You will probably get loads of replies from people who successfully used supplements too.

my plan would use them a long with the case readings though, not instead.

[jimmyjohn]

Do you like wasting money?

[Blunderbuss]

Here is what I was thinking to get while I am in school for my 1L

1. Emmanuel's 1st year flash cards (all 1L classes)
2. Gilbert's First Year program for outlines (includes for all courses)
3. Examples and Explanations for all 1st year courses

Is it necessary to get all these because it is going to be like 500-600 bucks right here, on top of whatever I need to buy for my actual classes at school?

All of these are useless.  Keep your supplement to a minimum.  More study aids do not equal to higher grade , in stead, having too many will confuse you, distract you, and waste your time. 
Commercial outlines can be useful or useless, depending on the prof and his style.  Wait till you are a few weeks in, and have an idea about where he's going before buying anything. 

[bobbykurva]

I did not use supplements. Everything you need to know for the exam will be covered in the casebook and class discussions. I finished 2nd in my class. The teacher wants you to recite the law and use analysis they way he/she taught you in class. Just my $0.02.

[JohnnyAwesome]

I say hold out. Generally I've learned some profs will be very good for use with these guides and others will not. My library had all of these available to use. I bought them my first semester and did not use them. In my opinion the only helpful supplement I found was E&E for things that I did not understand. So if during property the Rules Against Perpetuities just goes over your head you may get a decent description. But in terms of black letter law, use the information your prof gives you.

[coquita]

Some teachers tell you not to use supplements because if you pull out information that is in the supplement, but not covered in the casebook or in class...you will have wasted your time and not gotten any extra points. Supplements should be used only when you have trouble understanding a topic. If you understand a topic well, reading a supplement might confuse you or give you information not covered in class and therefore not worth points in an exam. Find where your trouble spots are in your classes before getting a supplement. Even then...see if your library has them on reserve and just read a section first to see if the supplement works for your learning style. And take it easy on LSD...go outside and enjoy your last days of freedom!!!