Tips for 2L?

[Goatbutter]

So I pretty average in 1L (mostly B’s) and I was just wondering if anyone had any tips on things that I can look out for or work on to really boost my grades in 2L? I know that one thing I need to work on is writing better case briefs but I’d love to know if anyone else has any tips or advice!

thanks a bunch!

[Psychometronic]

It depends. What worked for you in 1L? What didn't?

Personally, I stopped briefing completely by 2L (and probably earlier than that). It was time-consuming and wasn't helpful in focusing me on the main point of a case.

Practice exams were a much better use of my time and I tried to have my prof review them whenever I could. One of the things that throws people off is how varied exams are and this was the best way I could think of to find out what a prof wanted to see.

Edited June 18, 2021 by Psychometronic

[meandtheboys]

I definitely agree with @Psychometronic re: practice exams.  Doing practice exams early and having your prof review them was extremely helpful for me since each prof hinted at what they wanted to see emphasized, what they liked about your answer, what you could still work on, and sometimes even gave a rough grade range.  It was a good way to see where I was at in the course and whether my CAN was good/usable enough, or whether it needed any adding or subtracting.  I don't think it was a coincidence that my best grades were for classes where I did practice exam review about a month before the end of class, while my worse grades were for classes where the prof was unwilling to go over them.

FWIW I pretty much didn't do any case briefs after the second week of class and I still did ok.

Edited June 18, 2021 by meandtheboys

[Psychometronic]

44 minutes ago, meandtheboys said:

while my worse grades were for classes where the prof was unwilling to go over them.

This point reminded me of something I forgot to mention earlier (1L feels so long ago) and that is the benefit of a study group. For each 1L final exam, my group did a practice individually, then got together to discuss our answers. It helped me see things I was missing and talk through concepts I hadn't fully understood. I didn't do this as much in upper year (and less so during the pandemic) because I didn't always take classes with people I knew, but it can be a useful substitute to asking a prof to review an exam with you.

It was also less emotionally isolating than studying alone, which helped reduce exam stress somewhat.

 

[ThreeWhiteLights]

9 hours ago, Psychometronic said:

One of the things that throws people off is how varied exams are and this was the best way I could think of to find out what a prof wanted to see.

I found for some exams that practically half my grade was dependent on knowing the professor's preferences. I'm just here to echo the above about practice exams, specifically ones written by that professor. I'd spend the first 3 months of a semester learning the material and then the last bit preparing to "game" the exam.   

[HoggPower]

Are you planning on participating in a lot of ECs? The 2L motto, "work you to death", is pretty close to the truth. Many students seem to overstretch themselves and fall behind in their classes in their second year. I guess time management will be even more important than it was in first year. 

I agree with the above posters about practice tests. If you can get a prof to look over your answer or at least work through your answer with classmates you trust, it will go a long way. Working through practice tests will also give you a chance to get comfortable with your summary/outline.