Developing a
Study Schedule
Why a Study Schedule?
• Law school is very different than college – Law school is like a
JOB.
• Classes require more effort than your college classes.
• A study plan will help ensure you maintain a balance as you
move through the semester.
Time….
• As you may have already gathered from your first week or so,
how you spend your time in law school is absolutely critical.
Your goal should be to become an EFFICIENT learner.
• Time is your most precious commodity in law school.
• If you read for an hour, be sure to take a 1-2 minute break
every 15 minutes and a 5-10 minute break at the end of the
hour.
• Do not read for more than three hours without taking a a
MAJOR break.
Getting Started
• Best way to begin to build your daily and weekly schedule is
by conducting a time audit
• A time audit is when you record all your activities and the
amount of time they require for a given interval (one week is
most common)
• Once you have audited your time, you will have a sense as to
how you are using your time and where you can work more
efficiently
Write It Down
• For a schedule to be helpful, it must be written down
• Different ways of doing this – Outlook Calendar, Gmail
Calendar, Daily Planner, etc.
• Most students use a web-based solution that syncs with your
phone, but you should find the approach that works best for
you
• Easier to use your time for studying if you have already
indicated to yourself that it should be used for studying
What to Include?
• A good schedule does not simply account for your academicrelated activities – It also includes meetings, activities, task,
errands and anything else you may be doing in a given week
• The basic components of a schedule are as follows:
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Immoveable commitments
Relaxation/Activities/Regular Tasks
Reading
Review
Flex Blocks
Immoveable Commitments
• Begin by blocking time for the things that are immovable
commitments that will not change day/time usually
Examples:
Classes
Scheduled group study time
Family commitments
Religious Services
Meals
Sleep
You should get to school at the same hour every morning and
leave at the same hour every night.
Wellness Habits
Those activities that help you maintain balance are just
as important as your coursework. These are the
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Keep in touch with loved ones
Get optimum amount of sleep
Eat well
Regular exercise
Keep any anxiety in check
Keep in touch with personal values/spiritual needs
Seek outside help you need to maintain these goals
Regular Tasks…
• You also want to schedule tasks that you know must be done
so they do not become interruptions throughout your
day/week.
Example:
Errands
Cleaning
Phone Calls
Voicemail
Email
Reading…
• Do not read too far in advance. A good rule of thumb is that
you should not do your assignments more than two days
before they are discussed in class.
Consider the following reading schedule:
Read Saturday for Monday’s Classes
Read Sunday for Tuesday’s Classes
Read Monday for Wednesday’s Classes
Read Tuesday for Thursday’s Classes
Read Wednesday for Friday’s Classes
• Remember, you should always read with a realistic time
budget in mind.
About Your Time Budget…
• Remember: You will become a more proficient reader as the
semester progresses.
• You should read for understanding NOT mastery, but also
accept that you will not understand everything.
• What if you are having a hard time getting a handle on how
much time?
Time yourself for each course while reading 5 or 10
pages. Then, determine the time you will need for each
assignment based upon that “trial” time. Re-time
yourself as the semester progresses.
Flex Blocks
• Flex time is time when you agree to study if you need to do
so.
• This will allow you some cushion if you get behind or veer
from your schedule. Remember, life does not stop simply
because you are in law school.
• If you are caught up on everything, you can use this time as
free time.
Changing Your Schedule
• Do not be afraid to change your schedule if it is not working
for you.
• How do you make this change in an informed way?
Keep track of what you are doing every day. This should
include everything. Once you have this list, review it. If
you think it suggests you make a change, do not be afraid
to make change your schedule.
To perform this sort of time audit, you should use the
form you received earlier so that you can log your time
and activities in an organized fashion.
Assignments and Exams
• You should mark all deadline for assignments and papers.
Once you know your final exam dates, makes sure to write
them down.
• Consider setting an artificial deadline for these assignments.
• Estimate the amount of time you will need to complete each
assignment/prepare for exam.
• Work backwards from due date/exam date to determine how
you should allocate your time in order to do your best work.
Study Schedule Example #1
Study Plan Example #3
Study Schedule #4
Study Schedule Example #2
Study Plan Example #2a
Other Options…
• Can create a “To-Do” list
If you choose this option, should be ordered from “Most
Important” to “Least Important”
Should include the same basic information we have
included here
Prioritization is key. Be honest with yourself.
• You could also simply set aside “chunks” of time each day that
are to be used for studying and determine how you wish to
use that time.
To Do List Example
Basic Weekly Study Schedule:
Monday:
Constitutional Law: pages 38 – 52
Non Profits: pages 2 – 27
Tuesday:
Employment Law: Smith Article
Constitutional Law: 52 – 79
American History Seminar: Jones Article
Wednesday: Environmental Law: 62 – 88
Constitutional Law: 317 – 334
Thursday:
Environmental Law: 62 – 88
Moot Court Meeting @ 6 in Moot Court room
Friday:
Law Ambassador PM Tour
Additional/To Do This Week:
Laundry
Apply to AAUW
Rent Check
Grocery Run
Summary…
• You need to organize your weeks and months in some fashion.
• Your organization should reflect not only your class
requirements and reading assignments but also regular
review.
• Your schedule should also include errands, wellness activities
and other obligations on your schedule.
• May want to consider building in some flex time so that you
have a buffer in your study schedule in the event you become
sick or sidetracked.
Academic Success Workshops
• September 17: Synthesizing Course Materials – Developing a
Game Plan for the Semester
• September 24: Rule Based Reasoning, Part 1
• October 1: Rule Based Reasoning, Part 2
• October 8: (Open Topic)
• October 15: Reasoning by Analogy, Part 1
• October 22: Reasoning by Analogy, Part 2
• October 29: Reviewing Midterms and Writing Assignments to
Improve Performance
• November 6: To Make an Outline, Flowchart, Flashcards, or
Decision Tree – Pulling it Together for the Final Stretch
• November 13: Practicing for Exams – Student Panel
• November 20: Faculty Exam Tips Panel
Academic Success Workshops
• Anything with which you are particularly struggling?
• What topics would you like Professor Natkin to cover?
• Please write any thoughts/ideas you have on your index card