We are more than half way through the fall semester, and for many law students, late October is a time for looking ahead to what is in front of them. You have settled in to a routine, finals are on the horizon, and you may be asking yourself questions such as, how much more reading can there be? When am I going to outline? Will I travel for Thanksgiving? Looking ahead is critical because knowing what you have to do and when you have to do it keeps you focused and on task. And really, time marches on no matter what anyone does. The semester will end and finals (like winter) are coming. Just as important, however, is looking back at where you have been.

Like a coach or player at halftime, now is the time to think about self-assessment and adjustment. Granted, you don’t have a score to use as a measurement of your performance, but you can think about your classes, how you have approached them so far, and whether that approach is working for you. Is there something you can improve? Maybe you need to spend more time on your Legal Research and Writing assignments or should be briefing cases. Maybe you have realized that you are behind and need to catch up. Effort is a choice, so grab a metaphorical Gatorade, give yourself a pep talk, and get ready to work hard for the rest of the semester.

On a more substantive level, don’t forget to continually review your class material, including your reading and notes. Take time each week, or better yet, after each class, to go over your notes. Fix mistakes and typos while your memory of the class is still fresh. Ask yourself, where does this fit in with the course? Do my notes make sense? Now that class is over, do I understand the reasoning and holdings of these cases? Do I have questions I should ask the professor, the TA, or a friend?

“Effort is a choice, so grab a metaphorical Gatorade, give yourself a pep talk, and get ready to work hard for the rest of the semester.”

At this point in the semester, you may want to start synthesizing your notes into a comprehensive course outline. Reviewing will help that process. Going over your class materials in a timely manner allows you to put the entire course together and enhances your understanding of the substantive law. Think of this process as living forward but understanding backward. Keep pushing forward with new material, but look back at past material on a regular basis to fully understand that material and the course as a whole. Finally, remember that by reviewing each week or after each class and using that review as a basis for your outline, you won’t leave all the work of outlining to the last few days before the exam.

Now I realize that I have raised many questions for you to think about and provided very few answers –a typical law school maneuver. But you can answer these questions for yourself and see where you are, what you understand, and where to go from here. Keep putting in the effort and have a strong second half of the semester. You can do this.

Clear eyes, full hearts…can’t lose.