To believe at almost 40 I can do this...

[Sprinkles212]

Evening all,

Some background information. I am a single Mum to 3 kids
I am in my final year of a law degree, (LLB) and am almost done with my first assessment period of this academic year.
I have a final exam next week before my second and LAST semester will begin at the end of this month.
This exam next week is 'closed book' meaning you cannot take in any notes or books of any kind, you've got to have it all in your head.
On the day you sit down and are presented with 6 different problem questions on the specific area of law (Commercial Law in this case) and are then expected to unpick the scenario which usually has 10 different characters with 20 different potential legal issues and the odd red herring thrown in.
You are supposed to remember all relevant case law (names of the parties involved and the year the case was decided) and the legislation that applies so I am dealing with the Companies Act 2006 that has over 1000 different sections in it....

Am I being unreasonable to want to sit and cry because I am at this stage unable to remember a THING??! I am almost 40 and so bloody tired. I know there are people out there far worse off than me but I am feeling very much like I was crazy to do this degree which in itself is crazy because I'm almost at the end, I will be finished in May and graduating in July!!

Does anyone have any tips for dealing with closed book exams? My mind just goes blank when I get in there and we have 2 hours to answer these awful essay style, problem scenario questions....

I can offer no study help but I. An say i think you are amazing Sprinkles.

Good luck!

Honestly you are doing really well!

As a lawyer too (still sometimes can't believe it), my advice is to break the question down into all the constituent parts. I used to write out cases over and over again with one point that would remind me what the key point is. Mind maps too - problem questions are much easier in my opinion than essay questions!

Really good luck.

I remember being in tears before my first year land law exam as I really felt I couldn’t remember anything (and had failed the mid-term exam!). I was so stressed I had multiple mouth ulcers that made eating incredibly painful. I was 19. I passed - my panic was (in hindsight) over nothing.

It sounds like you are doing brilliantly so far, I second other posters who say write out the key cases over and over. Remember that you don’t need full citations - even if you only know one party to a case, or just describe the facts and the ratio, you can get credit for it.

I’m a big fan of topic spotting - if you need to answer 3/4 questions out of 6 then learn 4/5 topics - not without risk but you can cut out topics you find harder.

You can do it!

YOU CAN DO THIS OP! You’re amazing-seriously single mum to 3 with no help AND an LLB?!

All my BA & MA exams were closed book. What I found really helpful were mind maps as above, and also
associating different physical activities with different bits of revision. So balance on left leg while reciting 10 bits of info related to one area of the paper.
Balance on my right leg whilst reciting 10 bits related to another area. Lie down & balance a cup on my forehead whilst reciting another area of revision.

The other thing is you sound super frazzled (understandably) are you getting enough sleep?

Lots of good advice here OP. All you can do, is the best you can do. So no pressure! just do your best

Don’t let yourself catastrophise and burn mental energy on worrying... if you feel yourself start down that track, usual positive self talk to snap yourself out of it.

I used to do a skeleton structure covering all the issues for a particular topic. Then as soon as the exam started (closed book) I would jot that structure down so I had it in front of me.

You got this

I did multicoloured crib notes of cases back when I was doing my law degree. You will know the cases - you just need key words to embed them in your head.

Each case a different colour

Case name
Year
Key points

For me it had to be handwritten to make it go in. And I needed to write each sheet several times.

Fab advice on here as always

Op
You are amazing

So so amazing
Please don't go to hard on yourself
You totally have got this

I remember my worst ever exam - animal psychology
Lost my notes
No revision :(
Went in to the exam and answered one question on memory in animals with references to my own animals at home (mortified at what I came out with)
Passed the exam thank god and overall did very well

You totally can do this
Keep us updated on your progress

First thing to remember in the exam ....BREATHE. I have memories of my closed book exam I did for my degree (science not law). I too was a tired stressed mum. I did it & so will you!!! There's more in your head than you imagine and it will come. If you're tired and struggling to retain information go for a little and often revision method you can fit around everything else in your life. Are there any audible revision materials you could use while you're seeing to the kids / cooking/ driving etc. Aim to do practice papers when possible so the structure of your answers will fllow.

Good luck - you have achieved so much already

Oh and definitely breathing in for four and out for six has a calming effect after that initial page turn & panic.

You can’t have more than 4 tenants on a TR1, please amend your question would be my response. Studying law whilst not practicing it is really hard. Good luck

Good for you. 👍

Revise by answering questions - past papers, questions at the end of chapters in text books, etc etc. As many as you can. Make them up if you have to.

Start with open book and move to closed book.

Information sticks if you use it, not if you just read it. Don’t bother making notes. Just do questions.

I have no experience of law but when studying for my degree, I decided on about six key things/scenarios that were likely to come up. I produced a spider diagram for each in loads of detail, including quotes, dates and people. I copied them out again and again and again. Then I started testing myself to see how much I could remember without looking. I got to about 80% of each one in the end. The repetition helped.

When I got into the test, I looked to see which questions best fitted what I had memorised, unloaded all the info I had as a plan and then went for it.

It may not be the way that you work and I’m buggered if I can remember any of it now but it worked at the time! Good luck - you can do it!

No advice on law but if you think you might panic either pop a paracetamol an hour before exams or see if you can get some beta blockers for panic from the GP to keep you calm. You plainly can do it if you are on course for a First.

I use mind maps and voice recording. Mind map are copies and stuck on walls, above kitchen sink , wall across from the loo and our wardrobe doors. I play recordings, lectures me or me reading key words and explanations, in the car and try to go walking for 30 minutes while listening.

You can do this. You’ve done the work. You know your stuff. Read through things again by all means but at this point it sounds like sleep is what you need?

In my experience a lot of people have a major panic before that final push. Like childbirth thinking I CAN NOT DO IT!! Then somehow the push comes.
So you have done brilliantly. You have not got this far not having a seriously good head. You have the capabilities. Nothing will ever be as hard again.
So rest. Then remember that final, massive push that made it all worthwhile. You can do this and what a mighty proud woman you will be on graduation day.
Is there someone from last year who could give you tips? Could you get a study buddy and discuss it together? Take it a step at a time.
And come back and tell us how you got on as we are all rooting for you.

You will not be examined in all the sections in the legislation - or even be expected to know/learn all of it. Surely your lecture notes will guide you as to the main sections / case law?

I always had to come up with rhymes/random made up joke ma to help me remember stuff. It was horrid. And then having moved to a new jurisdiction, I've just had to go through the same thing again. It was not fun.

But closed book does NOT mean you have to learn every single section of the act so don't even try!!