During another minute of my procrastination I have found an interesting web site with some good advices

Law Student Division
Adviser
Time is of the essence for smart studiers
by Amy L. Jarmon
Originally published in: Student Lawyer, September 2007, Vol. 36, No. 1, All rights reserved

Time is often a law student’s enemy. We have all heard the stories. Law students lament that they sleep only five hours a night because they are constantly reading for class. They complain about frantically finishing writing assignments hours before the deadline. They consider it impossible to find time to outline, do practice questions, or review for exams.

Charles Buxton once said, “You will never find time for anything. If you want time, you must make it.” This adage is certainly true for law students who wish to succeed rather than merely survive. Proven strategies exist that make time for effective studying and still leave time for life.

How does one make time? Here are some techniques that can help you:
Realize that prior study techniques may not match the reality of successful studying for law school. Law school reading is more “dense” because it includes cases, which have a specialized language. Casebooks rarely have introductions, headings, graphics, or summaries. The volume of material covered is daunting. Many law professors guide students rather than tell them exactly what they need to know. Few law students made course outlines in college. Law school final exams focus on the application of material rather than the cases read.

Because of these differences, new strategies and regular review of material are essential. Many law students relate that they earned As in college while studying less than 15 hours per week and cramming for exams. Even those with graduate degrees remark on adjustments to law school studying. Older law students often relate that they have forgotten how to study.

Stop making “ad hoc” study decisions. Many law students decide day by day, or even hour by hour, what they will do. These law students are finding time for tasks instead of making time. They stay very busy, but most of them do not study efficiently or effectively.

Law students who are ad-hoc time managers often expand tasks into the time available (taking four hours to read what could have been read in three and a half hours). They procrastinate because they “have all day” to complete several tasks. They waste time getting ready to study. Consequently, they become focused only on reading for class. Other assignments and tasks are completed haphazardly. They grasp at shortcuts rather than more efficient and effective ways to study.
Make a weekly schedule that includes all of the study tasks for success. By having a regular routine that is modified but not reinvented, you take control of your study tasks. A full-time student will study 55–60 hours per week to complete all study tasks and prepare for exams during the entire semester. A part-time student will study 35–45 hours per week. The rewards are lower stress and guilt-free relaxation.
Critical study tasks to include are reading for class, briefing for class, reviewing before class, reviewing class notes after class, outlining, reviewing outlines, and doing practice questions. Other tasks may vary and include weekly tutoring, study groups, and extracurricular obligations. Following are the steps for making your base study schedule:

1. Make a template table for Monday through Friday with days as column headings and one-hour slots as row headings. Half-hour slots can be designated with a line dividing a slot into two parts.

2. Label time blocks specifically with the tasks. Examples: “read Income Tax,” “outline Evidence,” “review Torts notes.”

3. Include four to eight hours weekly for each project or paper course even if these tasks will start several weeks later. Any unused time initially can be allotted to other tasks or relaxation.

4. Fill in regular commitments first. These commitments may vary depending on your lifestyle. Examples: classes, tutoring sessions, morning prep time, commuting time, bedtime story for your child, church service.

5. Fill in seven to eight hours of sleep at the same time for Sunday through Thursday nights. Vary the weekend sleep cycle by two hours at the most. With more sleep, you will be more productive and retain more information.

6. Fill in a half hour per class to review your readings, briefs, and prior class notes before going to class. You will follow class discussion better, take better notes, and feel more confident.

7. Consider reading your class assignment two days beforehand. On Saturday, you read for Monday’s classes. On Sunday, you read for Tuesday’s classes. On Monday, you read for Wednesday’s classes, and so forth. Advantages of this system: you are less hurried and can learn the material rather than highlighting for later learning, you have more time to brief cases, you will be finished with the week’s reading on Wednesday, you have made time on Thursday and Friday for tasks such as outlining, reviewing, completing practice questions, and writing papers.

8. Write down an estimate for your reading/briefing time for each course for one day’s assignment. Estimate the longest time needed if your daily assignments vary in length. If your estimate is a range such as three to three and a half hours, choose the higher number.

9. Write down an estimate for your outlining time for each course for one week’s material. Estimate the longest time and take the higher number if you estimate a range. If you have no idea, include two hours per week. If you need to catch up, estimate the total time needed. Use that figure initially, and go to the lower weekly figure once you are current.

10. Fill in your reading time for each class. Choose times when you will be most alert. Consider reading for your most difficult course first so that it will not hang over you all day.

11. Fill in time for the remaining tasks: outlining, reviewing course material, working practice questions.

12. Fill in a half hour per class to review your class notes within 24 hours after class. In this time, fill in missing information and organize your notes.

13. Schedule your free time. Most law students schedule free time on Friday and Saturday nights. Choose realistic times to get up and begin studying on the weekend.

14. Add some flex hours that will not be used for studying unless you need them. Psychologically, it is easier to give up this time for study if you have already made that commitment. These flex hours allow you to reconfigure your schedule for unexpected assignments, illness, or other reasons.
Use a monthly calendar to indicate deadline dates. Set an artificial deadline two days earlier than the real deadline. An artificial deadline gives you flexibility if problems arise. Make a list of all of the small tasks to meet a deadline. For each task, estimate how long it will take you. Then, enter on the calendar the specific tasks to be accomplished each day to stay on track.

Use a prioritized daily to-do list for the specific tasks that will be completed in the time blocks designated on your weekly schedule. “Read Torts” is not specific enough. “Read Torts pages 120–148” is better. However, if you need a feeling of accomplishment, break down the assignment by cases or page numbers. Prioritize all tasks with designations that make sense to you.You will need several weeks to monitor and finalize the weekly schedule. Do not give up if things sometimes go awry.

The two-day method is easiest to start or restart on Saturday. Your law school experience will be more successful when you make time rather than find time.
Amy L. Jarmon is assistant dean for academic success programs at Texas Tech University School of Law in Lubbock.

The source is Academic Success