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The 5 Worst Law Student Study Habits

By George Khoury, Esq. on August 13, 2018 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

For law students, bad study habits can quickly turn a semester from good to what-happened!?!

Sure, whether you're going to get called on in lecture is as likely as rolling doubles, but that doesn't mean you should slack off or short-shrift your preparation. There are better ways to get your thrills than agonizing over whether you're going to have to fudge your way through a Socratic barrage.

Below you can read about the five worst study habits that law students need to stop right now.

1. Procrastination

While you might believe that you'll do the reading later, will you? Really? What if you get hungry and run out of time the hour before class? What about if you don't get called on and the professor passes that point in the lecture? Are you going to go back and read?

Simply put, procrastination leads to falling behind, and you don't want to fall behind.

2. The Overly Social Study Group

Yes, it's important to socialize, relax, and have friends, but if your study group is more chatty-Charles than studious-Stan, you'll just end up having to do more work. Find a study group you can trust to stay focused and hold each other accountable.

3. Not Outlining

You're in law school. Why aren't you outlining? If after your second or third week your studying doesn't culminate in updating your outlines, you might want to check to make sure you're not doing it wrong.

4. Not Sleeping

Sometimes you'll have to stay up late working, but if you're studying, you might want to consider alternatives. Your brain needs sleep. Sleeping helps your memory and improves brain function. And if you're going into exam season sleep deprived, you might want to adjust your schedule to ensure you're getting a good night's sleep every night.

5. You Don't Need Study Drugs

While law students may be seeking a professional career, prescription drug abuse is surprisingly rampant. And unless you actually need the medication to treat a diagnosable condition, using study drugs is dangerous and has potential short- and long-term consequences.

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