Makenzie Way, Law Graduate at the University of Pennsylvania
I encourage you to take time to handwrite study materials.
One of the things I love about BARBRI is the amount of awesome study materials provided. Between the lecture handouts, Conviser Mini Reviews, and preparatory PDFs there is never a shortage of materials to read and learn from. While I’ve found all of these to be really useful as I try to memorize this bar prep material, I’ve also found that taking the time to handwrite study materials I’m trying to memorize has been a big help as well.
For me (and probably for some of you too), the act of handwriting something helps it stick in my mind. I also find that when I handwrite something, I tend to condense it and put it in my own words, which makes it easier for me to understand and remember. Handwriting materials is something I made a point to do for every law school exam, and I’m making a point to do it for the bar exam as well.
I know what you’re thinking… I’m crazy for trying to make you add something else to an already packed study schedule, but hear me out! I’m not asking you to rewrite all 100-something pages of the lecture handout or copy the Conviser Mini Review word for word. In fact, I don’t recommend you do that at all.
I’m recommending that you take your study materials and condense them into your own words. Try making a short, handwritten outline covering hearsay, the exemptions, and exceptions. Make flashcards for the different intentional torts and their elements or the types of property interests. By taking the BARBRI materials and putting them in your own words and your own format, you’re making yourself think through what each concept means and how they all relate together.
Not only will that help further your understanding and memorization of the material, it will also help you to identify areas that are a bit confusing to you so you can re-watch the lecture or submit a question.