A few months before my exams last year, I got my transverse colon volvulus and had an emergency operation. I was pretty much wiped out for about two months. When I came back to my studying, I was way way behind. Law is a difficult subject to catch up on because it's mainly just a load of facts and cases that you have to remember and because there's so much of it to learn, it's hard to take enough time over anything to make it interesting and exciting.
So I spent some time cramming before I went to my exams, Constitutional Law and Tort Law, I managed ok on. But Contract Law I despised before I got ill and so it was the thing I left until last to cram on, to get ready for my exams. I didn't have any time to do practise questions, or make mind maps or any of those things which are good for revising. And the following happened...
Constitutional Law - I had three essay plans ready to go. I love essay questions, you just memorise the info in a certain order and vomit it out on the paper when you get in the exam. I had been testing myself on my essay plan for at least two weeks before the exam. I got into the exam, I splurged everything I knew, finished with enough time left to read it over, put down my pen, felt satisfied and walked out with a fairly confident feeling that I'd done ok. Result = I did quite well. Woop!
Tort Law - It was all problem questions. Panic! Problem questions require you to memorise a load of stuff, then cherry pick which info you need, depending on the what the questions asks. O no! I work better on a 'make-a-plan-then-write-it-out-word-for-word' basis, so problem questions throw me. How do I know which info to pick? So I memorised a load of mind maps and figured it'd be clear when I got in which bits of info from everything I knew that I needed to use. I did two or three practise questions before the exam. I took the exam and felt alright-ish about it, but not really sure how I'd done. Result = I did pretty average.
Contract Law - Awful. I barely had any time left to dedicate to revising. I did what I could and cobbled together a few notes. On the morning of the exam, I woke up early to do some last minute revision and looked at how the topics had been grouped together. I realised that I hadn't quite got enough subjects covered to have three whole areas I could answer a question on. Hmm. I had two more topics to try and revise before I could properly answer three questions in the exam. I did one right there and then, on double time, with two and a half hours until the exam. I then found a study book with the second subject I needed in it and took it with me to the exam. The journey was quite long so I read up on Warranties whilst travelling. I went into the exam with a feeling of despair/hilarity at my own unpreparedness. I hadn't done any practise questions. I answered most of a question on Terms and Warranties before I reread the question and realised it was about Misrepresentation, which I had not studied. So searched through the paper for a question about Terms and Warranties and started afresh, way behind on time. I walked out of that exam knowing it would be a miracle if I got any marks at all. Result = I did Rubbish. With a capital R. Worst mark I've ever got from an exam in my life.
The moral of this story? 1. Don't get a twisted colon. 2. Revise more! Do practise questions!
PS 23 days till first exam. Today's study topic is Freehold and Leasehold land
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