Greetings everyone! Welcome to Law School. It’s been over one year since the Corona Virus hits the world, and we have been battling with the new norm ever since: Online Distance Learning. It was not easy, but our perseverance has got us through the tough times. Now that it’s the third semester of online classes, here are a few tips and tricks that might ease this journey!
BEFORE CLASS
1. Pray or meditate.
As cliché and common as it sounds, it also carries the absolute truth. It is always important to pray to God and ask Him to ease our daily life. Ask for His continuous guidance and assistance, better understanding and a peaceful heart to accept new knowledge.
2. Set up your study space.
Study space does not necessarily mean a designated study room with a complete chair-desk-shelf set. It is enough to just have a study spot in your room that is clean and tidy so that the comfortable environment will help you to stay focus. Make up your bed every morning before class to lift up the mood that “you are awake”. Never bring your laptop onto your bed for classes and practice discipline by always doing work at your study spot. Simple decorations with inspirational quotes and pictures of your loved ones may boost your spirit too!
3. Prepare your stationeries.
Always have papers and pens within your reach. And highlighters too! Even though during online learning you have access to recorded lectures and can replay it anytime, writing things down however will give you powerful benefits. According to productiveandfree.com, writing things down can help you record everything that has your attention. For example, when the lecturers are pointing out provisions and their gist, you can always jot them down on the spot and have in mind that they are important points to be focused on.
4. Prepare before class.
Before joining a class, get a heads up on what topic that will be learnt that day. If the lecturer has forwarded notes and slides prior to the class, do download them, and go through them at first glance first. It will give you a rough idea of the lecture. For extra reference, you may get additional notes from your senior or Studocu.com!
DURING CLASS
Take a breather!
Before joining an online class, spend some good minutes doing meditation and brace your mind for classes. Sit up straight and take 3 deep breath before entering the class.
2. Highlight your notes.
According to dunwoody.edu, highlighting notes allow you to draw attention to important information in a text. One useful tip to help you in understanding your own notes is by using colour coding with highlighters. For example, blue highlighter is only for provisions (e.g.: Section 11 of Contract Act), green highlighter is only for case name (e.g.: Donoghue v Stevenson), purple highlighter is only for the headings (e.g.: Negligence), and yellow highlighter is only for important explanation (e.g.: Duty of Care, Breach of Duty and Causation). Apply the same colour coding for all subjects so that you will not get confused and it helps your brain to identify the points easily.
3. Get refreshments.
Listening to the continuous lecture may be tiring and the tendency to zone out is high. Thus, refreshments may pull back your attention. Prepare a bowl of fresh fruits, or sweets or a cup of tea during your class. These tidbits may freshen you up and make the learning experience less bored. Besides, always put a bottle of plain water on your desk so that you can always have a sip whenever you are sleepy.
4. Phone aside!
This is the biggest distraction during online classes. Lectures tend to be boring, and Twitter and Instagram tend to be extra appealing during these times. Nevertheless, do not give in to the temptation. The fun in scrolling is not worth it to compare with the hard work and time you have to allocate to listen to the recorded lecture again. it could be “just a minute to reply to an important text” to “15 minutes of scrolling through TikTok” without you realizing it. Therefore, put aside your phone and turn on the “Do Not Disturb” or silent mode and focus on your class!
AFTER CLASS
1. Jot down the topic you have learnt.
This is quite a handy tip that will be useful when the final season is around the corner. Jot down the topic and date of what you have learnt that day to keep track of the lesson. For example, “Week 1: LAW435 Elements of Negligence – 1/4/2020”. This will ease you in searching for your notes later. You may rely on the lesson plan too, but sometimes the lecturers might not follow the plan and this tip will help you to record your tutorial classes as well.
2. Tidy up the space for the next class.
Neat study space is always the best and gives you some sort of unexplainable calming effect. Thus, make sure to put back the books on the shelf, pencils in the case, and papers in the files after every class. Your next class will be easier and more manageable too!
3. Rest and have healthy meals.
This is the next important thing after a long tiring day of classes. Do have a break in between classes and take a power nap if possible (but do set an alarm too! You do not want to miss any important class). Do not overwork yourself as it might affect your health conditions. Have good and healthy meals and spend some quality time with your beloved ones.
I hope that these tips and tricks can assist you in surviving Law School! All the best law-friends. We got this and let’s slay this Law School 😊
Cheers,
Hani Sofea
@hanisofeamk
ALSA UiTM
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