Five Time Management Tips for New Law Students

The demands placed upon you as a law student are significantly more challenging than anything you ever experienced as an undergraduate or in the workplace. In law school (and most other graduate programs for that matter), you will be required to retain huge amounts of information, and on top of this, the complexity of the material will me more difficult as well. Further, you will be expected to do a large amount of work independently, and this can be quite the challenge compared to the more structured curriculums of undergraduate work. In approaching law school and managing these new tasks, time management is one of the keys to success.

The following are five tips to time management for new law students:

1. Invest in a good daily planner, and spare no expense in this pursuit. You will be juggling class, homework and a social life, and this no small task. Further, in law school, the days of waiting for the last minute to begin studying for a test or begin working on an assignment are over. A daily planner will help you keep track of your deadlines as well as other life commitments. This is a big one, so head immediately down to Office Depot and find a planner that suits you.
2. In attempting to manage your time, be sure to make the most of scheduled study sessions. As a law student, your time will be limited, and school work will be a top priority. If you don't make efficient use of your scheduled study time, you might find school encroaching on other areas such as spending time with family or friends. Be sure that when you sit down to study, you set the stage for success. If you study best in the evenings in absolute quiet, don't schedule your study sessions in the morning in a busy library. Further, be sure to bring supplies such as food and beverages to your study session so that you don't waste time on refreshment breaks.
3. "To Do" lists are effective time-management tools for any graduate student. Make one every morning and cross off tasks as they are completed throughout the day. Not only will this give you a sense of accomplishment as you move through the list, but it will keep you working towards goals on a daily basis.
4. Be careful not to over-schedule your time. If every minute of your day is accounted for, you won't have any time to tackle the unexpected occurrences that life throws your way. Schedule in "flex time" so that you can deal with daily surprises without throwing off your entire day.
5. When you plan to prepare for an upcoming deadline, schedule a little time each day. You only have 30 minutes to spare on a given day? Well, you'd be surprised how much you can accomplish in small periods of time if you're not under the gun at the last minute.

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