Assessing Your Study Habits
My youngest son recently started fourth grade. For homework, his teacher required him to complete a worksheet titled "How Do You Like to Learn." It's a great exercise that forced my son to reflect on his previous study habits.
As law students are either beginning their legal education or continuing their legal journey, now's also a good time to reassess those study habits and ask, "how do you like to learn."
Below are the 10 questions, along with my thoughts (mostly in the form of "pros" and "cons" for each). Whether you're a fourth grader or a 1L, these questions will help you assess your learning and make you think about potential changes that might need to be made.
1. I work best when it is quiet.
Pros: Studying in a quiet place can improve your concentration and the quality of your study time.
Cons: When you study in a noisy environment, you might find that you end up listening to other conversations around you or that your mind can easily wander away.
2. I can work when there is noise in the classroom.
Pros: Gentle background noises—like sound of rain falling, waves crashing against the shore, or white noise—can help mask the sounds of the outside world and promote a sense of tranquility. As a result, these soft sounds can help improve concentration and productivity.
Cons: Too much (or too loud) background noise—for example, from the television or from your favorite streaming services—can be distracting.
3. I like to work at a table or desk.
Pros: A table or a desk—provided it’s clean—provides a clutter-free environment. A clutter-free environment can improve your concentration and focus. (Starting to see a pattern here?) Also, having a dedicated table or desk focuses the task at hand on studying.
Cons: Working at a table or desk isn’t overly comfortable. Thus, the risk of poor posture increases. Also, if your study table is actually, for instance, your kitchen table, then you might be more prone to being distracted by other activates associated with the kitchen table, like snacking, opening mail, or even talking on the phone.
4. I like to work on the floor.
Pros: Studying on the floor can help combat some of the problems that go along with studying at a table or table (discussed in Number 3). Studying, especially while sitting cross-legged on the floor, allows you to shift your weight on your hips. By doing so, you reduce the pressure on your back and hips, which can lead to longer study sessions.
Cons: For some people, sitting on the floor may lead to some of the postural issues and back pain that working at a table or desk can cause. So it’s important to avoid slouching and set regular reminders to stand up every now and then.
5. I like to work on an assignment until it is completed.
Pros: Working on an assignment until it’s completed will help you cross off those items on your “to do” list. And that should give you a sense of accomplishment each day.
Cons: Sometimes, it’s better to break up larger and longer assignments. Doing so gives you more opportunities to re-look at the materials with fresh—or at least, fresher—eyes. (This isn't really a "con" but rather a counterargument.)
6. Sometimes I get frustrated with my work and do not finish.
Both the “pros” and “cons” related to being frustrated with your work and not finishing stem from perfectionism.
Perfectionism is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it can motivate you to perform at your best. On the other hand, it can cause you avoid the work for fear that you might not be able to perform at your highest level.
Rather than striving for perfection, strive for putting in your best efforts when completing an assignment. What you will soon realize is that your best efforts will lead to great results.
7. I like to learn by moving around the room.
Pros: According to studies conducted at the University of Texas' School of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, engaging in creative activities can improve the strength of neural pathways to the hippocampus which in turn creates strong pathways to memories. Specifically, walking—or more specifically, spatial navigation, like simply pacing back and forth in a classroom—boosts creativity. Using transitive property, since walking improves creativity and creativity improves memory, walking therefore improves memory. (Check out a previous DeanTommy.tips blog post, “The Benefits of Walking.”)
Cons: It might be dangerous to learn while walking. Make sure you pay attention to your surroundings.
8. I like to learn while sitting in my desk.
See Number 3 above.
9. I like to work by myself.
Numbers 9 and 10 go hand-in-hand.
Pros: Studying alone allows you to take advantage of your preferred study environment so you get the most out of your study time. Studying alone also gives you the opportunity to use strategies that are the most effective for your own learning style.
Cons: Studying can be a very lonesome and isolated activity.
10. I like to work in a group or with a partner.
Pros: Because studying can be a very lonesome and isolated activity, joining a study group (or what should be more appropriately called a “review group”) can be a good way to assess what you’ve learned prior to meeting as a group. Working with a group or a partner can particularly effective during your first year of law school when you might be unsure how to approach law school.
Cons: Study groups, if not structured or planned appropriately, can sometimes be—for lack of a better term—a waste of time. When joining a study group, consider its size, the other members’ learning styles, meeting days and times, and the kinds of materials that are more conducive to collaborative reviews.
