How to Study for Exams

First-year law students, here’s the key adjustment I made to go from the bottom 50% to the top 10%: I stopped spending valuable time reading for class during the final stretch. Instead, I focused on: - Memorizing each class’s skeleton outline. - Reviewing as many practice tests as I could get my hands on. - Using every opportunity to rest and recharge to stay sharp for exams. - Practicing applying the law to facts and analyzing both sides of any fact pattern. Don’t stress about knowing every word in the casebook—that’s not what you’re tested on. You’ll absorb the essential issues through reviewing hypothetical exam questions and sample answers anyway. It’s crucial to have a mental outline of each class, so you can easily recognize what the professor is testing on the exam based on the fact pattern. But don’t think you need to read every word of the casebook to achieve this. That’s nonsense, and even if professors imply otherwise, it’s simply not true. Focus your time on high-return activities, even if that means taking a mental break. Saving brain power for the exam room is essential, so concentrate your energy on activities that maximize your study efficiency. Here’s my strategy for the final months before finals: 1. Use resources like Quimbee and other case-briefing tools instead of pouring over the book. Use the time saved to focus on finals prep. 2. Spend any extra time resting, not rereading the casebook. 3. Aim to take at least one full practice test per day and review as many hypothetical fact patterns as possible. Who cares if you get cold-called and don’t know the answer? If anyone judges you, that’s on them. Your focus should be on the exam, not each class. Do you have any advice for law students nearing finals? Sharing it might help someone you know.

If the IT cert you're working on for 2025 is starting to overwhelm you, take a step back and recalibrate. One of my cert instructors from back in the day made a point that helped me with that "overwhelmed" feeling. Plan the work. Work the plan. What's a cert study plan look like? First, recognize that a cert isn't one big thing you have to ingest all at once. You're not guzzling 2 liters of water. You're pouring a small glass of water and drinking it. When you're ready for more, you pour another glass. Your plan is an outline of what you're going to pour into the glass & drink today. The cert blueprint should be the foundation of that plan. Each point on the blueprint is a glass of water. On any given day, that's all you have to drink. For example... 1️⃣ Monday 13-Jan - read chapter 1 from the official exam guide. 2️⃣ Tuesday 14-Jan - answer all the chapter 1 review questions. Write a blog post that summarizes the key points. 3️⃣ Wednesday 15-Jan - lab day. Do three exercises recommended by the book (or your instructor, etc.). 4️⃣ Thursday 16-Jan - make a list of everything that was hard about chapter 1, where you still lack confidence. Research & review until you're comfortable. 5️⃣ Friday 17-Jan - take a day off. (Yes, you need to schedule those!) 6️⃣ You get the idea... You might or might not like the approach I took above. No worries--the specifics aren't the point here. The point is to come up with a weekly structure that works for you. Then iterate week by week until you've planned your entire study path. Plan the work. The plan becomes the task list that you know you must follow to get through your studies. Work the plan. As each day comes up, all you have to do is see what's on the plan for today, and do that. Nothing more. Also...nothing less, or else you never get through the work. You can't skip leg day every week and expect your back squat to increase. So, how does a study plan help with feeling overwhelmed? A plan means you're *in control*. Using a plan, you've defined exactly what you need to do, and a realistic timeframe in which you can do it. A plan is a visualization of exactly how you're going to get from where you are to where you want to be. A plan isn't vague. A plan isn't..."Oh, I guess I should hammer through some of the book on Saturday." A plan is methodical, specific, and targeted. A plan is intention. Control. You don't have to guzzle all the water at once. One glass at a time is enough. #certification #ccent #ccna

How 250 Tomatoes Helped Me Top My Semester And Land a Google Internship! Have you ever felt that you’ve been giving your 100% to something and still aren’t able to get the results you hoped for? I’m pretty sure the answer is YES. ❇️ At some point, all of us have been there — where we’re doing everything we can, and yet things just don’t click. For me, this happened during my undergrad. Despite putting in hours of hard work, I kept messing up my viva exams. The breaking point came during my Java Programming viva, where I performed so badly that the examiner literally told me to “get lost” and gave me bad grades. It was a moment of sheer embarrassment. But instead of sulking, I decided it was time to change how I approached my preparation. ❇️ Enter: The Pomodoro Technique I came across the Pomodoro Technique, a time management method developed by Francesco Cirillo in the 1980s where he used a tomato-shaped kitchen timer. It’s simple but powerful: you work in timed intervals of 25 minutes followed by short breaks. The goal is to improve focus, avoid burnout, and build momentum through consistent effort. With 20 days left before my written exams, I made a plan: 14 Pomodoros a day Finish them before 8 PM And reward myself with guilt-free relaxation in the evenings Each day started at 9 AM, split across morning, afternoon, and evening Pomodoros. I tracked every session — by the end of the 20 days, I had clocked 250 Pomodoros, or more than 100 hours of focused study. That structure, that rhythm — it changed everything for me. The result? I topped my department that semester. My grades, which were below average until then, saw a massive boost. But more than that, I finally felt in control of my time and effort. ❇️ Years later, as I began preparing for my Google Software Engineering Internship interview, I found myself revisiting the same technique. So I mapped out a prep schedule and the Pomos kept stacking up. I used Pomos for everything: -> Solving LeetCode problems -> Mock interviews -> Reflecting on feedback and refining weak areas The Pomodoro method didn’t just help me stay consistent — it gave structure to the chaos. It turned my preparation into something measurable and by the end of my preparation I had completed almost 250 pomos. That was a confidence booster and helped me land the internship . ❇️ I have consistently used the Pomodoro technique as a time management tool for completing my tasks. I simply allocate certain pomos to each task and then start them one by one. But I also realized that they were not the only factor that contributed to my performance improvement. Things like: -> Planning your steps in advance -> Having a well-defined deadline for tasks -> Habits >> Motivation -> Quantifying your performance(e.g. Number of pomos done) -> Rewarding yourself for a task well done etc helped too. Have you ever used the Pomodoro Technique for something big? Would love to hear your story. Thank You! #Google #SWE #InterviewPreparation

How I Balanced CFA Exam Prep and a Full-Time Job: Tips That Helped Me With 2025 CFA exam registrations now open for different levels, many of you might be wondering: Is it possible to prepare for the exams while working full-time? I’ve been there, and I can assure you—it’s absolutely doable! I managed to clear all three levels of the CFA exams while holding down a demanding job, and here’s what worked for me: 1️⃣ Assess Job Demands and Space Out Levels: Every job is different. Depending on your workload, allocate 6–12 months per level. Whether you prefer longer weekend study sessions or shorter weekday stretches, aim for 6–9 months per level. If your job is very demanding, give yourself more time to prevent burnout. 2️⃣ Seek Professional Coaching: Enrolling in coaching classes for all three levels was a game-changer for me. These classes helped me grasp concepts faster, provided structure to my study schedule and kept me focused and motivated. 3️⃣ Save Your Leaves for Exam Month: Weekends were my primary study time, and I reserved my office leaves for the final month before exams. I realized how crucial revision time is - no matter how many readings you complete, if you don’t revise, key concepts can slip away. Using your leaves for focused revision before the exams made a significant difference. 4️⃣ Maintain Discipline: Discipline is non-negotiable. I remember waking up early to study before heading to work during my internship—it wasn’t easy, but it paid off! Stick to your plan and keep distractions at bay. 5️⃣ Set Realistic Targets: I aimed to complete the first reading of all subjects 1.5 to 2 months before the exam, which allowed me to dedicate the final month solely to mock exams and revisions. To stay on track, set monthly targets—whether it’s completing certain subjects or finishing readings. 6️⃣ Plan Ahead: Plan your day, week, and month. Assess how much material you need to cover and how much time you have. A clear plan makes the process more manageable. 7️⃣ Minimize Gaps Between Levels: Allocate enough time for each level but avoid long gaps, as it can lead to forgetting critical concepts. Remember, the topics across levels often build on each other. Passing the CFA exams while working is challenging but entirely possible with the right approach and mindset. #cfaexamprep #cfastudies

Studying for the Security+ certification can feel like learning a new language. When I started, I knew it wouldn’t be easy—but I set a plan and stuck to it. Here are the steps I took that helped me pass the exam and break into the cybersecurity field: ✅ Step 1: Set the date. I picked an exam date early on to create a sense of urgency. I bought my exam voucher using my .edu email to get the student discount—once that was locked in, there was no turning back. 📚 Step 2: Get the right study materials. I used Get Certified Get Ahead by Darril Gibson as my main resource. I mapped out the chapters and quizzes, then built a study schedule leading up to my test date. 📝 Step 3: Active recall with flashcards. For every chapter I finished, I created flashcards in Anki for key terms, acronyms, and concepts. I reviewed them daily to reinforce what I was learning. 🎧 Step 4: Make use of downtime. I listened to Professor Messer’s videos every morning on my way to work. Repetition and consistent exposure helped everything stick. 🧠 Step 5: Practice, practice, practice. Once I finished the book, I switched to test mode. I took as many practice tests as I could find. Jason Dion’s practice exams on Udemy were a game-changer. I took them daily and reviewed every wrong answer to understand the concepts. 🏁 Step 6: Know when you're ready. Once I consistently scored 80% or higher on practice tests, I knew I was ready. I got a good night’s sleep, ate a solid breakfast, took the exam—and passed! Now I’m in the cybersecurity field, and I just want to say: if I can do it, you can too. 💪 If you’re currently studying for Security+, feel free to reach out or drop a question in the comments. I’m happy to help however I can. #cybersecurity #Tech #certs

No law student wants to spend a holiday weekend at school— —on an empty campus, —away from family, —eating dining hall food. But for many, that’s the plan. —Home is hours away. —Exams are not far away. —There are only so many hours in a day. And so, students stay. If that is you, please know that I see you; I will be thinking of you this weekend; 👉 Here’s an exam-prep tip just for you: Don’t just memorize outlines of rules. Instead, read practice problems to learn and memorize the material. Having black-and-white lists in your head isn’t enough. You need the color of the stories for the abstract concepts to cement. Now I’ll admit: I used to be scared of practice problems. I’d read them, be clueless, and get defeated. But I learned to treat them as short stories, not “gotcha” tests. I stopped approaching them like a challenge, and started just reading and retyping the answers. —By recopying the stories and explaining why the answer came out the way it did in your own words, you will internalize the stories. —And by learning the stories, you will learn the material. Doing this was a major differentiator for me. I hope it might work for you, too. 💌 Amanda #Dear1L P.S. If you’re a law student who has followed “Dear 1L,” the book, today is a really good day to RE-read chapter 7 on exams! P.P.S. Did you spend 1L Thanksgiving weekend on campus? Any tips for current students who are trying to make it through the weekend?

My GATE Preparation Strategy: My Journey to AIR 6 I prepared for GATE alongside my full-time job. Yes, you heard it right. I prepared for GATE along with my job. Having that job actually motivated me to prepare well. I was working in software engineering, but my interest was something else. This motivated me to prepare well for GATE. My sister’s advice was to use that job as a reminder of I can do more and fuel up my inner motivation. I had a 9 AM to 5 PM job, and to avoid wasting time in commute, I took a flat near my office. I would wake up at 5:30 AM and study diligently until around 8:45 AM, then head straight to the office. Even while commuting—whether in a cab, in the lift, or during any free moment—I constantly checked my phone to study or revise. However, once at work, I remained fully focused on my job. After returning home from the office around 5:15 PM or 5:30 PM, I begin my evening preparation at 6 PM and continue until 11:30 PM. So, I dedicated approximately 8-9 hours per day to my preparation. I began my preparation in June and continued until January, which is approximately about 7 months of focused effort. Consistent success is impossible without hard work. I dedicated my mornings to regular preparation using lectures from RBR Sir, focused on understanding the concepts. In the evenings, I focused on solving problems, and late at night, I devoted time for revision. Aptitude and mathematics are as crucial as other subjects in GATE preparation, so I dedicated equal time to them alongside other subjects. Solving Previous Year Questions (PYQs) was the most important part of my preparation. I went through all the PYQs of GATE CSE twice, it helped me understand what questions are being asked, what is important, and what is not so important to learn. Whenever I learned something, I first jumped towards the PYQs of the topic I just finished. There are certain types of questions and certain patterns that are tested, and by looking at all the previous year GATE questions, you understand what is important and what is not important. The syllabus is so extensive that you need to understand what is not important and what you need to focus on. Just one month before my GATE exam, I was mentally preparing myself that I needed to sit for 3 hours straight and give the exam. So, I focused on full-length test series for 3 hours to get used to the real GATE exam. One day before the exam, I didn’t do anything and just took rest. Also, I went back to my hometown so that I was with my parents. Having family around me was very important. On the day of the exam, after I came back home, I saw some videos on YouTube telling the answers for the GATE paper. I saw 6 questions, and 5 of them were wrong. In my mind, I was very sad, and I cried a lot, locking myself in a room. As I knew, I didn’t do well. It’s better not to look at those videos. Later, once the results were announced, I got an AIR 6, and it was the happiest moment of my life. #GATE #AIR6

How I personalized my study plan for the PMP exam; passing AT/AT/AT with under 30 days of prep! 🤔 I received a lot of questions about how I studied for the PMP exam. 🤩 To simplify things I made a visual with some tips you can use to make your own study plan! Here are some more details and materials I used: 1️⃣ Limited studying & made it achievable. ➡ 2-4 hours per day ➡ 6 days a week ➡ 15-20 hours total each week. 2️⃣ Studied iteratively. ➡ Repeated and adjusted as needed. ➡ Used data and feedback to inform decisions. ➡ Repeated phases to develop the end result. 3️⃣ Tailored my learning. ➡ Holistic learning took place when I studied the PMBOK or took mock exams that cover all topics. ➡ Incremental learning took place when I focused on one area until mastery before moving onto a new topic. ➡ I was solid on Agile, so focused on Waterfall and the Process Groups. ➡ I made visual study guides. You can check them out here: https://lnkd.in/gCp7tvFA 4️⃣ Used feedback loops & data analysis. ➡ I reached out to others, talked with mentors, and analyzed my results. ➡ I adjusted my plan based on feedback, data analysis, or if life got busy. ➡ I experimented, tracked the metrics, and adjusted as needed. 5️⃣ Adjusted my materials based on needs. ➡ Julia Ode, PMP®, CSM® was an amazing mentor and support throughout. She has a fantastic PMP study guide and resources you can check out here: https://lnkd.in/ggDidkup ➡ David McLachlan YouTube videos. Week 1: listened to PMBOK and PGPG overviews. Week 2-4: listened to 20 practice Q&A daily (~30 min. at 1.75X). ➡ Used PMI membership to access Project Management Institute publication for free. Used them as a search tool to find particular topics. ➡ Attended 2-3 study groups per week. PMI Finland Chapter has one on Tuesday and Sunday. Gabor Stramb and Anna Lung'aho have groups on Thursdays. ➡ Used PMI Study Hall Essentials. Took 1 full exam week one to establish a baseline. Took practice questions on focus areas week 2-3. Then took the second mock exam mid-week 3. ➡ The day before my exam I relaxed and listened to Andrew Ramdayal's PMP mindset videos. 💪 I hope these tips help you make your own study plan to prepare for the PMP! ❓ Please let me know if you have questions, something to add, or feedback in the comments! Happy studying my friends! 🙌 _____ ♻ Like this post? Please react, comment, or repost! Hi, I'm Melissa- a Project Management Professional (#PMP), Certified Scrum Master (#CSM), and Certified Scrum Product Owner (#CSPO). I'm actively looking for a great team to join- feel free to reach out if you think I'd be a great fit or to collab on something! I post about #ProjectManagement, #Agile, #education, #motivation, tips for #transitioningteachers, and everything in between. Follow or connect with me for more! 🙌 #PMP #PMPprep #PMPexam #Study #Studyresources