Well, this is the home stretch everyone! There are only a handful of exams left, and Legal is one of the last really big ones. I'm not sure why Legal always ends up near the end of the timetable, but I digress...
You have just one sleep left until what might be your last exam! So first of all,
congratulations! You're almost there, and no matter how these exams have gone, you should be so happy with what you've accomplished. The HSC is a very tough year, and you have come out the other side in one piece. Nothing can take away how awesome you are for that
So, with just one sleep left until Legal Studies, what the heck do you do with your time? Here is just a brief run-down of a few things I'd recommend you do today and tonight...
Let me guess, practice essays right?
Well actually, no!
It is my thinking that cramming out a whole bunch of practice essays isn't the best way to spend the day before a big essay-driven subject, which may seem counter-intuitive. However, practice essays take a lot of time. They are stressful, and they tire you out both physically (your hand will be
very sore tomorrow) and emotionally. In my opinion, you are way better saving that energy for your exam tomorrow!
Instead, you should do
essay plans!
The most important parts of a Legal Studies essay are strong and varied evidence (laws, cases, etc), and a strong argument. These are
both things that you can practice without writing a practice essay, to conserve your energy and maximise your time.
Grab an essay question; a past HSC question or a past Trial question work best. Or perhaps even just make one up yourself! Your job is simple; dot point your essay in 15 minutes. Jot down the main idea you will discuss (your Thesis), then dot point your paragraphs. How will you divide your paragraphs? What evidence will you use in each? What side of the argument are you going to take? These are the most important things in an essay, and you can lay them out in front of you without wasting time writing full sentences.
When you are done,
critically evaluate yourself. Do you have enough evidence in every paragraph? Have you properly answered the question? Does your argument make sense?
The most common thing people will notice in one of these sessions is a lack of evidence; and they can then do some quick research to find something to include in their toolbox. You can use our
notes section for some extra cases/laws to include in your responses!!
This is super efficient. In one hour, you can dot point a response, notice a weakness, and fix it, ready to repeat!
So Wait, No Practice?
Practice under exam conditions is a really important thing. It's just that essays are time consuming, and there are more efficient things you can be doing.
What is a
great idea is some practice multiple choice sections, and maybe even some practice short answer sections! Again, HSC is best, Trials are good too!
The same idea of
evaluation and improvement applies. Where did you make mistakes? Where did you struggle? Use your time tonight to tackle your weaknesses and make them your strengths.
If you are looking for a bit of a challenge,
check out this Kahoot from our recent HSC Legal Studies Lecture! It contains some of the harder questions on Crime/Human Rights from recent Trial/HSC exams, a great way to check your knowledge in some of the trickier areas!!
Any Last Minute Exam Tips?
Absolutely! There are lots of tips I can share for doing well in the Legal Studies exam:
- -There is a ridiculous amount to do in three hours. Three essays, a short answer section, and a multiple choice, is a LOT. Time management is key; keep an eye on the clock, and make sure you go to the bathroom before the exam. You don’t want to miss a second.
- -Spend reading time looking over your essay questions. Use the 5 minutes to decide which elective question you will tackle, and begin formulating arguments for all 3 essays. Pick the essay you feel most confident writing for the electives. No question is “harder” or viewed more favourably. That’s a myth.
- -I recommend spending more time on the essays than you would be expected to, based on the marks. Try and do the multiple choice in 20 minutes, and the short answers in about the same amount of time. Spend forty minutes on the crime essay, and fifty minutes each on your electives. Any extra time from any section should go to electives. You want as much time as possible.
- -Legal is one of the HSC exams with the most writing for the given time. You want to break this up a little to avoid fatigue. So, I recommend doing the exam in the following order: Short Answer, Crime Essay, Multiple Choice, Electives . This separates the content so you aren’t jumping back and forth between core modules and electives, and gives your hand a break in the middle. It was a god sent in my HSC, and I bet you’ll love the break too.
- -During the short answer section, pay attention to the verb. Don’t evaluate where it only wants you to describe. Big time waster, be efficient. Same is true for the essays; make sure you include everything they want. If they give a quote (something which happened to me, it could be the new thing ), make sure you refer to it. If they ask for specific inclusions, include them.
- -Like all MC, you should answer the multiple choice questions by crossing out three incorrect answers, not by picking a single correct one. This elimination approach will keep you from making silly mistakes.
- -Also watch out for tricks in the multiple choice. There will be a few, don’t fall for them. Think everything through carefully, underline key terms, etc
Best of luck for your exam tomorrow! If you have any last minute questions, come ask them in our Legal Studies Q+A!Want some last minute tips for a great Thesis, the key to a great essay? Check out this guide!
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