Retaining Info From Outlines Forum

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carsondalywashere

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Retaining Info From Outlines

Post by carsondalywashere » Tue Oct 31, 2017 6:22 pm

Started outlining a couple of weeks ago, but am having difficulty retaining the old info with the new info being thrown in from class. I feel like I know about the topics when I hear them discussed, but let's just say I would bomb a cold call on them/not apply them on an exam. Am I starting to outline too soon? Do I need to be going over them more often? Or something else entirely?

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cavalier1138

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Re: Retaining Info From Outlines

Post by cavalier1138 » Tue Oct 31, 2017 6:28 pm

Don't worry about memorizing your outline as though you were going to be cold-called. Keep outlining as long as you're comfortable that you're putting your thoughts down in an organized manner. Once you're done with class, try taking a practice exam. Use that to figure out any weak points in your outline; refine it; create streamlined attack outlines from the larger outline; rinse, repeat.

But it's not about information retention. If you have to spend three seconds flipping to the right page of your outline to find the right rule, an organized approach to analysis, and all the associated caselaw, that's ten times better than just memorizing the rule.

carsondalywashere

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Re: Retaining Info From Outlines

Post by carsondalywashere » Tue Oct 31, 2017 6:34 pm

cavalier1138 wrote:Don't worry about memorizing your outline as though you were going to be cold-called. Keep outlining as long as you're comfortable that you're putting your thoughts down in an organized manner. Once you're done with class, try taking a practice exam. Use that to figure out any weak points in your outline; refine it; create streamlined attack outlines from the larger outline; rinse, repeat.

But it's not about information retention. If you have to spend three seconds flipping to the right page of your outline to find the right rule, an organized approach to analysis, and all the associated caselaw, that's ten times better than just memorizing the rule.
Okay, that makes me feel better. I do have one closed book exam that I'll have to memorize for, but that's manageable in light of your advice

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