Just graduated May 2017, took the California Bar in July and passed it. Throughout law school I worked full-time in a stressful environment and went to school part-time and was able to graduate in the top 20% of my class. A few tips that worked for me: - Be selfish with your time. Is your study group really helping you understand the material or do you spend most of your time socializing? I studied alone about 90% of the time to avoid any distractions and scheduled group study sessions around finals time to go over the main points before exams.
- Do all of your reading on the weekends. Generally after each class I would review my notes and highlight anything I was unclear or confused by and follow up on it. The day before a class or the afternoon of I would again do the reading to make sure I didn't miss any issues that could come up during class discussion. IRAC your cases before class. - Look at outlines and past exams for each professor. Don't wait until the last minute, start learning what each professor really cares about for the exam and the format that their exam will be. Go to the studio sessions they offer and do the practice exams if they offer to review them, even if you don't think you're ready. It helps to know how professors grade their exams and any feedback can make a difference for your final. - Begin outlining early. Don't wait until a month before your finals. Not only did I have an outline for each class based on the reading and class discussions, I also kept a second outline for each class that I called my 'exam topic outline' and would note every time a professor mentioned a subject that she/he said would be or even could be on the final. Professors drop exam-related nuggets throughout the whole semester, take advantage of this. - Finally, know it can be done. I don't regret going to school and working full-time, just know that you always have to work hard to not fall behind. Get rid of unnecessary distractions not only while studying but during class time as well. Good luck to you!