How to Help Students Prepare for Exams

Law students, try this scheduling system if you want to walk through the doors of your final exam and confidently say, "There is absolutely nothing more I could have done this semester to succeed. I am so ready to get this over with. Let's do this!" 1. Grab or open your weekly calendar. 2. Include a block of time for the hours you must work/have mandatory obligations. 3. Include a block of time for each of your classes. 4. Review your syllabi and locate the assigned reading for each week.  5. Decide which day(s) you will complete each class's weekly assigned reading, briefing, and topic outlining (do these skills simultaneously to save time). Try scheduling the weekly assignment for one class on the same day or breaking up the weekly assignment of several classes into halves or thirds and completing the assignments for multiple classes on the same day every week. 6. Include the specific pages you're assigned in the classes you are scheduling to gauge how much reading, briefing, and outlining you’ll have each day. 7. Add a fifteen-minute block to review your topic outline before each class. 8. Add a fifteen-minute block to modify, add, or delete (if needed) information in your topic outline to reflect what you learned during class. 9. After completing the reading, briefing, and outlining of a topic and attending all the classes on that topic, add a block of time to transform the topic outlines into topic approaches (tip: review your syllabi now to see which weeks you will finish your main topics--schedule time to create the topic approaches throughout the semester instead of creating them a few days before the midterm/final). 10.  Add a block to practice writing hypotheticals, practice essays, and problems in your book, using your topic approach for each topic (tip: write 1-3 per main topic before the final). 11.  If you have multiple-choice questions on your midterm or final, add in a block to practice writing hypotheticals, practicing essays and problems in your book, and using your topic approach for each topic (tip: do 30 MCQs for every main topic before the final). 12.  Schedule office hours with your professor to review your practice exams and get feedback. Modify your approach if necessary. 13.  Add in time for exercise, personal time, and self-care. 14.  Add in time for family and friends. 15. Send your weekly or semester-long schedule to everyone you know so they can see what your life will look like during the semester and anticipate when they will see you! This scheduling system is comprehensive--and not every student needs to complete all of these tasks--so make it your own. Wake up every day with a solid action plan so studying becomes a habit! #lawstudent #lawstudents #lawschool

USMLE: I Discovered Why Smart Students Fail Step 2 (And 7 Ways to Fix It) I’ve watched brilliant medical students burn out after grinding through thousands of practice questions… And their scores? Barely moved. The problem wasn’t effort. It was approach. 🎯 The Truth About Top Scorers Last year, I helped a student who was failing Step 2 score a 261 and match to her dream residency. Her secret? 👉 Not more questions. 👉 Just reading them differently. Most students miss questions on topics they already know. A simple shift changed everything. 1. 🔍 The CCS Method: Read Like an Examiner Every question contains hidden clues most students miss. Here’s how to spot them: 🧩 Context Don’t isolate symptoms. Chest pain + recent travel = P.E., not just angina. ⏳ Chronology Step questions are scrambled on purpose. Rebuild the timeline: OCPs → long flight → sudden dyspnea = clear story. 🚨 Severity It’s the key to management questions. Vital signs, location, descriptors = how aggressive you need to be. 2. 🧠 Create Your Own Answer First I tell every student: “Don’t look at the options yet.” Why? Because your brain gets hijacked by distractors. Instead, ask: 👉 “What would I pick without any choices?” This one habit kills confusion between similar-sounding answers. 3. 🧲 Mindset Shift: Rule IN Before Ruling OUT Our instincts betray us on exams. We try to eliminate options too quickly. Instead, ask: 👉 “When would this answer actually be correct?” Then—and only then—decide if it’s wrong. This flipped the game for 90% of my students. 4. 🧩 Break Problems Into Micro-Skills Pianists don’t replay whole songs when stuck. They isolate tough measures. Do the same: Pinpoint your weak spot (e.g., severity assessment) Create focused drills Master one skill before stacking more 5. 💯 The 90% Rule: Validate Before Scaling Want a 260+? Start small. Master just one topic (like CAD) first. If you can’t hit 90%+ in that micro-topic, scaling up won’t work. This predicts your final score with eerie accuracy. 6. 🔄 Reframe Obstacles as Progress Markers When my Step 2 student hit a timing wall, we didn’t panic. We celebrated. It meant her knowledge was finally strong enough that speed was the next level. 7. 📈 The Compound Effect of Consistency Just 1% better every day = 37× improvement in a year. Elite scorers don’t rely on brilliance. They master the boring basics—relentlessly. One question at a time. What specific challenge is holding back your board scores? 👇 Drop it in the comments—let’s solve it together. Enjoy this? ♻️ Repost it to your network and follow Manik Madaan, M.D. for more. #usmle #medschool #medicalstudent #medstudent #mbbs #neet

One of my passion projects I don’t advertise is my bar exam coaching. While I help anyone, my specialty is helping repeat exam takers. Below is a list of strategies for anyone taking the bar exam next week. I wish you all the best of luck. You’ve done the work!! 1. Trust Your Preparation – You’ve put in the work, and you are ready. Trust yourself and your abilities! Don’t second guess yourself. 2. Get Plenty of Rest – Prioritize sleep, especially the night before the exam. A well-rested mind retains information and performs better under pressure. Try to get a lot of rest the night before and two nights before the exam. 3. Eat Brain-Boosting Foods – Fuel your body with healthy meals. Avoid heavy or greasy foods that can make you sluggish. Opt for proteins, complex carbs, and hydrating foods. 4. Stick to Your Routine – Now is not the time to try new study techniques, foods, or sleep schedules. Stick to what has worked for you. Don’t change anything the last few days before the exam. 5. Breathe & Stay Present – If nerves kick in, take a deep breath and ground yourself. One question at a time, one section at a time—stay in the moment. 6. Take Strategic Breaks – Step away from the material when you need to. A short walk, a few deep breaths, or even stretching can reset your focus. 7. Control What You Can – Pack your exam essentials the night before, plan your route, and arrive early. Reduce last-minute stress by being prepared. This will help with your nerves. 8. Keep a Positive Mindset – Shift your inner dialogue from “What if I don’t pass?” to “I’ve got this!” Your mindset can be a game-changer. 9. Don’t Dwell on Hard Questions – If a question stumps you, move on and come back later. Don’t let one question shake your confidence. This will be key in helping you stay focused and use your time wisely. 10. Visualize Success – Imagine yourself walking into the exam calm and confident, and walking out knowing you gave it your all. 11. Stay Hydrated – Drink water, but not too much! You don’t want unnecessary distractions during the exam. Hydrate the night before. My strategy was to drink Gatorade the night before. And at the end of each day. 12. Lean on Your Support System – If anxiety creeps in, reach out to friends, family, or mentors who can remind you how capable you are. Check in with a trusted supporter. 13. Let Go After the Exam – Once it’s over, don’t overanalyze. You did your best, and that’s all that matters! 14. Celebrate Your Effort – Regardless of the outcome, completing the bar exam is a huge achievement. Acknowledge your hard work! Take a long nap. Rest. You’ve earned it. Best of luck!! 🍀

✨ Surviving 1L Exams: Lessons Learned ✨ Law school exams are no joke, especially as a 1L when everything feels new, intense, and overwhelming. As you gear up for finals (and this can apply to college exams, high school exams and any exams), I wanted to share a few strategies that helped me stay (mostly) sane and focused during this crucial time: Master Your Outlines Early Outlining is key to understanding the material. Start early, organize your notes by case law, rules, and hypotheticals, and focus on applying concepts rather than memorizing them. Bonus tip: Make your outlines user-friendly for quick review during open-book exams if you are fortunate enough to have these. Practice, Practice, Practice Exams are not so much about reciting the law, but rather applying it. Dive into practice questions, past exams, and hypotheticals if you can get your hands on them. The more you practice IRAC (Issue, Rule, Analysis, Conclusion), the more confident you will feel on exam day (and confidence before and during the exam is huge). Prioritize Self-Care It’s tempting to pull all-nighters, but a tired brain is a slow brain. Stick to a schedule that includes breaks, sleep, and exercise. A walk can do wonders when the high stress and anxiety kicks in. Ask for Help Professors, TAs, and study groups are your lifelines. Do not be afraid to ask questions or share ideas. Collaboration is often the best way to gain new insights. But do not replace your own study time and routines for these study groups. They are a good supplement and not a replacement for your own studying. Keep Perspective Remember, school is a marathon, not a sprint. Each exam is just one step in the journey toward your legal career. Breathe, focus, and trust in the effort you put in. You got this!!! Best of luck as you tackle finals—one case, one hypo, one IRAC at a time.  🚀📚 You can then recover in 20 days or less! 💼 Lawyers and upperclassmen, any additional tips for thriving during exam season? Drop them below—I’m all ears! 👇