Working with someone else’s notes can get you into serious trouble during an exam–trying to find the information you need in an unfamiliar packet of notes is time-consuming and stressful. Definitions are missing, rule statements aren’t where you expect them to be, and there are loads of facts from cases that weren’t even in this year’s prescribed readings! You’ll fast realise you might as well have brought a stack of textbooks into the exam for all the help someone else’s notes will give you.
Making your own notes means you’ll be equipped with an exam-answering tool that’s customised to the way your mind works. Not only does making your own notes force you to revise Obligations from beginning to end, it also helps your brain make connections between seemingly separate topics, and to restructure the subject materials in a way that most makes sense to you.
Length. Just how long should your exam notes be? A good rule of thumb is no more than half the length of your seminar notes. The more succinct they are, though, the better. Remember that you won’t have time to actually re-read case summaries or explanations of concepts during the exam, so design your notes to jog your memory at a glance.
Sources. While your class notes, subject materials and casebook should be the main sources you draw upon for your exam notes, your teacher’s slides can also be handy for topic overviews and potential answer structures. Don’t forget to check out the other Obligations teachers’ slides on the LMS, too. Principles of Contract Law is another fantastic complement to your casebook.
Structure. How you present information and ideas in your exam notes is entirely up to you, and you shouldn’t hesitate to experiment! That said, many students over the years have employed a ‘checklist’ style for their Obligations notes. Read up about that and other possible note structures here.
And always start with your reading guide. Use it to make a list of every major topic and issue/sub-issue you’ve studied in the course. Once you’ve got this list (and potentially re-ordered it), you’ll have a top-level note structure that you can add to and flesh out with, for example, concise rule statements.
2. Ensure your materials are accessible and usable.
Having the most detailed exam notes in the world won’t do you much good unless you can quickly find what you’re looking for. Consider adding a table of contents, symbols, or formatting (tabbing, bolding, italicising), dividing with plastic tabs, or separating your notes into multiple booklets.
3. Test Your Notes
Unless you try using your notes in an exam situation you won’t know whether they’re as accessible and detailed (or brief) as you need them to be. If you’re concerned about not having enough time to give your notes a run through before the exam, find a hypothetical question from a previous exam that only or mostly tests your knowledge of one topic (e.g. estoppel, restitution etc). Make your notes for just that topic, then test them (and the formatting style you’ve chosen) by writing an answer under exam-like conditions.
4. Plan Your Time During the Exam
Maybe you’re used to flying by the seat of your pants during exams, but now’s the time to let your inner control freak out. Your teacher should soon give you the Obs exam’s cover sheet with the mark breakdown (and if they haven’t by Week 12, ask for it). Once you know how many marks each question is worth, you should calculate exactly how long you should spend answering it during the exam. For example, if one hypothetical on your Obs exam is worth 80% of the exam’s total marks, then you should spend no more and no less than 80% of your total writing time on it.
Your personal exam time sheet might look something like this (just remember to check the 2018 Obs cover sheet when it’s circulated!):
It is a good idea to calculate exactly when to stop writing for each question so you won’t have to waste time doing maths during the exam. Put a similar guide on the front of your exam notes or somewhere else highly visible.
And stick to it. Make a pact with yourself now: I will not spend longer on a question than what it’s worth. Remember that you won’t do well on the exam as a whole if you max out your points for one question and don’t even pick the low-hanging fruit from the other one.
Working with someone else’s notes can get you into serious trouble during an exam–trying to find the information you need in an unfamiliar packet of notes is time-consuming and stressful. Definitions are missing, rule statements aren’t where you expect them to be, and there are loads of facts from cases that weren’t even in this year’s prescribed readings! You’ll fast realise you might as well have brought a stack of textbooks into the exam for all the help someone else’s notes will give you.
Making your own notes means you’ll be equipped with an exam-answering tool that’s customised to the way your mind works. Not only does making your own notes force you to revise Obligations from beginning to end, it also helps your brain make connections between seemingly separate topics, and to restructure the subject materials in a way that most makes sense to you.
2. Ensure your materials are accessible and usable.
Having the most detailed exam notes in the world won’t do you much good unless you can quickly find what you’re looking for. Consider adding a table of contents, symbols, or formatting (tabbing, bolding, italicising), dividing with plastic tabs, or separating your notes into multiple booklets.
3. Test Your Notes
Unless you try using your notes in an exam situation you won’t know whether they’re as accessible and detailed (or brief) as you need them to be. If you’re concerned about not having enough time to give your notes a run through before the exam, find a hypothetical question from a previous exam that only or mostly tests your knowledge of one topic (e.g. estoppel, restitution etc). Make your notes for just that topic, then test them (and the formatting style you’ve chosen) by writing an answer under exam-like conditions.
4. Plan Your Time During the Exam
Maybe you’re used to flying by the seat of your pants during exams, but now’s the time to let your inner control freak out. Your teacher should soon give you the Obs exam’s cover sheet with the mark breakdown (and if they haven’t by Week 12, ask for it). Once you know how many marks each question is worth, you should calculate exactly how long you should spend answering it during the exam. For example, if one hypothetical on your Obs exam is worth 80% of the exam’s total marks, then you should spend no more and no less than 80% of your total writing time on it.
Your personal exam time sheet might look something like this (just remember to check the 2018 Obs cover sheet when it’s circulated!):
And stick to it. Make a pact with yourself now: I will not spend longer on a question than what it’s worth. Remember that you won’t do well on the exam as a whole if you max out your points for one question and don’t even pick the low-hanging fruit from the other one.
Best of luck with your exam!
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