Tips of Studying Techniques

Dr. H.G.Kulkarni, B.A., B.A.M. & S., LL. M., Ph.D. (Law)
Principal, D.G.B.Dayanand Law College, Solapur
Dean, Faculty of Law, Solapur University.
E-mail: hgkulkarni@yahoo.co.in

Every student aspires to pass in the examination. Intelligent and

hardworking students desire to obtain first class or distinction or even a rank in
the merit list. To obtain success in the examination following tips are useful to
the students. These tips are especially for the Law Students. However, most of
the tips are applicable to the students of any faculty. Those who follow the
following 11 tips are sure to get at least first class in the examination!
1. While reading books: While reading books, discriminate between
what is important and what is not important. Be careful about what to
read and what not to read. Acquire the habit of identifying and
grasping the essential points.
2. Plan of Studying: Law Course is having Semester Pattern of
Examination. Dates of University Examination fall ordinarily in the
last week of October for the first semester and the last week of March
for the second semester. The student barely gets 3 to 4 months for
studying and preparing for the examination. Every student should plan
the calendar of his study in the beginning of every term. Remember,
failing to plan is planning to fail!
3. Memorising Definitions: In Law definitions carry importance. In
the first month of every term all the important definitions of all the
subjects should be learnt by heart. If you memorise definitions of
various offences in the Indian Penal Code, you can also state the
ingredients of any offence by analysing that definition.
4. Confine study to topics in the syllabus: There is no need to read
complete book of every subject. First, go through the syllabus for that
subject and study only those topics from the book. Whole Acts and
Codes are not prescribed in the syllabus for many Papers. In such
cases, confine your study to prescribed topics only. This way you save

2
time. Syllabus of all courses is available on Solapur University
website.
5. Read Text Books/Reference Books: Studying from the small sized
Guides or cyclostyled notes of a coaching class does not give
correct idea of the subject. It is necessary to read, for every subject, at
least one text book or reference book of a standard author.
6. Preparing Notes: Student should prepare his own notes while reading
law books. First reading of the book should be rapid reading. Notes
should be prepared while reading the book second time.
Approximately 100 pages (foolscap sized paper) notes should be
prepared for every subject. The manuscript of Notes should contain 2"
margin in which summary of notes on that page should be written.
This summary should be read about two hours before commencement
of the examination. If sufficient time is not available for preparing
notes and a student owns his own law books, underlining of important
points in the book is the substitute. Summary of points may be written
in the margin of the book.
7. Law Dictionary/Law Lexicon: A new law student comes across
many new legal terms while reading books. Law dictionaries and law
lexicons are available in the market. A law student must purchase one
law dictionary to find out the meaning of legal terms there. Dictionary
containing Latin words and phrases would be more useful as legal
topics contain many Latin words.
8. Use of Internet: Lot of important legal material is available on the
Internet on various websites. All Central Bare Acts are available on
the website www.indiacode.nic.in Many Articles on current legal
topics can be found on search with the help of any search engine like
Google. The student should take interest in taking a tour in this cyber
world for getting knowledge relevant to his area of study!
9. In the Last Month of the Term: Three weeks before the
commencement of the Semester Examination and during the
Examination period, you should completely concentrate and focus on
your study. If you are serving somewhere, better take one months
leave during this period. During this period, time should not be wasted
in any entertainment, watching TV or any other time consuming
activity. But sufficient rest after exhaustive study is essential.
Maintain physical and mental health during this period.

3
10. During the period of Examination: While your examination is going
on:
(i)

(ii)
(iii)
(iv)

(v)

Do not reduce your routine period of sleep for the purpose of

study for more than two hours. You forget things if you get
insufficient sleep.
Avoid oily, spicy and heavy food. Prefer light meals and ample
use of fruits.
Keep mind relaxed. Do not worry at all about the result of the
examination.
As far as possible avoid any new medicines. Some medicines
may cause drowsiness and some may give rise to allergy. You
cannot afford these consequences in examination period.
Avoid any guests or relatives visiting you in this period.
Intimate them politely, in advance, about the period of your
examination.

11. In the Examination Hall:

(i)

(ii)

(iii)
(iv)
(v)

(vi)
(vii)

(viii)
(ix)

Keep your mind completely free of any tension or anxiety. Try

to be relaxed as much as possible. Remember, performance is
always sub-normal in nervous state.
Carefully read the complete question paper including
Instructions in the beginning. Try to understand the scope of
question and what is exactly expected in the answer for the
question.
Forget about the whole world and be completely lost and
engrossed in writing answer-paper.
Solve Objective questions first. Then solve easiest question.
After that solve easy questions first and difficult questions last.
Your handwriting needs to be legible. However, do not waste
time in writing in very good handwriting, which takes more
time.
The speed of writing should be sufficient to cover writing
exhaustively and to complete answers to all the questions.
Distribute pragmatically the time of two hours for writing all
the questions in efficient manner. Occasionally keep a watch on
your wrist-watch! Time may be running short.
If you are running short of time, make up for that in last half
hour of the examination.
In the last half hour, ascertain that you are writing answer to the
last remaining question. Time management is indispensable.

4
(x)

(xi)
(xii)
(xiii)
(xiv)
(xv)

(xvi)

(xvii)

(xviii)

Wherever appropriate begin answer with Introduction and end

with Conclusion. Wherever necessary answer should contain
significance of the topic, case law, amendments.
Titles and sub-titles may be written in all Capital letters or
underlined. Important points may be underlined.
Lay-out and presentation of your answer should be neat and
attractive.
Take care of grammar like punctuation, spelling and
construction of sentences.
How much you write is not important; what you write is
important.
When you have option of questions, make a right choice. Solve
that question which contains more points and about the answer
of which you are sure what to write than the question which is
vague, requires descriptive answer and about the answer of
which you are not sure what to write.
Write to the point and comprehensively. See that not a single
point is left un-stated and that a single mark is not lost from
earning. Remember, one mark plus or minus may change your
result from Fail to Pass or from Second Class to First
Class and vice versa.
Do not leave any question un-solved. Even if you do not know
the correct answer, solve the question. Your answer may be
right to some extent and you may get some marks. Even if your
answer turns out to be wrong, you lose nothing, because there
is no negative marking system. However, solve such question
at the end.
If you have completed your writing and if some time is still
left, go through the whole paper and correct any mistakes
which may have been inadvertently made by you while writing
answers.

Finally, Best Luck for your Examination!