Law school is a highly stressful and competitive experience for everyone. In particular, knowing how to get the most out of law lectures will determine how well you perform throughout your educational experience. Missing a valuable piece of information can lead you to make a crucial mistake. These tips can help you get more out of each lecture.

Pursue a Proactive Strategy
It’s common for an instructor to assign relevant reading assignments after completing a lecture on a specific topic. However, you can help yourself immensely by looking ahead and reading the material before the lecture. This will give you a better understanding of the material covered in the lecture. Additionally, adopting this habit will ensure you’re prepared for surprise quizzes or in-class questions.

Take Notes by Hand
It has become a common practice to record the lecture and transcribe important information later. However, studies have found that students absorb more information by taking handwritten notes in class. Since this forces you to keep up with the instructor’s lecture, you’ll force yourself to adopt a more efficient note-taking strategy. Additionally, taking the notes in class allows your mind to subconsciously learn the material, which will help the studying process later. You’ll also avoid subjecting yourself to the irrelevant details discussed in the lecture when you’re trying to study later.

Eliminate Distractions
During each law lecture, be sure you eliminate any distractions that will interfere with your learning process. This should primarily consist of turning your phone off or setting it to mute for the duration of the lecture. Additionally, avoid sitting next to other students who have a tendency to talk during the lectures. You should also employ these same practices later as you study the material. Students who expose themselves to the political and social commentary on social media sites increased their stress levels and interfered with their ability to learn the material. Avoiding these distractions will help you perform better and get more from the law lectures you attend.

You should also work on honing your listening skills by using every situation to your advantage. By engaging in more active listening, you’ll be training your mind to pay closer attention to the conversation around you. As a result, you’ll find that you pick up important information even when you fall into a daydream during a dry lecture.