December 9, 2016

What's In My Law School Finals Bag

what to bring to your finals. day before finals. last day study schedule. studying for finals in law school. law school finals. law school studying. law student studying. law school exams. law school tests. law school blog. law student blogger | brazenandbrunette.com

Well I'm in the middle of finals (currently procrastinating) and I'm sure you are too. I just thought I'd give y'all a little idea of everything that I take in to my finals so to maybe give you an idea of something to bring that you hadn't thought about

I've mentioned it before, but the tote bag really is the Swiss army knife of the adult world. It can be a purse, an overnight bag, or a backpack. I take my purse with me to finals instead of my backpack because it's smaller and I don't always go home right after finals. 




My pencil bag is the biggest thing I use during the actual final. I always make sure to bring pencils and a big eraser for my test. I also bring a highlighter or two to so I can highlight issues when I'm reading long questions. Another thing that's really a must is ear plugs. I never thought to bring ear plugs to my finals until last year they gave us some and holy crap it helps so much being in complete s i l e n c e while you're working on a test. And I know they say to use #2 pencils only on scantrons, but I've been using my click pencils on my tests for years and have never had an issue. So just in case I always keep extra lead in my pencil bag because I promise you if I don't end up needing it then one of my neighbors always do.




I keep lip balm in my pencil bag too so that it can be setting out on my desk ready if I start to get dry lips from the nerves (does this happen to anyone else?). Another weird thing that I like to bring to my finals is a pack of breath mints. They dissolve so you don't have to worry about being stuck with the same piece of gum for 4 hours, but also you can suck or bite on them and I swear moving your mouth while you think helps somehow.

And of course I have to bring my planner to make sure that I'm in the right room and also just because I take this thing everywhere with me. Another bulky thing that I always remember to pack is a water bottle with a good lid. This way, I don't get thirsty during my test but also don't have to worry about it leaking everywhere if I accidentally knock it over at some point. But of course sometimes those 8AM finals require coffee, too.

For tests that allow us to use Exam Soft, I definitely bring my laptop and charger(!!) because I've found that it's faster to type out answers than it is to write them. But for tests that we don't get to use laptops, I always bring my iPad and a pair of headphones with me so that I can last minute cram. And I record my outlines and then can listen to them on the way to the test and while I wait to go in to the exam room.

I always 100% make sure to bring my analog watch. Of course my school doesn't let me wear my Apple watch in to the test, but also some schools don't even let your bring in regular digital watches because they tend to beep and it can be annoying. If if you're not a watch person, I'd still say ask a friend if you can borrow it for a few hours and then lay it on your desk for the test. Time is the biggest enemy for law school tests so it really helps having that little reminder and way to track it right beside you. 




Probably most importantly is make sure that you bring your school ID! At least all schools at least require this but possibly also your drivers license. A good way to not remember these is to attach them to your keys with a keychain wallet. This way you can also add your debit card and grab a snack at a vending machine or like me head straight to the bars after your test.




I also pack my travel makeup bag in my bag because usually my friends and I will go out for a quick celebratory drink before dragging ourselves back to the library. My favorite mascara is Better Than Sex and their travel sized one is great to freshen up and give yourself some confidence to kick ass. I also recommend you try out these makeup remover q-tips that clean off the black smudge that forms under your eye after the stress makes you cry (kidding but not). And make sure that you bring an extra hair tie or two for if you decide to put your hair up out of your way or just in case your current one breaks.




Last but not least, bring a jacket. I've learned the hard way last year that the end of the semester is when the AC/heater is most likely to go haywire. Since it's winter, they might be blasting the heater so if you only wear a sweater you could be dying after 10 minutes. And during my spring final last year, I wore a t shirt to one test and the AC was blasting so I wore a long sleeve shirt to the next test and the AC was broken. It's best to have options.




Good luck to all of y'all still powering through finals! And if you also have something great to pack for finals (wish I would've known about earplugs earlier), please comment below!

3 comments:

  1. I've been following your blog on Pinterest for awhile now, but now that I finally have my own blog I made sure to give you a follow! I never thought about recording outlines and listening to them, that's such a great idea because then I can listen to them while I'm driving to cram in even more study time! Such great ideas, thank you for sharing!

    -Macy
    http://www.heytheremacy.wordpress.com

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    1. Hey Macy! I'm super grateful that you pointed out your blog to me! I think your blog is going to be a wonderful resource because it goes through the law school application process from start to finish! I'll add you to the Law School Blogging Pinterest group so that you can share your posts :) Good luck with starting college and I can't wait to to follow your journey!

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    2. Yes I saw that you had added me! Thank you so much! :)

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