Let's be real for a moment and confess that supplementals like Barbri, CrunchTime, and Quimbee are the greatest things ever! Yes, we do the readings and pay attention in class, but sometimes we need extra help to understand the information. Why not use something that will help you learn Statute of Frauds or creating deeds?! BUT like all good things, there is a down side.
I saw during my first semester that too many classmates were heavily (or solely) relying on information from supplementals. They used Barbri and Quimbee as an excuse to not do the readings and/or pay attention in class. The biggest mistake that anybody in law school can make is solely relying on supplementals. A few students were called on in class. It was obvious to the professors (they know Quimbee exists) that the students were just relying on Quimbee's case brief to describe the case.
How did the professors know? Students were leaving out the small details that the professors were looking for. Majority of the time, professors are going to call on a student and ask questions on small details from the reading because they want to see that the student did the reading. {Side note: even if you did the reading and do not understand the professor's question, it is 100% fine to say "I don't know." That shows the professor that you aren't trying to bs them, which they hate} Supplementals only provide the big picture on the subject and are not tailored to the professor you're taking.
Another mistake I saw classmates make? Only using the supplementals. I remember talking to two classmates about an exam. They both mentioned that they answered this property question with this information. Problem? The information they used was not ever mentioned in class or in the text. They both got poor grades because they solely relied on supplementals when studying. Some professors will tailor material. The professor and assigned text will not always discuss the information found in supplementals for that subject. Be 100% on the look out for this. If you answer with information not mentioned by your professor or in the assigned readings, you will not score well because you are not demonstrating information your professor wanted you to learn.
Do not get me wrong, I will vouch to anyone about how amazing Barbri, Quimbee, etc. are for learning material. But they need to be used lightly.
Below are ways to still use supplementals and make great grades.
#1: Keep Reading
Yes, Quimbee is amazing because it gives you case briefs. This makes it tempting to not do readings for class. DO NOT SKIP READING THE ASSIGNED READINGS IN THE BOOK! As mentioned above, supplementals only cover the basic, big picture on a case/subject. Read the textbook and look for information that explains why the court reached this conclusion on this subject. Write down this information. Chances are the professor will ask you questions about this because they want to see you did the actual reading (again, they know Quimbee exists and are trying to test you).
Once you are done with the reading, write up your brief. Then check Quimbee to see if your overall information matches. {tip: I will also include in my brief the "rule" and some rules from the "reasoning" because it's comforting to have that information in case I missed it}
#2: Pay Attention In Class
Always pay attention in class because professors will mention something not found in supplementals. They will say something the way they want you to interpret the subject. You will do better if you pay attention to them instead of what supplementals say because professors teach things differently. It is sooooo tempting to be mentally checked out in class because you feel reassured you can get the information from the supplementals, but professors will say things that are not in the reading, supplementals, and powerpoint to see who is paying attention.
Just remember: professors teach things differently and will say things the way they want you to interpret the subject.
#3: Outlining
I will do a full on post later about outlining because outlining is one of my favorite things to do. To be brief, compose your outline solely of your book and class notes. On subjects that you are not comfortable with, include the supplemental info! I highly suggest color coding supplemental info so you can mentally separate it later from your professor's information. REMEMBER TO COMPARE THE INFORMATION AND ONLY INCLUDE INFORMATION THAT WAS DISCUSSED IN THE TEXT AND CLASS. Last thing you want to do is discuss v when your professor and text discussed b.
It is also important to outline with your actual class information and compare the supplemental information to your class information because professors will word things differently. Professors may also organize things differently or have different rule statements/elements (this is common in torts and criminal law) than supplementals.
#4: Separating It
I love Barbri and will create separate documents based on Barbri's video lecture and book information. I will skim this information later when studying. I suggest creating separate documents for information from supplementals because it can be a separate study guide (used to help your actual one that is mainly of your class and text notes!) and will help keep the information separate from your professor/text information.
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