Study SkillsStudy Skills

Preparing Preparing summariessummaries

WhyWhy summaries?summaries?

Preparation of summaries helps you:Preparation of summaries helps you:1.1. OrganiseOrganise material in a clear and

logical manner2.2. Structure Structure your thoughts and ideas3.3. TestTest your understanding of course

materials – if you don’t know it you can’t summarise it

4.4. ReduceReduce your notes to a form useful for study and open book exams

5.5. Learn Learn course materials

ORGANISEORGANISE

You will have You will have assembled a lot of assembled a lot of material – lecture material – lecture notes, case notes, notes, case notes, notes of readings, notes of readings, tutorial answerstutorial answers

Your summaries Your summaries need to organise need to organise this in a way which this in a way which is accessible and is accessible and usefuluseful

Organisation requires editingOrganisation requires editing As you summarise, you should As you summarise, you should selectselect

the most important points you need the most important points you need to rememberto remember

These points should be organised These points should be organised around topics, or themes, or grouped around topics, or themes, or grouped together with similar ideas, in a way together with similar ideas, in a way which makes sense to you.which makes sense to you.

Rewriting your notes is NOT Rewriting your notes is NOT preparing a summary – you also preparing a summary – you also need to RETHINK your notesneed to RETHINK your notes

An organised summary is:An organised summary is:

Brief – ideally, every topic should be Brief – ideally, every topic should be dealt with in only one pagedealt with in only one page

Headings only – your summary Headings only – your summary should be key points or headings should be key points or headings which remind you of the main which remind you of the main material to be covered, not a material to be covered, not a complete restatement of the course complete restatement of the course materialmaterial

Supported by relevant authorities Supported by relevant authorities (cases/legislation)(cases/legislation)

STRUCTURESTRUCTURE

““Black holes” are Black holes” are very dense and full very dense and full of matter.of matter.

There is so much There is so much matter in a black matter in a black hole that once you hole that once you enter there is no enter there is no escape.escape.

A good structure A good structure ensures that your ensures that your summaries do not summaries do not become black holes.become black holes.

A good structure:A good structure:

May be different for every person – May be different for every person – as we all think differently.as we all think differently.

Should be able to work as an essay Should be able to work as an essay plan, or a check list to make sure plan, or a check list to make sure you spot and discuss all relevant you spot and discuss all relevant issues raised in a questionissues raised in a question

Should be structured logically and Should be structured logically and supported by relevant materialsupported by relevant material

A good structure:A good structure:

Will use headings and dot pointsWill use headings and dot points Won’t use so much information Won’t use so much information

that the reader gets lost in the that the reader gets lost in the detaildetail

May cross reference to other May cross reference to other summaries if ideas overlap, or summaries if ideas overlap, or you want to link to related you want to link to related remediesremedies

Examples: Legal InstitutionsExamples: Legal Institutions

Legal Institutions is a thematic course Legal Institutions is a thematic course with a spiralling curriculum which looks with a spiralling curriculum which looks at a number of issues and concepts. at a number of issues and concepts. One useful structure would be to One useful structure would be to prepare a prepare a glossary of terms and glossary of terms and conceptsconcepts commonly encountered in commonly encountered in lectures and in your reading. lectures and in your reading. Attempting a Attempting a one sentenceone sentence explanation explanation for each of the concepts listed on the for each of the concepts listed on the next slide (and others you may add) is a next slide (and others you may add) is a useful approach.useful approach.

Concept glossaryConcept glossary

Bicameral LegislatureBicameral Legislature Concurrent power/exclusive powerConcurrent power/exclusive power Constitutional MonarchyConstitutional Monarchy DemocracyDemocracy Division of powersDivision of powers FederationFederation Independence of the JudiciaryIndependence of the Judiciary

Concept glossaryConcept glossary

Manner and Form provisionsManner and Form provisions Parliamentary sovereigntyParliamentary sovereignty Plenary powerPlenary power Repugnancy (of Colonial laws) Repugnancy (of Colonial laws) Representative governmentRepresentative government Responsible governmentResponsible government Rule of lawRule of law

Concept glossaryConcept glossary

Separation of powersSeparation of powers Judicial PowerJudicial Power Judicial Power of the CommonwealthJudicial Power of the Commonwealth ExecutiveExecutive LegislatureLegislature s15AA/s15ABs15AA/s15AB AmbiguousAmbiguous

Other LI structuresOther LI structures

You could also consider using:You could also consider using: The The course outlinecourse outline as the structure for as the structure for

your summariesyour summaries The The powerpointspowerpoints – construct a – construct a

summary around the issues noted in summary around the issues noted in the powerpointsthe powerpoints

A A time-linetime-line – especially useful for the – especially useful for the historical material and highlighting the historical material and highlighting the important developments over timeimportant developments over time

UNDERSTANDINGUNDERSTANDING

A key purpose of summary A key purpose of summary preparation is for preparation is for youyou to check you to check you have understood the course material.have understood the course material.

The process of summarising should The process of summarising should expose gaps in your understanding – expose gaps in your understanding – and give you the opportunity to fix and give you the opportunity to fix them, before the examiner also looks them, before the examiner also looks for any lack of understanding. for any lack of understanding.

Summaries of summariesSummaries of summaries

Because summarising is a process of Because summarising is a process of building understanding rather than building understanding rather than just rewriting notes, the best exam just rewriting notes, the best exam summaries are often summaries of summaries are often summaries of summaries.summaries.

Preparing summaries is not a one-Preparing summaries is not a one-step processstep process..

How to?How to? Start by reviewing (and if necessary Start by reviewing (and if necessary

rewriting) your lecture notes, case rewriting) your lecture notes, case notes and the notes of other readings notes and the notes of other readings from texts or other sources.from texts or other sources.

Make sure your lecture notes are Make sure your lecture notes are complete and that you have read complete and that you have read enough to understand the material enough to understand the material covered in each lecture.covered in each lecture.

Your lecture notes are the best basis Your lecture notes are the best basis for your summary preparation.for your summary preparation.

UnderstandUnderstand what you what you summarisesummarise

For some people reading the text or other For some people reading the text or other recommended reading will be sufficient to recommended reading will be sufficient to understand the lecture material. Others understand the lecture material. Others may have to go wider to other sources to may have to go wider to other sources to build their understanding.build their understanding.

Ask questions, read widely, do whatever it Ask questions, read widely, do whatever it takes to make sure you understand the takes to make sure you understand the material.material.

You need to summarise your knowledge, not You need to summarise your knowledge, not your ignoranceyour ignorance..

Self preparationSelf preparation Because summaries are Because summaries are

prepared so that you prepared so that you can check your can check your understanding – and to understanding – and to help you demonstrate help you demonstrate that understanding in that understanding in an exam, the best an exam, the best summaries are self summaries are self prepared: made for prepared: made for you, by you. Every you, by you. Every summary may look summary may look different, but be equally different, but be equally useful to the person useful to the person who prepared it.who prepared it.

REDUCEREDUCE Once you understand the Once you understand the

material, then you can material, then you can reduce it into a usable reduce it into a usable summary.summary.

Summary preparation is a Summary preparation is a process of process of distilling downdistilling down lecture notes, case notes lecture notes, case notes and readings into a very and readings into a very abbreviated summaryabbreviated summary, , which reminds you of the which reminds you of the key pointskey points at a glance. at a glance.

LEARNLEARN Now your summaries Now your summaries

are ready, the last step are ready, the last step is to learn them.is to learn them.

Writing the summary is Writing the summary is only part of the processonly part of the process

You must also know You must also know what is in the summary, what is in the summary, so you can use it in the so you can use it in the exam (and in practice.)exam (and in practice.)

Aide memoireAide memoire

A summary is an aide memoireA summary is an aide memoire The purpose of a summary is to The purpose of a summary is to

remind remind you of the law you already you of the law you already knowknow

Summaries cannot teach you law in Summaries cannot teach you law in exam conditions with which you are exam conditions with which you are not already familiar.not already familiar.

Other ideas for summariesOther ideas for summaries

As you review questions from past As you review questions from past papers or work through examples in papers or work through examples in class or in tutorials you may notice class or in tutorials you may notice that certain phrases always indicate that certain phrases always indicate certain issues – make a summary of certain issues – make a summary of these for the exam.these for the exam.

RECAPRECAP

When you summarise, you When you summarise, you organise organise your lecture material and other your lecture material and other readings.readings.

This process of organisation will help This process of organisation will help you approach questions in an you approach questions in an organised way, and provide a well organised way, and provide a well organised answer to any questionorganised answer to any question

Avoid Avoid Black Black HolesHoles•A summary which is a complete rewrite of the text book and all your lecture notes is a black hole - it will suck up all your time and energy and give you nothing back.•Summaries should be brief, cover only the main points and be a rethink not a rewrite

Understand before you Understand before you summarisesummarise

• The process of preparing a summary will help you learn, if you check and develop your understanding along the way.

•If your summaries are nothing more than rewrites of material you do not understand then they are not learning tools – but exercises in penmanship.

•You need to rethink for a summary, not simply rewrite.

REDUCEREDUCEA good summary is short, and to the point.

Remember, you are preparing notes for an exam – not for a 50,000 word thesis

LEARNLEARNYou need to know what is in your summary.

Write it yourself, learn it, and rely on it as a checklist and aide memoire in the exam.

A summary is a powerful tool for open book exam success.

Study SkillsStudy Skills

Approaching Approaching Open Book Open Book

ExamsExams

Before you start writingBefore you start writing

Set up a time Set up a time scheduleschedule Read through the Read through the whole exam paperwhole exam paper

onceonce ThinkThink before you write before you write

Writing and answeringWriting and answering

Get right to the pointGet right to the point Develop your argumentDevelop your argument Aim for compactness, completeness Aim for compactness, completeness

and clarityand clarity Summarize in your last paragraph Summarize in your last paragraph

Review (if time available)Review (if time available)

Complete questions left incompleteComplete questions left incomplete Review, edit correctReview, edit correct

Run out of time?Run out of time?

Out line what you would have saidOut line what you would have said

OPEN BOOK TESTSOPEN BOOK TESTS

In an open book exam you are evaluated In an open book exam you are evaluated on on understandingunderstanding rather than recall and rather than recall and memorizationmemorization

You will be expected to:You will be expected to: Apply material to new situationsApply material to new situations Analyze elements and relationshipsAnalyze elements and relationships Synthesize, or structureSynthesize, or structure Evaluate using your material as evidenceEvaluate using your material as evidence

Open book examsOpen book exams

Do not Do not underestimateunderestimate the the preparation needed for an preparation needed for an open book exam: your time open book exam: your time will be limited, so the key is will be limited, so the key is proper organization in order proper organization in order to quickly find data, quotes, to quickly find data, quotes, examples, and/or arguments examples, and/or arguments you use in your answers.you use in your answers.

What not to bringWhat not to bring

Open book exams Open book exams generally allow any non-generally allow any non-electronic materials in the electronic materials in the exam room exam room (but always check(but always check the the details first.)details first.)

What will you bring?What will you bring? Selection of materials is the Selection of materials is the

key to successkey to success Why bring the whole library Why bring the whole library

when you will have neither when you will have neither time nor room to use it.time nor room to use it.

A Good Answer:A Good Answer:

Reads and responds to the Reads and responds to the question carefullyquestion carefully

Isolates all relevant issuesIsolates all relevant issues Is clearly structuredIs clearly structured Is well supportedIs well supported Provides sufficient detail to Provides sufficient detail to

answer the questionanswer the question