ABSTRACT
Students often ask, ‘how much time should I spend studying?’ It is impossible to give a specific answer to this question. The amount of time you should spend is the amount which is necessary for you to feel you have understood the topic. This said, students on our LLB course are advised that they should be spending (in total) at least 35 to 40 hours a week studying. If one deducts from this formal classroom time, both for lectures and tutorials, then you should be spending about 24 hours a week studying on your own. A vast amount of this private study should take place in the law library. Remember, the law library is as important to the law student as the laboratory is to the science student. You should, therefore, familiarise yourself with how to use the law library effectively. There are a significant number of useful texts you can read in this regard, but it is important to note the implications of the case of Pepper v Hart (1992). Victor Tunkel has written excellent articles offering practical advice on research following the decision ‘Researching Statutes after Pepper v Hart’ Law Society Gazette, (1993) and ‘From the Horse’s Mouth’ Taxation Magazine (1993).
