Examination tips: I have based the following exam “tips” on the most common mistakes made by first-year students. The tips range from the obvious (Read the Instructions) to the not so obvious (Objectivity and Indecisiveness are Not the Same Thing). As you review these tips, keep a few things in mind. First, follow your professor’s instructions if you perceive there to be a difference between these tips and your teacher’s views. Second, when I use legal principles in some of these tips, the law is being used for illustrative purposes only. Again, follow your professor’s views on the current state of the law. Finally, these tips are valuable, but are not magic and cannot take the place of your own hard work. Good luck!