Surviving 1L Year

I was thinking that because this blog is titled "Love and the School of Law" I should actually write something about law school :) There are bazillions of books and articles out there with great advice for getting through, but here are my personal thoughts on surviving your first year of law school!

1. Treat it Like a Job

One of my TA's recommended this to me and it was the best advice I got. Basically, if you have class from 8-noon, stay on campus until 4 or until you're done with the next day's reading. This way, when you go home, you can actually relax! Because of work, I was only able to do this for the first park of my first semester but it was enough to help me transition. If it's possible for you to do, I would highly recommend this!

2. Know You Will Work Your A** Off and Get the Worst Grades You've Ever Had

This was a hard lesson for me. My first semester of 1L year, I loved Civ Pro. My professor was amazing and I thought my final went well. I walked out of that exam like a boss. Got my grades a few weeks later and Civ Pro was my worst grade of all of my classes. Seriously?! Hate.

Realize law school is unlike anything you have ever done. Ever. Also you'll have class with super smart people who set the curve rullll high (jerks). Remember though that everyone else is in the same boat!

3. Don't Get Behind

This is easier said than done. If you already read 100 pages for 2 classes the next day, the last thing you want to do is read another 30 for class #3. Do it! Skim it, at least :) Missing reading once in a (great) while will be fine (unless you get called on...meh) but getting behind is a pain in the butt. Most classes build on what you've already read, so if you didn't read for class last week, this week is not going to make a whole lotta sense!

4. Make Friends

The people I've met in law school are absolutely amazing. My law school is very friendly and really feels like a community. Unfortunately, some schools are crazy competitive so maintaining relationships is harder.

My friends not only help me study and understand material, they keep me sane! Consider your classmates as allies, not competitors :)

5. Don't be a Fun Suck

When I was a few weeks into school, my mom (nicely) told me I was being a real drag. Basically, I was throwing myself a pity party but no one else wanted to be invited haha. Since then, I've been making a conscious effort to not let myself be dragged down by this commitment I've made to finishing law school. Sometimes I fail though, just ask my husband :)

Complete your coursework, but don't forget to have fun! Go to happy hour with your classmates after Crim Pro. Get together with your parents for your dad's birthday. At least for me, it was worth it to stay up a little later to finish the next day's reading when I'd had a great time with friends or family earlier in the day. Plus, first year is basically a fight against going insane, and this will help :) You'll be useless if you spend all your time studying and don't sleep/breathe ever!

6. Use the Resources Made Available to You

Law schools typically have TAs for all first year classes. Email them questions, hypos, etc. It's what they are there for, and it can be so helpful to get advice from someone who's taken the class before. Attend workshops and study sessions. Some are more helpful than others of course, so try to get a "feel" for them first!

7. Realize What an Incredible Opportunity You Have

When I was really feeling down about my law school my first year, it helped me to remind myself how lucky I was to be in law school. I had a supportive family, husband (fiancee at the time), and friends who were all helping me make this dream come true. There are so many people who don't have the opportunity to follow their dreams. Perhaps financially they can't get student loans, maybe they are a single parent, maybe they aged out of foster care. I thought, "How can I feel sorry for myself when others would give anything to have the opportunity to pursue higher education?" It helps me put things in perspective.

There are millions of blogs and books out there but these are ones I found especially helpful. Remember, it will be hard, but you will survive :) And it will be awesome. Enjoy the journey :)