My first semester of law school was a wild ride. Adjusting to a new city and living situation while tackling law school was truly a challenge! It kicked my butt, but I do not regret my choice to go to law school one bit. I gave it my honest, best effort.
I believe that when you find something that you are interested and passionate about, you should give it every ounce of willpower you’ve got. The only way to find out if something is a good match for you is to try it out 100%. If you don’t try, you won’t know what it would have been like. Every experience is different for different people.
Although I gave it my all during my first semester, there are some things I wish I had done differently, learned too late, or wish I had known from the start! Other things I found out how important they were to my journey by finding out first-hand along the way. Hopefully, if you are starting law school soon, you can learn a few things from my first-hand experience in law school.
1) Mental health in law school and as a lawyer is more important than you think.
My law school emphasized the importance of mental health as a law student and maintaining it in the long term. The legal profession sees high numbers of depression and other mental health problems, but you don’t have to be one of them. Many law students also suffer from imposter syndrome, which can certainly affect anyone’s self-esteem. Law school brings a totally different form of stress, so it is important to start managing your stress and mental health from the very start of your legal career. Once you learn to manage stress and other mental health issues, you will be unstoppable!
There are many ways to work on managing your mental health. Everyone is different, so you will need to find out what works best for you personally. Some options include seeing mental health professional (many universities provide this type of service), speaking with other law students, connecting with family and friends, expressing your concerns with professors or other faculty, participating in fun school events, and regularly practicing self-care.
Personally, I found that I was able to manage my stress best when I ate a balanced diet, worked out most days, and took time for myself to rest at least once or twice a week. This worked for me during my first semester of law school, but it may not be a recipe for success for someone else. Experiment with different things and find what works best for you!
2) Maintaining your physical health is SO important. (Yes, that includes sleeping!)
I found out early on that I could not pull all-nighters in law school like I did in undergrad. Law school is EXHAUSTING, mentally and physically. I made it a priority to sleep at least 7 hours a night, if not 8+ hours. I learned that I could not live on 5 hours of sleep a night like I used to. During the entire 2 weeks of finals, I managed to sleep 7 hours a night because my days were so long and exhausting. I had no idea how much sleep my brain actually needed when it was being used to full capacity! Take it from me – you can’t possibly succeed in the long-run when you are running yourself to the ground.
Working out and eating right are essential to a healthy experience in law school. Make sure to take enough vitamins and drink water. Do everything you can to keep yourself healthy because you don’t have time to get sick during law school!
3) When you look good, you feel good.
I went into law school with the idea that I needed to wear business attire everyday to school. I went out and made sure I had enough appropriate clothing before I started school, including new blazers and business appropriate shoes. Boy, was I wrong! I quickly learned that in law school, sweatpants are certainly acceptable, as long as you show up to do the work. But, was I really that wrong? No. In part, my mindset from the start helped me better see the task at hand. I was enrolled in a professional graduate program, where students are being trained by professional lawyers to become professional lawyers themselves one day. I believe that showing up and dressing well can be a game changer for your work-ethic and mentality. When I dress well, it helps put my brain into a more focused state.
I made an effort to get dressed every day in a way that made me feel good. Sometimes I wore business casual, sometimes I would wear sweatshirts. I made a point to show up to meetings professors and social events looking more professional than I would normally. Dressing the part helps me focus on my goals each day. This helped me throughout law school immensely.
4) Hard work pays off.
The only way to succeed in law school is to actually do the work and study. If you don’t put in the time and effort, you won’t see the results! Hard work never fails, and if anyone tells you otherwise, they’re wrong. Some students hardly studied and watched Netflix all day. I guarantee you that they will not be happy with their results! I know that I did everything in my power (without going crazy) so that I could sleep easy. Even if I don’t do as well in the beginning, my habits and hard work will help me in the long run.
5) Outlining is not a guaranteed ticket to success, but keeping up with the course material is crucial during law school.
If you do not already know about what the infamous “outlining” is, you will find out when you start law school. In law school, you will be given TONS of information. It might seem overwhelming at first, but you can handle it. Outlining is basically a form of note-taking where you organize the material by the most important topics. Outlining does not work for everyone, but keeping up with the course material in a way that works best for you will always be the best option. Do not wait until the last minute before finals to review material. Take some time to figure out what the best way to study is for you, and stick with it. Whatever keeps you accountable and on top of your work will be the best method for you.
6) Engage with your professors.
Law professors are some of the most interesting people, especially if you are trying to be a lawyer. In my experience, most professors are very willing to meet with you in person one-on-one. They may be a little intimidating in class, but I believe they are the some of the most approachable people when you get to know them.
Your professors are there to help you throughout your time in law school and beyond. If you are having any issues with any of the course material, there is no one better to ask than the people making the exams! Professors are just people, too.
7) Treat everyone with kindness.
Not only is a best practice for life in general, but practicing kindness to others is a great way to go about your law school experience. Law school, particularly finals, brings about lots of stress. When stress and negativity mix among people, it can be a recipe for disaster. Treat others with respect and class while in law school. You are there to focus on YOU and not any other drama around you. You’re in a professional graduate program, so act like it. Bring positivity with you whenever you can. Not only do others need it, but you owe it to yourself to keep a positive mindset during these stressful times. Lastly, you never know who you will meet and who they might become. Connections with others are very important. You want people to look back at you and think, “wow, they were such a kind, respectful, and hardworking person!”
