As I am sitting here preparing to get started on my readings for school, I realize that I have not posted anything in regards to law school in a long time.
So here is a post on how to survive that dreaded 1L year.
By now, without a doubt, you have heard from multiple sources that the first year is horrible, lots of people drop out because they cannot do it and that you will have no life at all.
Well...That is only half true.
Lets do this with a mini FAQ section followed by some advice.
Q: Are the classes difficult?
A: Most definitely yes!
Q: What makes the classes so hard?
A: It's a combination of everything. Here are some major points that I have gathered from talking with my friends and from my own experience:
1. You will be learning 4 to 5 classes worth of very dense new material.
- Law is complicated, the cases you will read are difficult to understand, and unlike undergrad you will not be able to just "fly by."
2. You will need to learn to think in a way that you are not used to.
- So far, for the majority of undergrad you either used passive thinking or you just spat information back at the professor. That will no longer be the case. You will have to learn rules and you will have to figure out how to apply them to numerous situations. You will no longer passively take in information, instead you will need to actively think and respond.
- If you do the so called "spit back" method on your tests like you did in undergrad, you will not do well. As you will see, the questions on all tests will be formatted in a way that test only certain rules or a combination of a few rules. So, if you apply a rule that was not asked for, you will not get any points simply for trying to show that you remembered that rule.
3. You will be confused by some of the terms, rules and procedures.
- This will come from learning a lot of new information very quickly, learning to think differently, realizing that not all everyday words mean the same thing when it comes to law and that some of the law is not as intuitive as you thought it would be.
4. You will only have 1 final in each class, except for writing where you may have multiple assignments.
- You will stress because your whole grade will depend on one test.
5. You will feel overwhelmed by all the information and the feeling that you have absolutely no free time to do anything but read and study.
Q: Do professors really cold call on you in every class from day one?
A: Yes, you must come prepared.
Q: What do tests usually look like?
A: Except for your writing class where you may have multiple writing assignments due, most classes will have a combination of multiple choice questions and essays.
Q: Will I really have no time for anything fun?
A: That, my friend, is completely up to you.
- If you "work for your weekends", meaning keep up with your readings, review and get ready for class, then you can have free time on your weekends.
- If you goof off during the week, get lazy, don't read and let your readings pile up, then yes your whole weekend will be busy with all the work you let pile up.
Q: Do a lot of people drop out in their first year?
A: That also depends. In my track we had one person drop out because he realized that he wanted to be a film maker instead of an attorney. So, it really depends on the school and the person that drops out. Not everyone leaves because they can't handle it, some leave because they realize that law school is not something that they really want.
Now for some advice.
Advice on stressing over classes and feeling stupid:
In those first few weeks of school you may feel lost. You may even doubt your abilities. You may feel stupid and like you don't belong. You may call your parents and break down only to tell them that you don't know what you are doing in law school or why you ever though of going there. You will tell them that Bob is so smart, that he always knows all the answers and that you still can't wrap your mind around what intent means.
In that moment I will need you to take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Close your eyes and let your mind go blank for a moment.
When you open your eyes, I want you to remember this: you are not the only person that is feeling like that in that moment and you are definitely not the first person to have ever thought/felt like that.
Lean back and think to yourself: Why did I decide to go to law school? Was it to help people, to make money or because I just couldn't think of anything else? Did I go by my own choice or did my parents decide it for me? Can I picture myself dealing with legal issues on a daily basis or do I find it boring/terrifying/not interesting at all?
When you answer those questions you will get a better sense of why you decided to go to law school, which will help you decide whether you want to stay or not.
If after answering those questions you still want to stay and become an attorney, then remember that you are just a beginner and things will get easier. It doesn't matter if you are at school or at a new job, when you are a beginner it will always be difficult. The more you apply yourself to the task, the easier it will get and the more used to it you will become.
So, try not to stress and take it one day at a time. If you don't understand something ask your professor, TA, your friend or google to explain it to you. Then try to explain it back. The more you talk it through, the more you will understand the material and the easier it will become.
Remember you are not stupid and you are in the right place. It takes time to adjust and it takes even longer to learn. And after the 1L year things will get easier.
If after answering those questions you are still unsure if you are in the right place, then give yourself at least until the end of the semester to test it all out. You may just be stressing so much over the new environment, learning about the law and feeling inadequate in comparison to your classmates that you are really just not giving yourself enough time to adjust. You must give yourself that time to get used to your new environment and you must give yourself a chance to see if you like what you are learning.
If after that first semester you are still unsure and/or realize you hate it, then law school may be something that doesn't interest you or maybe your are still worried and stressed. It is completely up to you what you will do.
Remember that working 24/7 will burn you out. Make sure you take at
least a day or two to relax before you jump back in. It will help you
with the stress and help you to refocus.
Advice on being cold called:
Professors like to pick at random. I only had one professor that had a system. He tended to call row by row, but you still did not know how long he would stay on any one person. I also had a professor that would randomly call on one person and then pick on that person for the rest of the day. So, be prepared for any type of cold calling.
If you do all of your readings before you come to class and prepare for class, then you will be ok.
Remember that it is always ok to say something like "Professor, I read the case but I don't understand it at all." (I've said that a few times myself).
Professors are not scary, even if they seem like that to you in that moment. Professors want you to succeed. They will tell you it's ok and help you through it.
Even if your answer is wrong or you don't know the answer, as long as you can show to them that you are prepared for class it will all be ok.
Advice on homework:
There is no simpler way to say this other than:
1. Read all of your assignments.
2. Do not let them pile up or you will drown in them.
3. Do you case briefs. They help you more than you think.
4. Review the readings before class.
5. Highlight/write notes to yourself in case you need to reference them in class.
Advice on participating in class:
1. If you have a question, ask it. There is no such thing as a dumb question or crazy hypothetical.
2. Take good notes.
3. Do not be on facebook or chat with your friends during class. (Remember your grade depends on one test and your notes are the only way to know what the professor will test. No notes= no information= nothing you can study from= not such a great grade on your 1 test for the whole class). Facebook and your friends can wait for that 1 hour or so of class that you have.
4. Try to stay awake and pay attention.
5. Take note of the hypotheticals the professors use. This is a great way to see how the law works.
6. Be an active listener and thinker.
7. If someone asks the professor a question, listen to the discussion. It may answer a question you have, clarify something for you, or even give you a new perspective on how that rule can work.
Advice on free time:
Yes, if you work for your weekends you can have free time.
If you keep up with all your work, you can have relaxing Saturdays and
Sundays. If you have no major assignments due and it is not near finals
time, you can have that 1 or 2 trips to Vegas.
However, do not take this like undergrad, where you can party Thursday- Sunday and go to Vegas every other weekend. If you do that, you will mess it up for yourself when it comes to finals.
We had one person in class that would miss lots of days, show up late and be in Vegas literally almost every other weekend. When that person was called on, they were unable to answer any questions and were constantly under prepared. Most professors will take points off your grade for that.
So, be smart and strategic about your free time.
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That's all for classes and homework.
Advice on tests and OCI will be in the next posts.
Good luck and you can do it!
