I’m sure that many of you have heard the horror stories, watched the movies, and at one point contemplated just how grinding life in law school may be. While I can say that the summer glow will fade from your skin and that you may develop a more intimate relationship with your textbooks than you prefer, life, even in law school, does go on… quite nicely in fact.
To ease some of the anxiety and anticipation over the year to come, I have created a timeline to give you a better idea of what life will be like in your first year of law school.
September
September is a month filled with the excitement of beginning law school and more social outings than your calendar can fit. My advice: be sure to stay caught up, but attend as many events and meet as many people as you can in September. These are the people you will see almost every day for the next 8 months so take the time to really get to know them. Also, try to branch out of your small group and meet all of your classmates. Soon those strangers will be turning into familiar faces you look forward to seeing each day. Another awesome way to meet friends, including upper years, is signing up for clubs or sports teams. Finally, if you are just too busy to do anything else, make sure you go on the boat cruise at the end of September. It’s easily one of first year’s best events!
October
The social events start to settle down and classes will start to pick up. October is a great month to attend as many lunch info sessions as you can. One of the best ways to stay excited about being in law school is to learn more about what you can do with your JD once you graduate. Try going to different panels, even ones that may not be of particular interest to you. In the end, you may be pleasantly surprised by what you find out about practicing family law, environmental law, or pursuing a career in public interest law. I would also recommend attending at least one “firm tour”. These are basically open houses where law firms allow 20 or so students to visit their firms and mingle with their associates, partners, and summer students over drinks and appetizers. Not only is the food superb, these open houses are a great time to ask real lawyers questions and get the inside scoop on what certain areas of law are like. Finally, October is not too crazy, so if you are dying to go home for thanksgiving or take that weekend trip to Seattle, then go for it!
November
With November comes rain, due dates, and December exams lurking at the back of your mind. Make sure you buy an umbrella and rain boots and get ready for this balancing act of a month! In November you will mostly be working on assignments and getting your CANs ready for winter exams. Law school will definitely be in full swing now and you may find yourself studying more to stay caught up. Don’t worry, you will still be getting those Monday’s off (which makes life much easier)! Also, by the time November rolls around, the friendships you first formed at the beginning of the year have flourished into an awesome support system. The best way to get through busier months like this is to work (and take time to play!) together with those new friends. Finally, my advice is to consistently do your readings and make your CANs starting in September [1]. This will ensure that you will already be on track and fairly prepared for your exams. I would also recommend taking any trips home or weekend vacations near the beginning of November!
To ease some of the anxiety and anticipation over the year to come, I have created a timeline to give you a better idea of what life will be like in your first year of law school.
September
September is a month filled with the excitement of beginning law school and more social outings than your calendar can fit. My advice: be sure to stay caught up, but attend as many events and meet as many people as you can in September. These are the people you will see almost every day for the next 8 months so take the time to really get to know them. Also, try to branch out of your small group and meet all of your classmates. Soon those strangers will be turning into familiar faces you look forward to seeing each day. Another awesome way to meet friends, including upper years, is signing up for clubs or sports teams. Finally, if you are just too busy to do anything else, make sure you go on the boat cruise at the end of September. It’s easily one of first year’s best events!
October
The social events start to settle down and classes will start to pick up. October is a great month to attend as many lunch info sessions as you can. One of the best ways to stay excited about being in law school is to learn more about what you can do with your JD once you graduate. Try going to different panels, even ones that may not be of particular interest to you. In the end, you may be pleasantly surprised by what you find out about practicing family law, environmental law, or pursuing a career in public interest law. I would also recommend attending at least one “firm tour”. These are basically open houses where law firms allow 20 or so students to visit their firms and mingle with their associates, partners, and summer students over drinks and appetizers. Not only is the food superb, these open houses are a great time to ask real lawyers questions and get the inside scoop on what certain areas of law are like. Finally, October is not too crazy, so if you are dying to go home for thanksgiving or take that weekend trip to Seattle, then go for it!
November
With November comes rain, due dates, and December exams lurking at the back of your mind. Make sure you buy an umbrella and rain boots and get ready for this balancing act of a month! In November you will mostly be working on assignments and getting your CANs ready for winter exams. Law school will definitely be in full swing now and you may find yourself studying more to stay caught up. Don’t worry, you will still be getting those Monday’s off (which makes life much easier)! Also, by the time November rolls around, the friendships you first formed at the beginning of the year have flourished into an awesome support system. The best way to get through busier months like this is to work (and take time to play!) together with those new friends. Finally, my advice is to consistently do your readings and make your CANs starting in September [1]. This will ensure that you will already be on track and fairly prepared for your exams. I would also recommend taking any trips home or weekend vacations near the beginning of November!
December
Winter exams are upon you but thoughts of sugar plums, Mom’s cooking, and catching up on sleep (and all those episodes of your beloved HBO shows) are dancing in your head. My advice: try to waive those thoughts away, ignore the fact that the December exams are “fail safe”, and focus on doing your best [2]. Yes, it is immaculate to think that these exams may not count towards your final grade. However, based on my experience, it is far better to receive accurate feedback on how you are actually doing than a grade you will brush aside for your less-than-full efforts.
Phew! The December exams are done, the first half of the year is over, you have two weeks off, and life is looking good. Read tomorrow to find out what's in store for the next four months!
[1] [2] I will discuss and explain CANs and exams in more detail in a later blog so do not fret about these quite yet! If you do have questions, however, be sure to email me right away instead of feeling left in the dark!
Winter exams are upon you but thoughts of sugar plums, Mom’s cooking, and catching up on sleep (and all those episodes of your beloved HBO shows) are dancing in your head. My advice: try to waive those thoughts away, ignore the fact that the December exams are “fail safe”, and focus on doing your best [2]. Yes, it is immaculate to think that these exams may not count towards your final grade. However, based on my experience, it is far better to receive accurate feedback on how you are actually doing than a grade you will brush aside for your less-than-full efforts.
Phew! The December exams are done, the first half of the year is over, you have two weeks off, and life is looking good. Read tomorrow to find out what's in store for the next four months!
[1] [2] I will discuss and explain CANs and exams in more detail in a later blog so do not fret about these quite yet! If you do have questions, however, be sure to email me right away instead of feeling left in the dark!
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