I actually had no idea that spring break existed in law school until after the first semester was over, and I finally looked at the academic calendar for the spring. When I realized that we had an entire week off, I felt a complete wave of relief come over me because I knew how valuable it would be to have that time to re-charge and catch up on school, and on my life. Whether you have a vacation planned or want to utilize the time to study, balancing some time to relax with preparing for the remainder of the semester can help you re-charge before the last few weeks of the semester. [Read more…] about Ways to Utilize your Law School Spring Break
Top 5 Resources to Take Advantage of as a 1L
As a 1L, you’re expected to learn new skills and manage a lot of brand new tasks fairly quickly (and seamlessly). Add this to the fact that most of what you’re learning is somewhat foreign and your 1L grades are very important, and things can get overwhelming fairly quickly. Fortunately, you’re never alone. In fact, there are likely more resources available to you than you think, so be sure to utilize them! [Read more…] about Top 5 Resources to Take Advantage of as a 1L
Why “Staying in Your Lane” is Key to Law School Success
If you’ve started law school, you’ve probably (hopefully) had someone suggest that you do your best to “stay in your lane” especially as a 1L. I heard this phrase from about five different people, in five different contexts, at orientation alone, because it truly is that important. Initially, it sounds like something that will be an obvious no-brainer- of course you’ll just focus on doing the best you can, right? Why would you worry about anyone else? In reality, that may become far more difficult than you thought, and very quickly.
The law school pedagogy is likely to be vastly different from anything you’ve dealt with in the past, and figuring out how to approach it in a way that is effective for you (which may not necessarily be the same as the person sitting next to you) is more than half the battle. Add that to a looming curve, an intensely competitive job market and the fact that the person sitting next to you reads 3 different supplements. Now “staying in your lane” seems harder than you may have previously thought. Difficult as it may become as the semester goes on, it is vastly important that you identify and adhere to things that work for you to reach the best result that you can.
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Tips for Midterm Success: A 1L Perspective
Congratulations on being halfway done with your first semester! If you’re anything like me, you may not know where the semester has gone, or how it’s time for midterms already. For many people, midterms can seem stressful because they are probably your first real, graded assessment in law school. However, I urge you let some of that stress go (they’re probably only worth a small portion of your grade anyways) and view them as a positive learning experience. Think about it this way: would you rather have no feedback on how you’re doing until after you take a final that constitutes your entire grade? Probably not. Of course, you still want do the best you can, and there are a few things you should consider to make your midterm experience the best it can be. [Read more…] about Tips for Midterm Success: A 1L Perspective
Top LSAT Mistakes to Avoid
If you’re reading this, you’re probably at least beginning to think about how to prepare for the LSAT. This should be a very exciting time – you’re starting your journey to law school! It also may be a nerve-wracking time, because the LSAT is one of the most heavily-weighted factors in law school applications (for now at least). There are countless ways to go about preparing for the exam, but there are some mistakes that most students should try to avoid. [Read more…] about Top LSAT Mistakes to Avoid