Reflections of the first semester
Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 5:39 pm
Now that a few weeks have passed since the last exam, I think I'm finally ready to write about things I've learned. All semester I kept saying, I wish people would have told me X or Y...
First I wanna say this is my opinion only, and you will hear so many opinions from everyone you have to just take each one with a grain of salt.
1. Law school really did take over my life. In the beginning, when we had free time, we all went out together. A lot of people at my school are younger-ish, and we went out a lot. Clubs, dinner, the beach, road trips, camping etc.
It was TONS of fun but also very reminiscent of early college days. Law school is a little easier when you have friends. Classes are hard, it can be stressful, and it's a lot easier to go to class every day and see people you like and have fun with. That being said, having friends in law school is only good if you don't mess it up. NO DRAMA! No making out with random people, getting in relationships because then it's awkward. And with the stress of law school...no one wants awkward. The other reason we spent our free time together is because you get tired of hearing, "So, how's law school?" OMG if I hear that one more time I'm gonna vom I swear. Hanging out with people IN law school means you avoid questions like that.
By the time late October/early November rolls around, the going out drops but there is so much studying. Reading, trying to understand....there is little time for the life you had before law school.
2. The semester FLIES by. No joke. One minute, you're listening to the teachers give you an introduction to the law, and it seems okay..Then all of a sudden it's November and you realize you have to know everything.
3. Law school can be overwhelming and many people get discouraged but the idea is to not worry about what everyone else is doing and honestly to have faith in yourself. SOME people always want to know what you're doing and how much of it and they drive you nuts. In the beginning I used to lie and say I was going to the beach just so people would freak out. But really I would go home and read.
4. Which reminds me, I do my hardcore studying at home. Sometimes I got good studying done in the lawlib but that didn't happen a lot. People like to study in groups and it's hard for me to focus with people around me. Everyone is so concerned with what everyone else is doing that it's hard to concentrate. I usually only studied in the library in between classes.
5. The competition: I went to a school that wasn't as competitive as others can be, but don't let a T2 school fool you. This is still law school. It's competitive. Find a couple people you can trust because that is VITAL. For me, I met a girl on TLS several months before we started school. We kinda gravitated towards each other, not by force but ended up at the same school. I trusted her with EVERYTHING. She got all my notes, all my outlines. I talked to her about everything. She is the one person I wanted to help and I wanted her to help me and there was NO ill will at all. We are best friends (funny, thanks TLS!) and we really relied on each other. For everything. Learning, emotional support, whatever. Having her made law school BETTER. We trusted each other 100%. Then we added two more people we trusted more than others and all shared. But, if someone asked us for something (notes, briefs, outlines) I usually gave them something.
Once, my friends computer crashed and someone gave her an outline but told her, "I have a super secret outline that I cannot give you. Sorry"
Uh, dude, we ALL have super secret outlines we are NOT sharing. No need to say that. It makes you look like a jackass.
6. Guys are arrogant in law school. Not all of them (disclaimer!) but there were several guys (maybe at least 60%) who were super arrogant. They just believe they are gonna do great and that's that. The rest of us are idiots in their mind, and they treat us as such. Like they do us a favor just by talking to us. UGH. Best to just let them believe what they want and we will see when grades come out.
7. Supplements should be used as SUPPLEMENTS. Cases can be helpful but are kinda useless honestly. I read them still but not so in depth. For example, in one class we had the BEST teacher who told us countless times how she wanted us to organize an exam answer. One person after class told me that he didn't listen to that at all and he just read the E&E and that was enough. Even if we get the same information, our teacher wants it a certain way. If he cant give it to her like she ASKED US TO, it's gonna show on his grade.
THINGS I RELIED ON:
1. Outlines from previous students who had my professor. BEST resource. I am still a huge fan of making your own outline but these are really good for reference, but you have to remember they MAY be wrong so don't put too much weight in them.
2. OFFICE HOURS: Good god, talk to your teacher outside of class. 1/2 of what I learned was done in office hours.
3. Asking for help. Certain people on TLS were kind enough to send me their outlines, and they were also a great resource.
Anyway I will write more later. What I know is, when grades come out, we will all start to see what worked and what did not work. It's kinda a guessing game. Some are better guessers than others but it's trial and error for now. If anyone has any questions I will answer whatever.
xoxo
sjk
First I wanna say this is my opinion only, and you will hear so many opinions from everyone you have to just take each one with a grain of salt.
1. Law school really did take over my life. In the beginning, when we had free time, we all went out together. A lot of people at my school are younger-ish, and we went out a lot. Clubs, dinner, the beach, road trips, camping etc.
It was TONS of fun but also very reminiscent of early college days. Law school is a little easier when you have friends. Classes are hard, it can be stressful, and it's a lot easier to go to class every day and see people you like and have fun with. That being said, having friends in law school is only good if you don't mess it up. NO DRAMA! No making out with random people, getting in relationships because then it's awkward. And with the stress of law school...no one wants awkward. The other reason we spent our free time together is because you get tired of hearing, "So, how's law school?" OMG if I hear that one more time I'm gonna vom I swear. Hanging out with people IN law school means you avoid questions like that.
By the time late October/early November rolls around, the going out drops but there is so much studying. Reading, trying to understand....there is little time for the life you had before law school.
2. The semester FLIES by. No joke. One minute, you're listening to the teachers give you an introduction to the law, and it seems okay..Then all of a sudden it's November and you realize you have to know everything.
3. Law school can be overwhelming and many people get discouraged but the idea is to not worry about what everyone else is doing and honestly to have faith in yourself. SOME people always want to know what you're doing and how much of it and they drive you nuts. In the beginning I used to lie and say I was going to the beach just so people would freak out. But really I would go home and read.
4. Which reminds me, I do my hardcore studying at home. Sometimes I got good studying done in the lawlib but that didn't happen a lot. People like to study in groups and it's hard for me to focus with people around me. Everyone is so concerned with what everyone else is doing that it's hard to concentrate. I usually only studied in the library in between classes.
5. The competition: I went to a school that wasn't as competitive as others can be, but don't let a T2 school fool you. This is still law school. It's competitive. Find a couple people you can trust because that is VITAL. For me, I met a girl on TLS several months before we started school. We kinda gravitated towards each other, not by force but ended up at the same school. I trusted her with EVERYTHING. She got all my notes, all my outlines. I talked to her about everything. She is the one person I wanted to help and I wanted her to help me and there was NO ill will at all. We are best friends (funny, thanks TLS!) and we really relied on each other. For everything. Learning, emotional support, whatever. Having her made law school BETTER. We trusted each other 100%. Then we added two more people we trusted more than others and all shared. But, if someone asked us for something (notes, briefs, outlines) I usually gave them something.
Once, my friends computer crashed and someone gave her an outline but told her, "I have a super secret outline that I cannot give you. Sorry"
Uh, dude, we ALL have super secret outlines we are NOT sharing. No need to say that. It makes you look like a jackass.
6. Guys are arrogant in law school. Not all of them (disclaimer!) but there were several guys (maybe at least 60%) who were super arrogant. They just believe they are gonna do great and that's that. The rest of us are idiots in their mind, and they treat us as such. Like they do us a favor just by talking to us. UGH. Best to just let them believe what they want and we will see when grades come out.
7. Supplements should be used as SUPPLEMENTS. Cases can be helpful but are kinda useless honestly. I read them still but not so in depth. For example, in one class we had the BEST teacher who told us countless times how she wanted us to organize an exam answer. One person after class told me that he didn't listen to that at all and he just read the E&E and that was enough. Even if we get the same information, our teacher wants it a certain way. If he cant give it to her like she ASKED US TO, it's gonna show on his grade.
THINGS I RELIED ON:
1. Outlines from previous students who had my professor. BEST resource. I am still a huge fan of making your own outline but these are really good for reference, but you have to remember they MAY be wrong so don't put too much weight in them.
2. OFFICE HOURS: Good god, talk to your teacher outside of class. 1/2 of what I learned was done in office hours.
3. Asking for help. Certain people on TLS were kind enough to send me their outlines, and they were also a great resource.
Anyway I will write more later. What I know is, when grades come out, we will all start to see what worked and what did not work. It's kinda a guessing game. Some are better guessers than others but it's trial and error for now. If anyone has any questions I will answer whatever.
xoxo
sjk
