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I was a pretty heavy smoker sophomore and jr years of college but i've all but quit and h aven't indulged in a cigarette in about two months.

I'm concerned though, that law school's stress will encourage me to resume this habit - I certainly utilized a varied arsenal of tobacco products through finals period every semester.

anyone with similar experience care to chime in?

First off, let me say congrats. I smoked about a 1.5 packs per week from 15 to 27.

If you're still using patches/gum/chaw during periods of heightened stress, then it sounds like you haven't quite purged your physical dependence on nicotine. That seems a little weird to me, because that's usually the first thing to go. Did you feel as though you really needed those things during finals; or did you take them because you didn't want to chance the distraction of fiending during the tests?

You're in a predicament. If you cut the nicotine altogether, you might experience some withdrawal which might negatively affect you. On the other hand, if you can get off them, you might experience a cognitive boost which would benefit you (this isn't substantiated, but I definitely felt sharper after quitting).

i found that gum/any variety smokeless would help me concentrate.. i wouldn't get twitchy or anything like that, but after writing a few pages a dip was a nice reward for having cranked out some solid work.

cigarettes were definitely stress-related though, i guess i figured out how to stay more relaxed so cigarettes have become a non-issue except for the occasional recreational/social smoke.

i'm just concerned that 1L year will be a burst like nothing else before and i want to be mentally equipped in case i relapse.

Congrats on nearly ridding yourself of the habit. I quit sometime after the October LSAT and haven't been back since. I was a smoker on and off through college and for some years after. I planned on quitting about a year ahead of the start of law school to allow myself some time to lose the habit completely, or at the very least, disassociate the need for a cig during times of high stress.

I chew a lot of gum now. I've also taken up running again and I can tell you the rewards of quitting (increased lung capacity and not smelling of tobacco)make me glad I quit when I did.

You could also simply replace one vice with another.

NCtoVAtoNC wrote:Congrats on nearly ridding yourself of the habit. I quit sometime after the October LSAT and haven't been back since. I was a smoker on and off through college and for some years after. I planned on quitting about a year ahead of the start of law school to allow myself some time to lose the habit completely, or at the very least, disassociate the need for a cig during times of high stress.

I chew a lot of gum now. I've also taken up running again and I can tell you the rewards of quitting (increased lung capacity and not smelling of tobacco)make me glad I quit when I did.

You could also simply replace one vice with another.

I quit in Feb and I don't even think about it anymore, but I chew gum like a fiend. I buy the big 35 piece Orbit packs and go through 1 a week.

when i quit smoking i replaced it with green tea. it calms you when you are trying to concentrate and its something to look forward to. its also cheap.

after an admitted students event i went out to a bar with some current students and they all were chain smoking. i hope thats not typical of law students, though with the amount of stress i wouldn't be surprised.

truffleshuffle wrote:

NCtoVAtoNC wrote:Congrats on nearly ridding yourself of the habit. I quit sometime after the October LSAT and haven't been back since. I was a smoker on and off through college and for some years after. I planned on quitting about a year ahead of the start of law school to allow myself some time to lose the habit completely, or at the very least, disassociate the need for a cig during times of high stress.

I chew a lot of gum now. I've also taken up running again and I can tell you the rewards of quitting (increased lung capacity and not smelling of tobacco)make me glad I quit when I did.

You could also simply replace one vice with another.

I quit in Feb and I don't even think about it anymore, but I chew gum like a fiend. I buy the big 35 piece Orbit packs and go through 1 a week.

Same here. The money I would've saved by no longer buying cigs is being spent on packs of Orbit gum. I go for the Big-e-Pak or the three pack.

i think i'm going to keep that stupid snus stuff on hand that comes in tiny, habit-weaning sized pouches.

this may sound stupid, but i don't care if i'm chewing nicorette or a chaw once a day.

what really scares me is getting back into a routine including >10 cigarettes daily.

I smoked around pack a day from 17-23. I quit after the LSAT and I didn't start up during 1L. I allowed myself a couple after I was done with finals as a reward for not starting up again during the semesters. I think the key is if you crack DON'T do it at school. Don't get into the habit of taking smoke breaks at school, don't befriend smokers(by smoking not generally), don't become part of that crowd. I probably would have quit in college if I hadn't gotten into such a smokers routine and befriended all smokers.

sophie316 wrote:I smoked around pack a day from 17-23. I quit after the LSAT and I didn't start up during 1L. I allowed myself a couple after I was done with finals as a reward for not starting up again during the semesters. I think the key is if you crack DON'T do it at school. Don't get into the habit of taking smoke breaks at school, don't befriend smokers(by smoking not generally), don't become part of that crowd. I probably would have quit in college if I hadn't gotten into such a smokers routine and befriended all smokers.

This is credited. I stopped smoking in college, and slowly lost about half of my friends.

I quit smoking during 1L.

I find that my law school has only a few heavy smokers, but a much greater number of casual smokers. Only the heavy smokers really smoke at school, the rest only seem to do it out at the bar. It was kind of stigmatized for us this year (not really sure why), but a lot of people were super shady about the fact that they smoked at all.

My best advice is just to avoid the situations you usually smoked in so as not to start back up -- I smoked mostly when I drove and outside at bars so I stopped carrying cigarettes in my car, and literally didn't go outside at bars for awhile. After awhile it got easier.

I will say that on days I had finals first semester I let myself smoke one cigarette per final. But I couldn't even look at them by second semester. People smoke around me and I feel sick now.

I quit using gum.

SoftBoiledLife wrote:I quit using gum.

I'm so proud of you.

lbeezy wrote:I quit smoking during 1L.

I find that my law school has only a few heavy smokers, but a much greater number of casual smokers. Only the heavy smokers really smoke at school, the rest only seem to do it out at the bar. It was kind of stigmatized for us this year (not really sure why), but a lot of people were super shady about the fact that they smoked at all.

My best advice is just to avoid the situations you usually smoked in so as not to start back up -- I smoked mostly when I drove and outside at bars so I stopped carrying cigarettes in my car, and literally didn't go outside at bars for awhile. After awhile it got easier.

I will say that on days I had finals first semester I let myself smoke one cigarette per final. But I couldn't even look at them by second semester. People smoke around me and I feel sick now.

Same here. Only a few regular smokers at my school. But more social smokers out at bars etc.

Ok, So guess I'm a pretty heavy smoker and I just started law school a few weeks ago and am astonished that there aren't more heavy smokers. --- and Yes, I know this is an older thread, but I didn't see any other related posts, so it seemed ok here.

Its like, I would have thought that there would be way way more chain smokers like me in law school, but it seems like people are ashamed to be seen smoking, unless its at a bar on weekends or something. Thats totally different than in college.

Like, in college, there were alot more girls like me who smoked all the time. I mean, I knew I chainsmoked more than ususal, maybe cause I have a really addictive personality, but like two packs a day was my usual, sometimes upto three packs a day on weekends. I know that seems like a lot to some folks, but when Im only actually in class like three hours a day, it was pretty easy to fall into the habit. Even back in high school Id smoke a nearly a pack a day, frantically studying both before and after school.

Law school has only made it worse for me. Like way worse. Like, Im studying all the time now and Im trying really hard to not smoke three packs every day. I study at my apartment all afternoon and evening, and pretty much just chain-smoke one cigarette after the other, trying to keep up with the reading! its awful I know, but its how I deal with stress!


So, just wondering, why arent there more smokers in law school??

smoking three packs a day requires work.

how the fuck do you find the time?

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E-cig...best of both worlds.

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lbeezy wrote:I quit smoking during 1L.

I find that my law school has only a few heavy smokers, but a much greater number of casual smokers. Only the heavy smokers really smoke at school, the rest only seem to do it out at the bar. It was kind of stigmatized for us this year (not really sure why), but a lot of people were super shady about the fact that they smoked at all.

My best advice is just to avoid the situations you usually smoked in so as not to start back up -- I smoked mostly when I drove and outside at bars so I stopped carrying cigarettes in my car, and literally didn't go outside at bars for awhile. After awhile it got easier.

I will say that on days I had finals first semester I let myself smoke one cigarette per final. But I couldn't even look at them by second semester. People smoke around me and I feel sick now.

Still haven't had a cigarette. I forget I even smoked and I smoked for like eight years.

Quitting sucks in the beginning but it really does it get a lot easier. It's not like you're an alcoholic, so you're always craving that next drink you can't have.

I had quit 6 years before 1L. During 1L first semester, I started smoking fairly regularly again (only at school in between study sessions though, not at a bar or home). 2nd semester, I cut down and only bummed cigarettes when "necessary". I think it really calmed my nerves 1st semester and wouldn't have changed it. Do what you need to do. Good luck!

ajax adonis wrote:

Clearly wrote:E-cig...best of both worlds.

Never tried. Too afraid of looking like a douchebag. There's something about my regular cig that I think an e-cig can't replace either.

You'd rather inhale cyanide than think you'll look like a douche? The second issue you have to pay around with till you find something that's perfect for you, but once you do, you'll never even want a cig again

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Clearly wrote:

ajax adonis wrote:

Clearly wrote:E-cig...best of both worlds.

Never tried. Too afraid of looking like a douchebag. There's something about my regular cig that I think an e-cig can't replace either.

You'd rather inhale cyanide than think you'll look like a douche? The second issue you have to pay around with till you find something that's perfect for you, but once you do, you'll never even want a cig again

The stronger vape pens have helped me cut my smoking in half. They really do work. You won't smell, you can smoke it almost anywhere, and there is no second hand smoke pollution. Uptight people will still stigmatize you and think you're a horrible person, though.

FWIW, my school told me when I was a 1L not to quit smoking, at least for 1L year. It is best to not have anything disrupt you during such a crucial year. I'm not saying to pick up smoking again since you quit, but explore some different alternatives. An e-cig is very helpful. And no, you won't look like a douche. Maybe to those who are uneducated and self-righteous. But their opinions shouldn't matter anyway.

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