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As someone who values his hobbies and free time, I'm prepared for hard work but I don't think I can give up my personal interests all together. I'd appreciate an estimate of how nonlegal your time can be in school. I'm guessing people make it work but I have doubts. Anyone with anecdotes in this direction?

Not in law school, but I hear that in law school people (who do well) read/study for around 4.5 hrs a day or so, and a little on the weekends. I don't imagine that many people study for 16 hrs a day and spend the rest sleeping and eating, so my guess is that you will have enough time to do w/e you want.

It will all be in the ratio that works best for you.

I've only been at this for a week, but so far I've been able to work out every day and go out a couple times, while staying ahead of the class in my reading. Maybe it gets harder later, but so far it's been pretty doable.

After the first semester of 1L, it becomes easy to budget time for non-academic activities, at least for the first half of each semester. That said, I think it's pretty common to lose a great deal of intellectual curiosity during law school and experience reading fatigue. So while you might have the time to do a lot of serious non-academic reading/thinking, you might not be inclined to do so. I'm told this changes after law school, though.

edcrane wrote:After the first semester of 1L, it becomes easy to budget time for non-academic activities, at least for the first half of each semester. That said, I think it's pretty common to lose a great deal of intellectual curiosity during law school and experience reading fatigue. So while you might have the time to do a lot of serious non-academic reading/thinking, you might not be inclined to do so. I'm told this changes after law school, though.

This...

savagedm wrote:

edcrane wrote:After the first semester of 1L, it becomes easy to budget time for non-academic activities, at least for the first half of each semester. That said, I think it's pretty common to lose a great deal of intellectual curiosity during law school and experience reading fatigue. So while you might have the time to do a lot of serious non-academic reading/thinking, you might not be inclined to do so. I'm told this changes after law school, though.

This...

I didn't know this was common--I definitely notice this in myself. I haven't even picked up a nonlegal book since starting.

I sincerely hope that everyone pursues hobbies in law school. Without the things that make life worth living, life is not worth living (this is a tautology, of course, but true nonetheless). During 1L, I managed to lift weights several times a week, read a few good books, go out with friends at least once a week, stay caught up on my favorite TV shows, and perform stand-up comedy at local clubs. As a 2L, I plan to continue all of those activities and have added golf to the mix.

I can't read recreationally anymore, but that's to do with mental bandwidth and not time. I played video games off and on all through 1L, and hope to be able to do that and include other non-reading hobbies this year. Obviously, you can't devote long hours to hobbies and you probably won't have much time around exam time, but otherwise, yeah, doing something that isn't a) law school or b) with law school people once in a while is necessary for your sanity. Or it is for mine, anyway.

I plan to workout 3-4 times a week for an 1.5 hours at a time and pursue an additional non-law related recreational activity once a week in addition to traveling out of town every other weekend.

A lot of the 2L's I met who treated law school like an 8-5 job have done very well for themselves.

I'm pretty sure you an escape here and there to keep perspective.

Two weeks in. The only things I've really sacrificed so far are pleasure reading (esp. nonfiction, which I normally consume a lot of) and the elaborateness of my cooking. The food on our campus sucks, so without the kind of food I'm used to making at home I've lost a few pounds which is unexpected and not something I want to continue as I figure sooner than later I'll start feeling like crap. I probably need to accustom myself to coughing up the money to eat out a little bit more, and as far the time spent doing that goes getting out of the study for an hour or so helps renew my concentration for the rest of the evening. I'm not a big TV watcher, so I can't speak to that.

As far as going out is concerned, I'm still feeling comfortable with meeting up with people a couple of nights a week--typically once midweek as long as I'm a day or two ahead, and once on the weekend--but I am now more concerned about stopping in time to sleep for a few hours and moderating my intake to avoid a hangover. I'm an early riser and need productive mornings.

Short answer: you should be able to continue to pursue your previous interests, and maintain your non-LS friendships, although perhaps in smaller chunks of time (and perhaps more erratically.) I'd think picking up a new hobby or trying to get involved in some unfamiliar social scene would be more of a challenge/distraction.

I'm still reading for fun. It's such an ingrained part of me that I feel worse the next day if I don't read a little bit at night.

You can find time for stuff. Spread the work out a little more, read a little more on weekends, and the nights get more free.

I still read a little bit for pleasure almost every night before bed and have time for other hobbies. Like TCS, I've only been at this a little while, but I think there will always be a little time for non-law stuff.

CordeliusX wrote:As someone who values his hobbies and free time, I'm prepared for hard work but I don't think I can give up my personal interests all together. I'd appreciate an estimate of how nonlegal your time can be in school. I'm guessing people make it work but I have doubts. Anyone with anecdotes in this direction?

99 percent of my nonlegal time is spent breaking necks and cashing checks. The other 1 percent is spent sleeping.

I spend about 10 hours a week fencing in law school.

johnnyutah wrote:I spend about 10 hours a week fencing in law school.

this is how all legal matters should be decided.

edcrane wrote:After the first semester of 1L, it becomes easy to budget time for non-academic activities, at least for the first half of each semester. That said, I think it's pretty common to lose a great deal of intellectual curiosity during law school and experience reading fatigue. So while you might have the time to do a lot of serious non-academic reading/thinking, you might not be inclined to do so. I'm told this changes after law school, though.

Wow, this is scary. I never thought about the possibility.

i should be able to drop all my hobbies. the only thing i'm worried about is having no excuse not to do well.

yours wrote:i should be able to drop all my hobbies. the only thing i'm worried about is having no excuse not to do well.

Dude, don't drop your hobbies. That is retarded.

superdingle2000 wrote:

edcrane wrote:After the first semester of 1L, it becomes easy to budget time for non-academic activities, at least for the first half of each semester. That said, I think it's pretty common to lose a great deal of intellectual curiosity during law school and experience reading fatigue. So while you might have the time to do a lot of serious non-academic reading/thinking, you might not be inclined to do so. I'm told this changes after law school, though.

Wow, this is scary. I never thought about the possibility.

Yep. Law students are often a depressingly incurious bunch, especially about the law.

The workload in law school is very backloaded towards the end of the semester. I always found plenty of time for hobbies the first half of the semester, and none the second half.

How many of you guys are actually law students? This thread makes me want to scream.

If you have hobbies, DO THEM! That is why they are hobbies! Otherwise, you will end up like one of the people in my class... studied all the time first year, got top 5%, and he is having no luck with interviews. Doing nothing but law school means you have nothing to talk about except the law. And job interviews are totally NOT about the law.

As far as losing intellectual curiosity, you might as well kiss that goodbye. Some (in the better classes, most) of the cases are interesting, but when it comes down to it, it is homework, and it gets old. Be realistic about your expectations and don't sacrifice your life for a letter grade.

You can definitely have a life. Do you think the vast majority of people are really studying 14 hours a day 7 days a week? Cause if you think that, you are crazy.

Generic20101L wrote:You can definitely have a life. Do you think the vast majority of people are really studying 14 hours a day 7 days a week? Cause if you think that, you are crazy.

rofl i study like 4 hours tops for each respective day. It's not worth it to spend more time on shit that won't be on the test.

lol i skip most of my classes and do all my readings at the end of the semester

if you want biglaw, honestly this is probably a time to learn "how to work hard and still have some semblance of a life" or else if you get biglaw, you will end up dying alone