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I feel like I just ran a 20 mile marathon....with my brain. And finals haven't even started yet.

I think today will be one of those days I cry out of frustration. I seriously do that like once a week..I think to release stress.

so yeah..venting on here because I can't really vent in real life because I dont want to seem whiny to "Real" people.

Go to the gym or get a dog...

RELAX

Seriously, you're going to have a heart attack if you don't learn how to balance your life some.

Run an actual marathon and you'll see what real exhaustion and stress are, pal.

goosey wrote:I feel like I just ran a 20 mile marathon....with my brain. And finals haven't even started yet.

I think today will be one of those days I cry out of frustration. I seriously do that like once a week..I think to release stress.

so yeah..venting on here because I can't really vent in real life because I dont want to seem whiny to "Real" people.

A marathon is defined as being 26 miles, 385 yards. Congratulations on accomplishing the impossible, with your brain.

Goosey,

Sorry you aren't getting the sympathy you were looking for. That's TLS, I guess.

I know exactly how you feel, and it's almost over. Look for the light at the end of the tunnel and don't flame out. It gets easier from here.

I'm starting to feel the tinge of burnout. My thought is that there are two weeks till exams and four weeks till it is over completely. I can keep it together for four more weeks. Then freedom for two months!!

I'm feeling the burnout too every now and then.


What I'm doing right now:

The same things I've always done. Have a game plan of some sorts, set realistic goals, exercise regularly, wake up and go to sleep on time, and have someone to study with.

zeth006 wrote:I'm feeling the burnout too every now and then.


What I'm doing right now:

The same things I've always done. Have a game plan of some sorts, set realistic goals, exercise regularly, wake up and go to sleep on time, and have someone to study with.

ya, we've all come this far..it would be a complete waste not to finish the last 500 feet

I feel your pain.

But I feel like... with only a few weeks to exams, study time now is exponentially more valuable. And I can guarantee others have come to this realization and are kicking it into overdrive. So just keep that in your head and power through it.

One thing I've found that helps, I'm getting 8 hours of sleep now, compared to the 6 I normally get. Being rested for a long day of studying helps me a ton.

stocksly33 wrote:I feel your pain.

But I feel like... with only a few weeks to exams, study time now is exponentially more valuable. And I can guarantee others have come to this realization and are kicking it into overdrive. So just keep that in your head and power through it.

One thing I've found that helps, I'm getting 8 hours of sleep now, compared to the 6 I normally get. Being rested for a long day of studying helps me a ton.

my main problem is that my commute is so long..i get home at 10 pm and have to leave again by 530-545 am (depending on which train I am taking), so the amount of sleep I can actually get is kind of limited.

I dont even think its finals prep so much as this damn memo. I feel like I have ZERO mental energy left in me..and like I just need SLEEP and to not spend half my day on a stupid train.

But yeah, its also scary because everyone is kicking into over-drive...and to a certain extent I am MUCH more productive with my time. But also SUPER mentally exhausted.

gwuorbust wrote:

zeth006 wrote:I'm feeling the burnout too every now and then.


What I'm doing right now:

The same things I've always done. Have a game plan of some sorts, set realistic goals, exercise regularly, wake up and go to sleep on time, and have someone to study with.

ya, we've all come this far..it would be a complete waste not to finish the last 500 feet

Yeah. That kind of super rocky mentality has been keeping me alive so far. I don't intend to crash and burn.

goosey wrote: my main problem is that my commute is so long..i get home at 10 pm and have to leave again by 530-545 am (depending on which train I am taking), so the amount of sleep I can actually get is kind of limited.

I dont even think its finals prep so much as this damn memo. I feel like I have ZERO mental energy left in me..and like I just need SLEEP and to not spend half my day on a stupid train.

But yeah, its also scary because everyone is kicking into over-drive...and to a certain extent I am MUCH more productive with my time. But also SUPER mentally exhausted.

Yeah... my life consists of sleeping, class, and studying. And I don't have enough time for all 3. So I've decided to strategically miss certain days of class, to get a little more sleep and a lot more study time (see my thread). I guess it's about prioritizing at this point.

Goosey, sleep on the train? A power nap in the morning on your way to LS would do wonders (at least it did when I took the bus in high school)

beach_terror wrote:Goosey, sleep on the train? A power nap in the morning on your way to LS would do wonders (at least it did when I took the bus in high school)

+1 on power naps. It's a substitute for lost sleep, but not a complete replacement. Really helps clear the head when you're feeling the heat.

zeth006 wrote:

beach_terror wrote:Goosey, sleep on the train? A power nap in the morning on your way to LS would do wonders (at least it did when I took the bus in high school)

+1 on power naps. It's a substitute for lost sleep, but not a complete replacement. Really helps clear the head when you're feeling the heat.

i study on the train :-/

the days I fall asleep I feel unbelievably guilty. Now that legal writing will be over though, I will have much more study time during the week, allowing for more sleep time on the train

It sounds like it might be good for you to try to take an entire day or two away (Thanksgiving?). I know as a 1L this seems unbelievably daunting this close to finals, but you may be surprised how just one day away can make you feel in the long run. Worst thing to do would be to totally hit the wall during finals and stop studying, this thing is a marathon, not a sprint - especially if this is going to be your first law school exam period.

Is it possible that you're doing -dare I say it- too much? An unnecessary amount of work? Remember that there's only so much law you're going to have time to talk about on an exam. At this point I have the bulk of my outlines done (pretty small font, but each will be about or under 10 pages) and my most of my energy is focused almost purely on exam performance, i.e. practice exams, figuring out how to attack certain lines of analysis, etc. Stopped briefing by the end of Sept. Granted, I can tell how this strategy works only after I get my grades back but I'm feeling pretty good about it. I work about 6-8 hours a day during the week and about 10 hours a day on weekends.

At the end of the day, if you're not mentally healthy no amount of studying is going to help you perform well on a 3 hour exam.

Get some rest, buddy.

goosey wrote:

zeth006 wrote:

beach_terror wrote:Goosey, sleep on the train? A power nap in the morning on your way to LS would do wonders (at least it did when I took the bus in high school)

+1 on power naps. It's a substitute for lost sleep, but not a complete replacement. Really helps clear the head when you're feeling the heat.

i study on the train :-/

the days I fall asleep I feel unbelievably guilty. Now that legal writing will be over though, I will have much more study time during the week, allowing for more sleep time on the train

If you HAVE to fall asleep, set your phone alarm clock for 15-20 minutes. I normally find it close to impossible to sleep at the library, but just closing my eyes and putting my head down for 15 minutes helps a bunch. Try it sometime. Really does miracles for a few hours.

Dr. Van Nostrand wrote:It sounds like it might be good for you to try to take an entire day or two away (Thanksgiving?). I know as a 1L this seems unbelievably daunting this close to finals, but you may be surprised how just one day away can make you feel in the long run. Worst thing to do would be to totally hit the wall during finals and stop studying, this thing is a marathon, not a sprint - especially if this is going to be your first law school exam period.

Probably the best cure for burnout pre-finals. On Thanksgiving Day, I plan to wake up and memorize my outlines at a coffeeshop. Right at around 4-5pm, I'll just head over to a friend's house for Thanksgiving dinner and enjoy the rest of my evening.


It's a good thing finals isn't after New Year's. Imagine how hard the depression of not having someone to smooth would hit us.

OP, I had one of those moments over this weekend. Was stressing myself soooo much because I feel like I'm falling of the rails with this past week of material, because I'm trying to start finals prep/apply for jobs/finish final memo all at the same time. I was getting so worked up that my heartbeat was dangerously fast, got really overheated, short of breath, etc. Decided I needed to vent. Went out back behind my building and saw an old and broken TV that someone had put up next to the dumpster. I grabbed my baseball bat and did my best "Office Space" re-enactment. I've been fresh and happy since.

For some people, a good nap or watching a good TV show might do the trick. I guess I have a more extreme way of venting.

burnout is for pussies. seriously. suck it up. it's basically a month of 8-12 hours of studying. you should feel satisfied at the end of each day that you cannot do anymore. if anything, you can be happy that you gave it a legitimate shot, maybe even your best shot.

also, i smoke a joint every night after studying. it helps me relax from all the caffeine, nicotine, adderall, and stress, especially stress. it works for me.

dakatz wrote:OP, I had one of those moments over this weekend. Was stressing myself soooo much because I feel like I'm falling of the rails with this past week of material, because I'm trying to start finals prep/apply for jobs/finish final memo all at the same time. I was getting so worked up that my heartbeat was dangerously fast, got really overheated, short of breath, etc. Decided I needed to vent. Went out back behind my building and saw an old and broken TV that someone had put up next to the dumpster. I grabbed my baseball bat and did my best "Office Space" re-enactment. I've been fresh and happy since.

For some people, a good nap or watching a good TV show might do the trick. I guess I have a more extreme way of venting.

Thanks for the laugh.

i would also like to suggest that you're building up a lot of pressure on yourself, which can be detrimental on exam day. some of the hypos will be long and extremely annoying. if you're all worked up, then it might get to you. so all this work is lost. whatever you do, make sure that when you are taking the exam that you do not panic, however fucked you think you are.

Retitle "why you should not set yourself up for a commute during 1L" and sticky. People underestimate the commute timesuck.