As an incoming 1L, I think the hardest thing about law school is not knowing anything about law school. Before starting at your new law school, you can go to all the open houses, read all the prep books, and do everything to get ready for this journey. These things give you the general gist of what law school will be like, but it’s not everything. The truth is, you will never really know what you are getting into before you go because everyone’s experience is different. I know that probably doesn’t come across as very soothing, but it’s not as bad as you think. We all eventually figure it out!

When you get to law school, you are going to be put in a room with a bunch of people who are all accomplished somehow, and who all have the same goal: to get through law school. Despite the end goal being the same, the path to getting to this goal is rarely the same. I urge you to keep this in mind before you start comparing yourself to others. The first semester there’s a million thing that goes through your mind:

“How many clubs should I join?”

“What GPA is considered good?”

“When do I need to get an externship?”

“What classes should I take next semester?”

Hopefully by the time you are getting to law school, you know a little bit about yourself. What works for you… what doesn’t work for you… Trust yourself! Just because someone else is doing something does not mean you have to be doing it. Remember your first priority is just passing your classes. Everyone struggles with knowing if they are doing the “right thing”. So we tend to look to our peers. I remember always being stressed over hearing how late people were working in the library the night before. Meanwhile, I finished up around 8 p.m. and went to bed at a reasonable time. I would get a pit in my stomach thinking I’m not doing enough and would fail. But I would fail to account for the fact I just start studying others where as they would not start studying until much later in the day. But that’s just what worked for me, and that’s what worked for them. When grades came around, I did fine because I didn’t switch up what I knew what wouldn’t fail me. It’s easy to think that you don’t belong because your routine is not exactly the same as your friends, but that is the farthest thing from the truth!

This doesn’t mean you can’t take advice from people and maybe learn useful tools to succeed from others. It just means that it does not matter if someone is in three clubs and you are in none. As your law school career goes on, you will figure out what you can handle, join clubs, get internships, and figure out what classes you want to take. You will learn what works for you, how to study, how to brief, and how to be a successful law student on your own. Most importantly, you will be okay, just trust yourself!

            While I was earning my undergraduate degree, I studied abroad during winter intersession in Greece, and it proved to be the most memorable part of my college experience.  I learned during my 1L year that Widener Commonwealth allowed students to study abroad with other law schools and I knew that I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity.  As I finished my 3L year with only one semester to go, time was running out on my chance to study abroad.  I learned of a program offered by Fordham University that was taking place over the summer which offered a course on International Human Rights in Ghana and realized this was the perfect opportunity to not only study abroad but to travel to Africa, a continent I had never visited.  Luckily, a classmate of mine, Keri Nace, was also attending the program and we partnered as travel companions, roommates, and looked after each other. 

            The course was taught by Professor Galizzi, who is originally from Italy, and was attended by students from all over the United States.  It was exciting to meet students from other schools and share stories about our law school experiences.  The course itself was also very interesting.  International law is not an area that is widely taught, and we learned a lot about the different treaties that shape international relations and the effects those treaties have on the lives of everyday people.  We also met with local government officials and nonprofit leaders who gave firsthand accounts of the importance international human rights laws have on the people living not only in Ghana, but the entire African continent. 

The people in Ghana were so friendly and welcoming.  We stayed in Accra, which is the capital of Ghana and although it is very different from the life we know in the United States, it was mostly modernized, although the internet connection could be unreliable.  I was nervous to travel so far from home, but Ghanaians have a reputation for their warm hospitality, and everyone we met was accommodating and gracious.  Although there are many languages spoken in Ghana, the official language is English and it was helpful that there was not a language barrier when communicating with locals.  This was especially beneficial when traveling around the city of Accra because despite their kind demeanors, Ghanaians are ruthlessly aggressive when driving and the roads are very crowded.  There are also vendors walking between cars selling all different types of goods from homemade treats to windshield wipers from baskets perched atop their heads.  Their lifestyle is very different from ours, and although it made me grateful for the opportunities afforded me as an American, I admired the deep community connection Ghanaians value.    

Aside from exploring Accra, we also took a field trip to Cape Coast where we stayed at a resort for one evening and toured the Elmina Castle which was used as part of the slave trade.  We also visited the Assin Manso Slave River Site where slaves took their last baths before being forced from their homeland.  It was a very somber experience and really enforced the importance international human rights laws have in preventing future atrocities in human exploitation.  It was also a chance to reflect on how lucky we are to experience the independence to do things like go to law school, study abroad, and enjoy all of the freedoms that we so often take for granted.  The field trip ended on a high note as we were able to visit the Kakum Canopy Walk where we made our way across suspended rope bridges 130 feet off the ground.  Although we were told there were elephants living in the jungle, we did not see any during our visit, but it was still an enjoyable part of the trip.

I would highly recommend studying abroad during law school, especially if you can convince a classmate to join you for the adventure.  It provides you with a chance to learn about law from a different perspective and to meet students and people from other parts of the world.  Not only will you learn about other cultures and ways of life, but you may also learn something about yourself in the process.