As winter break comes to a close, I thought it would be appropriate to share how I handle winter break–and try to really treat it like a break. While some students may take winter term classes, others don’t, and winter break isn’t usually a time for internships/externships, so many people may find themselves bored or stressed.

As we have learned, law school grades take a long time to be released. It can be aggravating to have to go almost the entire break without knowing how you did in your classes. The best advice I can give on this issue is to distract yourself! It’s out of your control, and stressing about it while you could be relaxing won’t do you any good.

Another issue with winter break is figuring out how to truly relax. From my own experience and what I’ve heard from others, people take time to themselves and allow themselves not to do anything for about a week, and then they start to go crazy. While it is nice to sleep in as long as you want and do absolutely nothing, personally, I tend to go stir crazy and feel guilty for not getting anything done. What I do to prevent this is to have a to-do list for every day; it doesn’t have to be long or even have difficult tasks. I find that getting a few small things done every day such as cleaning, exercising, and running errands makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something for the day. It also gets me out of the house and switches up the environment. I make plans with family and friends since I don’t get to socialize as much during the semester. Of course, I make sure to set aside plenty of time for myself so I can reset physically and mentally–that’s what winter break is for! I usually pick a few activities that I enjoy to do over break like puzzles, for example.

Ultimately, everyone needs something a little different to be able to relax. It really comes down to resetting to prepare for spring semester. For me, this means not thinking about school until the last possible minute and just enjoying myself over break. Make sure to take time for yourself and treat yourself!

When I got to law school, I felt like a fish out of water, to say the least. I remember on one of the first days of orientation we were doing the stereotypical first day “ice breakers.” Everyone was going around saying their name, hometown, undergraduate major, and a fun fact. As everyone was introducing themselves, I remember thinking, “I am the only person in here who did not major in political science or legal studies.” I was terrified that I wouldn’t be successful unless I was a political science major. I didn’t know anything about the law, and I didn’t know why I was even here to begin with. What was I doing? I felt like the world’s biggest imposter.

Thankfully, after that large wave of imposter syndrome subsided, it became readily apparent that everyone was starting on the same page. Once classes started up, I realized that everyone else was having the same feelings while trying to adjust to law school. Eventually, I realized that having a degree in psychology was not as much of a hindrance that I thought it would be. In fact, many people told me that my psychology degree would prove to be incredibly helpful in practice.

I didn’t major in political science because I realized I wanted to go to law school a bit later in my undergraduate career. Rather than letting this hold me back, I’ve decided to embrace the fact that I have a background in another subject. In fact, my passion for psychology has helped to shape my law school education. As an associate staff member of the law review, I am required to write a “comment,” which is a proposed solution to a current legal issue. I was able to tailor my comment to something I was actually passionate about (psychology), and I was excited to do legal research! This unique perspective on law school has given me many opportunities to grow and share my passion with others.

Here at Widener Law Commonwealth, I’ve met so many people who share a “nontraditional” educational background like me. I’ve met classmates who majored in Biology, Music, and even a few fellow Psychology majors. The most important thing you can do in law school is simply start. I know it is scary, but jumping in headfirst is the only way to begin. No matter what educational or career background you come from, that unique perspective is what makes each person’s law school journey their own. All your hard work leading up to law school and in law school will eventually pay off. You belong here and you deserve to be here!

I think the one of the hardest parts of law school is the unknown. The unknown of how a final exam will look, on whether or not you will get cold called, and even the environment when you enter the school. I truthfully believe one of the greatest ways to combat these feelings of uncertainty is by trusting in yourself.

When you trust in your capabilities and truly understand that you not only earned your right be in the classroom but you were meant to be here, you win half the battle. Sometimes as law students, there’s a thing called ‘imposter’ syndrome that goes around, and it is basically a feeling of doubting your skills and accomplishments. These doubts can carry emotions like, you are not meant to be here or this is no longer for me. I am telling you that these feelings can happen but trusting in your abilities will overcome this.

When it comes time for exams, cold calls, or walking in the first day, believe in everything that got you here. Trust in your critical reading skills and note taking so when that cold call comes, you are ready and alert. Trust in your outlines and how hard you prepared for finals so when the final comes you can say you have given it your best shot. Then, lastly, trust in your experiences, your prior learning, and everything that helped shape you that this environment and place was meant for you.

Law school is a mix of emotions at times, it really tests who you are and how you respond. It is a beautiful struggle that most of us are extremely grateful to experience. But, uncertainty will happen and when the time does come, make believing in yourself one thing that’s a certainty.

Going to office hours can feel intimidating at first because you may not know the “right” things to ask. You might even think it’s enough just to show up. While it’s always good to go, office hours are most effective when you come prepared, almost like class. You don’t have to worry about getting cold-called, but you should come ready to articulate your questions and concerns to your professors or ASFs.

Instead of walking in and saying, “I don’t understand Civil Procedure,” try something more specific, like:
“When drafting a complaint under Rule 8, how do I know when I’ve provided enough factual detail for it to be ‘plausible’ under Twombly and Iqbal, versus too conclusory?”

That may not be your exact question, but the idea is to communicate clearly what part of the material is tripping you up. Not only will this clear up confusion in the moment, but it will also help you build a critical lawyering skill: identifying issues precisely. A big part of what lawyers do is spot issues and analyze them in the gray areas. The same goes for briefing cases and writing exams. If you can learn to pinpoint exactly what you don’t understand in class, you’ve already fought half the battle.

Don’t go in empty-handed. Bring notes, questions, or even a rough outline you can reference. Having something concrete to show or explain helps guide the conversation. Remember, your professors aren’t just teaching statutes and doctrines, they’re also teaching you how to explain complex legal issues in simple, clear terms. That skill will serve you in every area of practice.

Most importantly, remember to breathe and keep an open mind. Office hours are about learning, not performing. If the workload ever feels overwhelming and you start to think you “know nothing,” pause, revisit your notes, and break the material down step by step. Law school is about practice, not perfection, and your professors and ASFs are there to help you along the way.

As a rising 2L at Widener Commonwealth Law School, I’m spending my summer diving headfirst into practical legal experience, and I couldn’t be more excited about what I’ve already learned. I recently started an internship with DWGM Law Firm, a general practice located near my hometown. Being back in a familiar community while applying what I’ve learned in the classroom has been both rewarding and eye-opening.

DWGM Law handles a wide range of legal matters, which has given me the chance to explore various areas of the law. From the start, I was entrusted with meaningful work that has already sharpened my skills in ways that I know will benefit me throughout my legal career.

Admittedly, the experience can be intimidating. Working alongside attorneys who have graduated from law school, passed the bar, and many of them have been practicing for decades can be overwhelming at times. Impostor syndrome can easily creep in, especially when I compare my limited experience to the seasoned professionals around me. But I remind myself that it’s completely normal to feel this way. The only way to grow is to trust in what I’ve learned so far, do my best, and stay open to every new learning opportunity that comes my way.

One of the biggest areas of growth for me has been in legal research. Every memo I draft pushes me to dig deeper, think critically, and communicate more clearly. I’ve written numerous legal memos addressing a variety of legal questions, and each one has taught me how to analyze the law more effectively and tailor my findings to a practical legal setting. I’ve even referenced some cases that I studied during my 1L year while conducting research, which has made me appreciate just how relevant and valuable that foundational coursework has been.

In particular, my Legal Methods class has been incredibly important in navigating this internship. That course gave me a strong foundation in legal writing and citation, skills I use every day in the memos I submit to the attorneys at the firm. We even completed a library research project in that class, which mirrors the kind of in-depth legal research I now conduct regularly at the firm. It’s been empowering to see how directly my first-year education translates to real-world legal work.

In addition to research, I’ve had the opportunity to draft petitions and even prepare power of attorney documents—experiences that have exposed me to the kind of real-world legal writing and client considerations that can’t be fully captured in casebooks. These hands-on assignments have made this internship an incredibly valuable learning experience.

I’m grateful to the attorneys and staff at DWGM Law Firm for welcoming me and allowing me to take on meaningful work so early in my legal journey. And I appreciate all the valuable education my professors have taught me thus far, and just how useful it can be. I’m excited to keep learning, growing, and contributing throughout the rest of the summer.

Tip #1 It is important to stop working at the end of the day. To figure out when I should stop working I would try to recognize when nothing was going into my head. When the words you read are not going in your head or you stop understanding or have to read the same sentance ten times, that means it is time to stop and go to bed. At this point your body is telling you to stop for the night and sleep.

Tip #2 Take one day of the weekend off completely. I would get my school work done for the upcoming Monday and Tuesday and half of Wednesday’s work done on Saturday. Then I would spend all day on Sunday relaxing. I would use this time to eat out or sleep in or watch tv. Just do anything that is not law school related. For me it was incredibly helpful to have a day off so I could come to school Monday and do my best.

Tip #3 When briefing cases try to summarize the facts into your own words. If you get cold called the professor will not just want you to read the facts of the case straight to them. They want to make sure you gave it your best shot at understanding the case. So, do your best to summarize the facts of the case. This helped me understand what was going on in the case and it will probably help your understanding as well. But if the professor says to do something else then make sure to do what they say.

Tip #4 Remember that no matter what it looks like none of the students around you know what they are doing so it is ok to not know what your are doing. No matter what class you take everyone in that class is taking it for the first time. So no one knows what is happening. Everyone is learning new information at the same time.

Tip #5 Ask questions in class if you are confused because if you are confused then other people are probably confused too. When I started law school I would not ask question becasue I was scared to ask a dumb question. But I realized my questions were not dumb, I was just confused. But if you are sitting in class and really do not want to ask the question in front of everyone or really think no one else has that question then write the question down and ask the professor after class. Just make sure to ask your questions.

Tip #6 Try to outline after each section of material. Once a professor moves onto a new topic then outline the material. This is something I did in my second semester and it helped me feel less overwhelmed when it came to finals. Then once you outline take it to the professor to make sure you did not miss anything. You could also meet with some friends to compare outlines.

Tip #7 Try to start studying as soon as possible. So, after you outline a section try to start memorizing that information. This also helped me feel less overwhelmed when it came to finals.

Tip #8 Go to the professors office and ask questions. They understand this is hard and will not give you a hard time for asking questions. It is there job to help you and they want to make sure you understand. Even if it is one question or ten, go ask your professor sooner then later.

Tip #9 Take an hour or two at the end of the week to write down when next weeks assignments are due. Then take those assignments and try to plan out when you will do those assignments. This helped me keep track of everything and helped me make sure I got everything done.

The last tip I have for you is to breathe becasue this will be very very very hard. Give yourself grace to mess up or not understand.