Breathe, Relax, and Reset
Breathe
When you first get accepted into law school, you’re excited, filled with joy, and ready to conquer the world. Breathe. The summer before your 1L year is your last chance to live life on the edge. The subsequent summers will be spent interning at various firms or governmental agencies and studying for the Bar Exam. So please, use that time to enjoy your hobbies! Refrain from frantically purchasing textbooks and reading weeks in advance or watching YouTube videos on “how to prepare for cold calls.” You will be cold-called eventually. The key is to focus on understanding the material, not mastering cold calls. The ability to correctly answer a cold call in contracts does not correlate to one’s ability to write an essay in IRAC, CREAC, or CRAC form on the exam.
Relax
It is important to find a healthy balance between self-care and studying. Relax. Oftentimes, you may feel guilty for taking a day off, but don’t! It is better to study well-rested than burnt out. Orientation week will be a blur, so do not stress! If you are unfamiliar with the IRAC/CREAC method, ask questions prior to the entrance exam. Do not be shy because this is a graduation requirement. August through September will fly by, and Legal Methods may seem time-consuming (and it is), but for good reasons. What is prepared during Legal Method I is used as a writing requirement for internships.
Reset
In between Legal Methods assignments, remember to breathe, relax, and reset. If taking a day off seems too far-fetched, reward yourself with your favorite “must-haves.” Whether it be a sweet treat, clothes, or a pair of shoes, remember—rewarding yourself is also a form of self-care. No matter what comes your way, don’t forget your why. Stay the course. When times get hard, remind yourself that law school is just a piece of the puzzle to making your dreams become a reality!
Tag: mental-health
Your Mental Health is More Important Than Your Grades
I have been in higher education for well over a decade now. I went straight from undergrad to graduate school, took a short sabbatical to work odd jobs to pay my bills, went back to grad school to finish, and then immediately went into law school. In all that time, I’ve realized the worst thing in higher education is the amount of pressure there is to essentially work 60-hour weeks in order to be successful. Whether it be from the professors themselves who often preach the age old adage: “for every hour of class time, you should be studying for three!” or from your classmates bragging that they were up until 3 am last night studying while chugging their fourth caffeinated drink of the day, everyone is always being pushed to work longer and longer, to the detriment of their mental and physical health, all in the name of getting a good grade.
Now, here’s the thing. You do not need to drown yourself in work to be successful. Studying for 12+ hours a day will not help you in the long run. Sure, your grades may flourish, but a good grade should be the least of your worries when your mental health is so bad you want to die.
Truth be told, I don’t actually think your grades matter all that much. I’m aware, it’s basically sacrilege for a graduating law student to say that grades don’t matter (that much). But it’s true. In fact, I think your grades are the least important thing, not just in law school, but in your life in general. Not even a year out from graduating, I can almost guarantee that not a single person will ask what your GPA was in law school, all they’ll care about is whether or not you passed the Bar and your ability to do the job.
Now, I’m not saying you shouldn’t be striving to do the best you can, because you absolutely should work hard, but you don’t have to work yourself to the bone to be successful. It is important to not make this your entire life. Never sacrifice your mental health just to achieve a good grade. This time in law school will fly by so don’t waste the limited time you have on this planet pushing yourself to your breaking point just for a grade, because how many people are going to what grade they got in a class 20 years ago?
And don’t be afraid of making mistakes! It is better to make your mistakes where you have the safety end than it is to make your first mistake out in practice where a mistake could mean the difference between your client walking free or spending the rest of their life in prison.
And remember, at the end of the day, a grade is just a benchmark that tells you how much you knew about a subject at that point in time. That’s all they are. It is not a moral failing to do below average in law school.
You know what they call the person who is at the bottom of their law school class (assuming they passed the bar)? A lawyer.
While having a pet during law school sounds like a pretty big responsibility (and it is, don’t get me wrong), my dog has also brought huge benefits into my life. Of course, there are the many benefits that you can read about online such as enhanced cognitive skills, decreased stress, better social skills, etc. the list goes on. However, I don’t often see articles expressing the pros and the cons of having a pet during law school. A large percentage of law students suffer from significant stress and anxiety during their academic career, who could say no to a little bit of serotonin with fur?
Of course, where there are absolute benefits to owning a pet during law school, there are bound to be some drawbacks. If you are a student who enjoys spending all of their time studying in the library, then this path might be a little more difficult you. It can be difficult to be gone all day when you have a dog at home waiting for you to return in order to be fed, watered and walked. Another major draw back would be the fact that you have to pick and choose your classes around the best schedule for both you and your pet. Having a dog means that your schedule revolves around them. I like to ensure that I’m not away from him for hours at a time, he can eat his meal at the correct times, and that we will be able to get our walks in like we should.
On a more positive note, I can’t imagine not having him in my life while I attempt to navigate my academic and legal career. Before law school, I had never lived completely on my own before and it was a difficult transition for me. Living alone can be lonely, but law school itself can seem isolating at times. However, it’s easy to be reminded that I’m not alone when I have a dog glued to my side all day. My dog provides me with security, company, serotonin, exercise, and stress relief. In addition to the anxiety and stress relief that comes along with owning a pet, he also keeps me outside and exercising. We go for walks everyday, multiple times a day. He keeps me active even during exam season when doing anything other than being buried in my outlines seems impossible. If you have ever considered getting yourself a pet while trying to navigate law school, I will be the first person in line encouraging you to take the leap. As long as you’re mindful about how much time you can realistically give that pet, it is one of the most rewarding and beneficial things you can do for yourself in the long run.
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