So here’s a little trivia about me: I am actually a law student! Hahaha! I maintain this blog to keep me sane and keep my mind off things once in a while. Of course, I’m not saying that Law school is all that I am thinking about; because the truth is that I think about a lot of things on a daily basis.
So anyway, I’ve thought about it and I’ve realized that there are a lot of things I wish I knew when I was about to enter law school. So now, I am writing this for those who are about to go through it now!
1. Make sure that this is really what you want
From the moment you set foot in law school, set your mind that from that moment on, your life will change entirely. An author once wrote that:
Law school is like a jealous mistress
And that is true! Be ready to miss out family reunions, birthdays, weddings, etc. and instead spend that time reading books, analyzing cases, and writing case digests. It will definitely demand a lot of time from you, and you just have to accept that fact and always remind yourself that THIS IS REALLY WHAT YOU WANT
2. Everyone is treated the same way in law school
When you enter law school fresh from college,and you’ve had latin honors, you may think that this will be just like a walk in the park. Again, you’re wrong! Everybody has an equal footing in law school. Everyone will be treated the same, and not everyone will excel just because they did great in college. You’d be surprised at how you will be faced with awesome people; and this will actually make you humble. It can either push you to do better, and it can sometimes make you feel bad about yourself: trust me, YOU WILL! Which brings me to the next item on this list.
3. Get ready to feel bad about yourself
Sure, you’ve spent the entire night reading the lesson for that day, you’ve even memorized the provisions covered; but come recitation day, everything just fade and you are left being entirely clueless about what you’re going to say.
Trust me, there was this one class where I’ve literally felt the things that I’ve read swooshing down as I got up! Hahaha! And that is normal! And it’s okay to feel bad about it, but then make sure that after an hour or so, shake it off, and move on to the next phase!
4. Practice the art of moving on
Now this should be easy, and just really take it literally! Bad recit? Wallow for a while and then MOVE ON. Failed exams? Wallow for a while and then MOVE ON. I don’t have to explain it anymore! Hahaha!
5. Make sure to laugh at yourself
Trust me, lawyers may look serious, but you can save that up in the future. In law school, laughter is the best medicine! Because not being able to laugh can drive you insane. Which brings me to the next one.
6. Surround yourself with happy people
Okay, it’s bad enough that you feel sad about that embarassing recitation, so why would you want to talk about that with someone who would make you feel even more sad?
There are countless of times when I would wallow in self pity, and what really got me through that were my friends who made me realize that it’s okay and it was pretty hilarious how our professor walked out of the room hahaha!
7. Be prepared to be on your own
It helps if you have friends in law school, but see to it that you also know how to be independent. You are your own savior! At the end of the day, you will be responsible for your own successes and failures. So learn to accept this early on.
8. Know the people who are genuine
Trust me, there are a lot of politics going on in law school! Haha! Not everyone would be willing to help you. There would definitely be people who would be a little bit selfish with notes, sample exams, etc. So be sure to distinguish!
Of course, there are people who would genuinely be there to help you. I was lucky to have found people like them, and I will always be thankful!
9. Learn how to share
This would go a long way in law school! When you share, people would also share. Actually it’s more of the univese giving back the energy that you send. So if it’s positive, be ready to get positive things in return. I can definitely say that I haven’t been selfish with what I have and what I know, so I guess that’s why other people do the same thing towards me! So there!
Learn how to share
10. Always give your best
Honestly, up to now, I really don’t know how to do this! Haha! There were lots of times when I felt that I have definitely gave my best but still it did not work.
Sometimes I wonder if giving our best is just a state of the mind
(Sorry I was a psychology major back in college so this is really how my mind works haha!)
Maybe, giving our best should be something innate in us. But you know what? I’ve realized that only ourselves can tell if we gave our all. There is no standard. You just have to believe that what you did is all that you can at that time! So what if it did not pay off? You can always try! I’m pretty sure that there is no limit on how many time we can give it our best!
Right now, I am in my final semester in law school; and so far these are all the things that I can share! I’ll make sure to post again!
All the Best in law school!
Xoxo,
@thecouchpatatas 