It’s really odd to think about being half-way done with law school.
Time flies when you’re drowning in enjoying case law, I guess.
Despite the law school struggles, I am incredibly thankful for making it thus far. There’s a helluvalot of work that goes into prepping for class, attending networking events, and maintaining up-to-date writing samples plus a resume. Seriously though – the effort is worth every ounce of energy you expel.
I went into fall 2017 finals feeling a bit deflated. I’d worked incredibly hard to prepare for all my exams, and just felt like I was coming up short. Dean’s List seemed like over-reaching. The fall semester was, for some unknown reason, just not as focused as I wanted it to be. [To be clear, I was unfocused.] I think I may have gotten dangerously close to burn-out.
I figure this semester deserves a fiercer beginning. I made sure to get off on the right foot, made it to class early to get a seat (although, I kind of cheated and had a friend save my favorite seat because I knew she was in the same classroom just before my earliest class), meal-prepped for the week, and updated my calendar for both class and study purposes. What brought this on? I was super inspired by this quote:
Be addicted to the feeling of having your life together.
How awesome is that? I kind of assume everyone has goals in life, so this quote makes complete sense to me. I think I’d go even further than wanting the feeling, and actually shooting to make your goals a reality.
What does it mean to you to have your life “together?”
My mom always reminds my brothers and I about “getting our PIG,” which stands for “Poop in a Group.” It’s a polite, southern momma’s way of saying “Get your Shit Together.”
Right now, together [for me] revolves around these goals:
- Read everything for class. If not for my own self-improvement, then at least to avoid feeling like an idiot in class. [hey, who said I’m not up front?]
- Run three times a week. I love running. I love it almost more than reading [which is saying a whole lot], but since I hurt my back several weeks ago, I haven’t been able to run at all. Visiting my chiropractor has improved my mobility a whole heap!
- Spend Less. Law school is expensive enough without adding in lunch runs, coffee networking sessions, and purchasing extra supplements to help you through a class. My biggest expenditure is coffee. I’ve started setting my coffee maker the night before and waking up to that enticing aroma makes it sooo much easier to get out of bed. Since we are also planning for our wedding later this year, keeping that $200 a month in our bank account, instead of spending it out of sheer laziness, makes a huge difference in a short amount of time.
- Participate more. I sometimes feel that being part of so many law school organizations and law review means I’m active enough. This is only true, outside of class. I need to participate more in class; speak up and volunteer when a professor questions the ether. It forces me to not just prepare for class, but to really think about how the law applies to various situations. After all, the end goal is to become a practicing attorney!
This semester, I plan to dedicate more time to everything I need to do, and spend waaay less time on distractors. I highly recommend you evaluate your own performance, as well as the goals you set for yourself.
Be productive. Work hard. Make the grade!
You are missing a goal: make time to do something other than law school. You need to take breaks in order to let the mass information your taking in settle. It helps refresh your mind and provide you with “air” that you brain needs to take in more.