Tag: #LawSchool

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Law School

March Checklist: What You Should be Doing to be Successful

You have less than 2 months of classes left. I only have 6 weeks of class left.
Did you hear me?

Less than 2 months. That’s it. This is Defcon 2, y’all. [Fast Pace]
You are either thrilled, or practically in a full-blown panic. Halfway through the semester, running low on brain space, trying to keep studying…but you’re also losing steam. Right?

No need to hide it. I am exhausted.
Let’s be real – there’s only so much coffee a girl can drink. Which got me thinking…aside from living on Starbucks and Hope, what’s my plan to get the the finish line?

I’m going to share it with you.

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This is not the time to mope about your midterm grades or – on the flip side – get too comfortable with them. You’ve still got 50% or more on the line with your upcoming finals. You’ve got to focus! You can still make the grade you want, but it’s going to take some effort.

  1. Make a STUDY SCHEDULE!
    • People, we’ve talked about this. In your second semester of law school – you should have some sort of schedule! Task lists, time frames…create your own way of getting stuff done, but DO IT!
  2. Search for [and apply to] Scholarships
    • Ok, if you’re just drowning in money and have no cares in the world – feel free to skip this one (or send some cash my way, I’ll put it to good use. 😀 ). But if you, like myself, need some assistance with tuition, then look for scholarships! Make sure you’ve got an updated resume and cover letter.
    • This is the fun part, where you get to make yourself look damn good. Brag about yourself, but not too much. It’s a fine line…and I’ll be sure to post some tips on this soon.
  3.  Apply to Externships/Summer Internships
    • Summer plans are important. Some students choose to take a break from the struggle of sleepless nights and the constant flurry of assignments, but not this girl! I will be working for either an attorney or a judge this summer.
    • If you haven’t already applied to JIOP or spoken to your local DA’s office, then take advantage of reaching out to other attorneys in your hometown (or somewhere else, if you can swing the living expenses).
    • Be prepared to take on an unpaid internship as well. Sometimes a great opportunity may call to you, but the funds just aren’t there. Keep an open mind. It may be the perfect learning experience.
  4. Complete your Readings & Case Briefs
    • Do not get lazy!
    • You still need to put in maximum effort to end up with the grade you want (or need, if you bombed a midterm).
    • Getting your assignments done is half the battle, but it’s also the “low-hanging fruit.” Make sure to get the cases read and briefed because you will have an easier time applying the law on your FINALS!
  5. Keep Your Goal in Sight
    • The semester is winding down, but you still have bundles of work to do. Law school is only 3 years (4 if you’re a trooper working through a full time job and evening classes – props to you!) The time goes by fast, so this trivial bit of stress will be a funny story to tell to the law students you mentor once you have a bar card.
    • You only have to do this for a little while. Chin up, love. You’ve got this!

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Much love,
Sarah <3

Categories
Daily Dose Law School

1L: Getting Through Winter Break

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“Law school attracts all kinds of crazy. Yourself included.” – One of my Best Friends

Honestly, she’s not wrong. Law Students are a special breed of student. We get kicked in the teeth every single day, and keep coming back. There is a level of mental anguish that we simply become comfortable operating at, existing moment by moment on the brilliant notion of adding two letters to the end of our name. We are engulfed by a three-year long tunnel, with high hopes of emerging as attorneys.

The sad fact is that we won’t all get to the finish line.
But there’s a sliver of success for you yet – if you’re willing to work.

Most law students appreciate the time off from class, away from the deadlines and ever-flowing series of emails with assignments and required readings. Many of your classmates will take the time off to feel normal again. Taking time to decompress is necessary, but do your best not to throw the entirety of your break away on Blue Bloods episodes or trying to eat your weight in holiday foods. Plant those feet back on solid ground and get to work after some hard-earned rest for surviving finals week.

You need to get out there and make the most of the time you have away from class because nothing feels worse than sitting across from a potential employer and not having any experience to speak of; crickets in an interview are no bueno.

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You should apply to a judicial internship. If you have the time [and can afford not to be paid for six to ten weeks] then you should go for it! My Abuelita  always says “A veces, hay que frijoliarlo.” Which basically translates to – “when times are tough, get by on what little you can – but don’t worry because  it won’t be forever.” I’m telling you this because most legal internships are unpaid. Count yourself among the lucky few if you land a great paid position for the summer. There are scholarships available – so make sure to look into those options as well!

Here are three stellar options for Summer Internships:
1. DAYL
2. JIOP
3. Equal Justice Works

You should also apply to SCHOLARSHIPS! Law school is, as you already know, a weight on both your shoulders and your wallet. Take the time to apply for different types of grants and scholarships in order to ease the cost of attendance. Worst case? You don’t reap the fruit of your labor. But, if you decided to forego the applications altogether – you’d still be left with a full tuition balance to cover. You’ve really got nothing to lose. So get started on those applications!

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Take A Deep Breath & Go Handle Your Business.

Keep up the hard work. I promise – it will pay off!

Categories
Daily Dose Law School

Self-Care in Law School

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So you failed a midterm? Rock the Final!

 

During our Fundamentals Week, which is basically a crash-course in law school etiquette and expectations, one professor took the time to explain self-care in a way I’d never heard. She introduced me to Spoon Theory. Ever heard of it?

It is a great model to explain the use of energy and how to get more of it. The theory was written by Christine Miserandino. She used it to explain the energy available for someone with a chronic illness, but we can certainly relate it to the struggles of law school as well.

Basically, you start the day with a certain number of spoons. Now, if you haven’t rested well, or stayed up to the buttcrack of dawn working on that Legal Writing Objective Memo due at 7:45am, then you can imagine that you probably don’t have as many spoons as the student in class who finished and proofed their memo the night before. Throughout the day, you’ll need to use a certain amount of spoons to complete tasks. But, what happens when you inevitably run out of spoons?

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Well, you have to get yourself more spoons. That’s right! You can earn them. You can take a nap, polish your nails, walk down all the aisles in Target and talk about absolutely nothing with your best friend. Do something that helps you relax or simply makes you feel good.

Now you may be wondering why I’m sharing Spoon Theory. I feel like it’s good to remind you that you’re working really damn hard. You’re busting your butt to make the grade you want/need/feel you deserve…and if you overwork those neurons – you’re going to burst! Pump the brakes and Treat yo’ self!

Sure you need to study, but you also must take a chill pill!

 

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Take a BREAK, love!

Midterms are over.

A few of my classmates showed up to exams in pajamas. They looked defeated before even walking into the exam. If I could have transferred some spoons, I would have. But, I don’t think I had any to spare.

That’s law school though, right? We’re supposed to be permanently exhausted, allergic to the sun, and scrambling to type up outlines.

NO. You’ll be a better student if you can get enough sleep to keep your days straight. Trust me. Your deadlines don’t seem to whiz by if you’ve taken the time to calendar them before taking an hour off to take your dogs to the park.

Now, don’t you dare lose your pool noodle and say that I told you to throw caution to the wind…because that’s not what I’m saying. I’m telling you to make time for you.
YOU.
Just YOU.

Law school is hard. Don’t make it harder by forgetting to take care of yourself.
Don’t stress about the exams you just took.
Focus on what you can improve on before getting to the Final.
You’ve got this.

Categories
Daily Dose

What to Do After You Get Accepted to Law School

Yep, you read that right – I got in to Law School! ::happydance::

Thankfully, I had the choice of a few – which made my decision quite difficult.
For me, the decision came down to location.

Stay in Dallas? Move to San Antonio?

I chose to take a leap of faith, stay in Dallas, and begin school at The UNT Dallas College of Law.

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Here’s what you need to know –

  1. This school of law is NOT YET Accredited.
  2. They have applied for Accreditation and will hear back from the ABA this summer.
  3. After hours of research, and speaking to multiple Law School Advisors (even one of my own at Baylor) – there is a great deal of positivity surrounding the approval of this fledgling school.
  4. There are only LOANS and SCHOLARSHIPS available for graduate programs. Yes, you may qualify for a school grant, but there are no federal ones available. Be smart when you research your borrowing options. I’ll post another update on this soon.
  5. If you have a full-time job (like me) and are switching gears to attend law school full time, it is completely acceptable to be freaking out (if you say you’re not, you should be).
  6. I was admitted to the 3rd graduating class for UNT Law.
  7. Tuition at this public institution sits right around $15k, which is just about the nicest figure I could present to my wallet.

 

Here’s what you need to do:

  1. Pick your school. Research your options. Make a Pros & Cons list for each school you gained admission for – and be downright honest with everything they are offering, as well as what potential the city it resides in can give you.
  2. Double-Check your FAFSA Submission. Yes, you worked on one for your undergrad, so you should be used to this dog and pony show. Make sure your school has your FAFSA information, and that your enrollment hours are submitted as well. This is important, because your school may not start assessing your financial need until it has been submitted. Every school is different, so be sure to reach out to the Financial Aid office. 
  3. Sign your Letter of Intent & Pay your Seat Deposit. Technically, you cannot reserve multiple seats across law schools. First off – that’s just a jerk move. However, you can pay for a seat if you are unsure you’ll gain admission elsewhere. This year’s admissions cycle was wicked long, so the wait was nearly unbearable. Think proactively. If you get admitted to your second choice school, and the seat deadline is fast approaching – you may want to wait until the day it is due to pay it. This decision is, of course, completely yours. I just want you to know that holding a seat in the hopes that you have a backup is downright mean, especially when you know there’s a waitlist and people (some of my friends) are anxiously waiting in the wings.
  4. Log Into Your Student Account. Monitor your emails, and make sure you have an open correspondence with those on campus. There will likely be Student Mixers, IT Meetings, and Enrollment Dates for you to participate in. Get involved!

 

Get ready for the ride of your life, ladies and gents! This summer will be full of 0L posts, and then we’ll start our 1L year!
This will be challenging, but you’ve got this!

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Cerebellumchef is off to Law School! Getting healthy-fit, and maintaining a study schedule is going to be an intense adventure. Good luck to you!