You’re finally starting your first day of law school. You’ve been accepted to the school of your choice and are on the fast track to a happy, successful career. About time all that nerve-wracking hard work is over. If your thought process resembles anything close to the previous statement it’s time you go ahead and tuck your undergraduate diploma between your legs and go back to the open job market from whence you came. Law school is a arduously tough and competitive process, the first semester of which is designed to hit you like a brick. What can you do to ease the pain? (Because yes, there will be pain)Allot time nightly You aren’t an undergraduate anymore. This means you can’t simply skate by and expect to catch up on your reading and memorize a few key facts the night before, heck, even the month before test time. In order to succeed you will need to get in the habit of disciplined study. As many law schools determine grades solely on end of semester exams, the temptation to procrastinate may be great, which is why strong-willed students fair best.Prepare to be called on Skipping class, even larger lectures simply won’t pass the muster like it did in say, Intro to Macro Economics. Furthermore, law classes often operate under the Socratic method, emphasizing student participation and response. This means you will be called out in front of the class, without raising your hand, and be expended to answer the question with a reasonable, well thought out response. Meet people Law school is a place of hard work, but also a place to get to know likeminded, driven individuals who can be valuable connections not only in setting the course for your career, but getting through a hectic academic calendar and developing lifelong friendships. After all, law school is an awful lot of work, but in addition to the tools it takes to become a great legal mind, you can hopefully walk out with esteemed personal relationships as well.
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