The Girl's Guide to Law School®
Get In, Get Through, Stay You
This week we welcome back guest writer Tiffany Lo to talk about life as a commuter law student.
I am a law student who commutes to school, and I know a few students who do so as well. While commuting can be challenging at times, it is also manageable. Having commuted both by car and public transit, I have picked up some tips and tricks along the way, which will be helpful for any student in the same boat, or who may be considering living off-campus in the future.
This week we’re welcoming back guest writer Aleena Ijaz to talk about why you may want to get involved around campus and what are some best practices.
You’ve probably found out by now that “law school” is more than just school. It’s a lifestyle. To ensure that your lifestyle is as balanced as humanly possible, you may choose to get involved around your law school campus. You may want to fill your days with something more than reading and briefing cases. But while getting involved is a great way to make the most of your law school experience, extracurricular involvements (or the lack thereof) can quickly snowball into your biggest regrets. Before you pay another membership fee or sign up for another journal, keep the following in mind: [Read more…]
We’re welcoming back guest writer Hillary Vaillancourt to discuss keeping a social life going, even when you’re busy in law school.
While getting to know your law school classmates is not only socially beneficial but also good for networking, socializing can easily and quickly get out of hand.
My first year of law school, I had just turned 21, and I was enjoying being legally able to join friends at local bars. However, it didn’t take long for me to realize that I was spending too much time out on the town and not nearly enough time in the library.
I also joined study groups that spent an abundance of time chit chatting. When I was ready to get down to business, my study partners were rehashing school gossip or discussing other personal matters.
It can be challenging to find a balance between hanging out with your new law school friends while also ensuring you’re getting the most out of your tuition.
Here are a few tips to help you find that balance.
This week we welcome back guest writer Cathlyn Melvin to talk about how to get back on track with your work when you’re having a tough time – and sometimes that means taking a break first!
It’s been a long day of classes and reading. You’re not finished with the cases that are due tomorrow, and it’s been awhile since you’ve been on call, so you just know you’re due for it.
You’re feeling burned out, and you’re having trouble concentrating, but you’ve just gotta push through, right?
Well, not really.
It might seem counterintuitive, but if you’re feeling Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired, the best thing to do, actually, is to take a break.
When your brain is flooded with hunger, anger, isolation, or exhaustion, your ability to concentrate decreases, as well as limiting your capacity for critical thinking and retention.
So before you force yourself to push through, HALT. Take up to 30 minutes to regroup and reverse those overwhelming emotions so that when you get started again, your mind is clearer and more ready to work. [Read more…]
This week we welcome back guest writer Cathlyn Melvin to talk about finding a personal mission and figuring out your values as a law student and future lawyer.
Standing at a gas pump, your eyes glaze over at a posted paragraph about the fuel supplier’s mission to be “the world’s premier petroleum company.”
Okay.
Corporate mission statements, according to former Forbes contributor Len Sherman, “all say the right things about management’s deep concern for customers, employees, shareholders, communities and even planet Earth.”
Since they all sound kinda alike, and we’re all kinda jaded, business mission statements just don’t matter that much to consumers. [Read more…]
This week we welcome guest writer and tutor Raneta Mack to talk about getting help from professors with work projects.
You’ve just finished your first year of law school, and you’re about to embark on your first legal job: a coveted summer clerkship. You did well in your first year classes and now you’re eager to make a good impression on everyone in the office.
On your first day, shortly after getting comfortable in your new office, you’re given your first research project. You vaguely remember hearing something about the research topic in your Contracts class. Or was it your Torts class? During the meeting, you were a bit too intimidated to ask the senior attorney any questions, and if you go back now with questions, maybe she’ll think you’re not up to the task. [Read more…]
This week we welcome back guest writer and 2L Tiffany Lo to talk about how to get feedback in law school.
In law school, a final exam is often the sole determinant of a grade in a course. For many students, this is an uncomfortable shift from undergraduate classes in which there are multiple assessments, whether as quizzes, group projects, or short papers. I have felt exasperated by not knowing whether I was grasping the materials, whether I was applying concepts correctly, and whether my legal analysis is on point. Unfortunately, the burden falls on us students to take the initiative and seek feedback. Here are four of my ideas for how to do that: [Read more…]
This week we welcome guest writer Cathlyn Melvin to talk about developing empathy as a law student.
Law school is competitive.
Shocker, I know.
Put 75 mostly-Type-A personalities into a “small section,” tell them that the students who score the highest reap the rewards, and see what happens. (Hint: there won’t be a lot of meditative chanting and handholding going on).
The competitive culture of law school is strengthened by the structures it upholds: the on-the-spot Socratic method makes us judge ourselves and others, “relentless public competitions” rank students from “success” to “failure,” and there is a severe lack of feedback and growth-minded communication. And then, of course, the culture “is locked in by its resonance with the currency of success—money.” [Read more…]
This week we welcome back guest writer Tiffany Lo to talk about how to still socialize during a global pandemic.
Many law schools have announced that the upcoming term will be fully remote or partially remote—or what is called “hybrid instruction.” In light of this, students are understandably grappling with many decisions: whether to take a hybrid course, whether to move to the area of their school, how to ensure a stable internet connection during live classes, and whether they can fully focus on their studies in their family home. [Read more…]
This week we welcome back guest writer Christen Morgan to talk about why keeping your mental health as a priority is important in this time of COVID-19.
When you’re stressed about something, how do you react? Do you: a) face the stressor head on, determine the cause of this stress and try to relieve it through mindful or various other therapeutic measures; or do you, b) avoid the stressor completely, simply pretend as though it does not exist and instead justify your ignorance by filling your calendar with an overload of tasks that give you the false sense that, “you’re doing just fine sweetie?” I for one fall right into the latter category. I do try my best to make it to category A at some point, but my default is undoubtedly category B. In fact, I’m doing it right now. This morning I learned some news that wasn’t so great, so I filled my day with the most random tasks to avoid facing the stressor head on. I went and bought a new rug for my bedroom because the rug I had for the past two years for some reason just didn’t work anymore and then I got to work cleaning my front porch. A porch that I never use because of my fear of bugs, but it just had to be cleaned today. However, here I am hesitantly venturing into category A and writing this post. Slowing down to face our stressors head on is never fun. But it’s necessary. Where do you land on this spectrum? [Read more…]
