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Struggling to Get on a Schedule? Self-Parent!

October 10, 2023 by 1 Comment

Struggling to Get on a Schedule? Self-Parent!This week we’re welcoming guest writer Whitney Weatherly to talk about getting yourself on a schedule.

OK, bear with me here. I’m personally a parent of human children, but I’m pretty sure pet-parents (and former babysitters, etc.) will also get where I’m coming from. When my kids were little, I realized that our lives would be an absolute nightmare if we didn’t come to some sort of consensus on basic boundaries and a schedule. Meal times, activity times, and especially time for sleeping. All of this ramped up even more when they needed to learn some sort of new skill. New skills are exhausting, and kids resist big time if there’s no consistency.

I’m not saying there was never any flexibility, of course! Things happen, and the schedule varies. If it varies long enough (like when they started school), then we need a new schedule. And figuring out what that schedule should be always took some trial and error until we got the right balance of sleep time, “work” time, and down time for our particular family.

Well, one of the hardest things about starting law school is getting yourself on an effective schedule. There’s always so much to do, and it all feels thankless and never-ending. But, take it from a mom, it is possible! You just need to play your own parent, and give yourself some boundaries (with consequences!), some rewards, and some grace.

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How to Make Law School a 9 to 5

September 12, 2023 by Leave a Comment

How to Make Law School a 9 to 5

This week we welcome back Julia Gourary to talk about how to make law school like a regular, full-time, job.

Law school is demanding. Between going to class, preparing for class, doing practice problems, outlining, extracurriculars, and applying for jobs, it seems like the work never ends. Law school can and will take up all your time if you let it, crowding out everything else in your life.

My 1L fall, I fell prey to this. I let my work take however long it took, leaving me scrambling to fit in other things like exercise, seeing friends, cleaning, and running errands in the fragments of time that were left over. I always felt like I was in work mode or should be working, even when I was supposed to be relaxing.

My 1L spring, I decided to try something different: making law school a 9 to 5(ish). I would arrive at school the same time every morning, attend class and do my readings during the “workday,” and then go home and be finished for the day. It doesn’t have to be exact—I did work a few hours over the weekend to make my week a little easier, and in the period leading up to exams I didn’t always stick to this schedule. But the general principle is this: if your plan out your time in advance, commit to efficiency during the “workday,” and set boundaries between school and home, law school does not need to be all-consuming.

Here’s how to do it:

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The Benefits of Joining Law School Student Organizations

August 15, 2023 by Leave a Comment

The Benefits of Joining Law School Student OrganizationsThis week we welcome back guest writer Marissa Geannette to discuss why joining a law school organization can be beneficial to your life as a law student.

Law school can be an intense experience, filled with long hours of studying, tough classes, and even tougher professors. While most law students are focused on academic success, seeking out a supportive community that fosters personal and professional growth is just as important. One of the most effective ways to do this is by joining law school student organizations.

You might not feel like you have a lot of free time on your hands, but making the time for these extracurriculars offers benefits that can significantly enhance your law school experience and your future legal career. Here, we explore the many advantages of becoming an active member of your law school student organizations and how doing so can help you find your legal community during law school and beyond. [Read more…]

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What I Wish I Had Known Going Into Law School

June 20, 2023 by 1 Comment

What I Wish I Had Known Going Into Law SchoolThis week we welcome back guest writer and rising 2L Stephanie Gregoire to discuss what she learned after finishing up 1L year.

Somehow, my 1L year has ended, and I’m a rising 2L. I don’t quite know how this happened, but it has. The amount I have learned over the last school year is incredible, and I look forward to learning even more in the coming years. But for now, let’s talk about the non-law things I learned that I wish I would have known in August:

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Should You Listen to Music While Studying?

June 6, 2023 by Leave a Comment

Should You Listen to Music While Studying?This week we welcome back guest writer and lawyer John Passmore to discuss the positives and negatives of listening to music while studying.

Should you listen to music while studying in law school or during bar prep? As with most all study skills questions, one-size rarely fits all. So this post will not demonize your earbuds or bless them. Maybe the answer is even different for different study tasks or different subjects. The key is to appreciate the good and the bad and to make your choice an intentional part of your study plan. If you are trying to decide if study tunes are on your road to law school or bar exam prep success or failure, consider the following pros and cons: [Read more…]

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Managing Expectations of Loved Ones as a Nontraditional Law Student

March 28, 2023 by Leave a Comment

Managing Expectations of Loved Ones as a Nontraditional Law StudentThis week we welcome back guest writer and law student Stephanie Gregoire to talk about expectations of family and friends as a nontraditional law student.

If I’ve learned anything in law school, it’s that everyone, and I mean everyone, has an opinion. With movies like “Legally Blonde” and “The Paper Chase,” people wonder what law school is actually like and what to expect from their friends or relatives who are in law school. So how do you manage the expectations of those relatives who expect one extreme or the other from you? Here are some tips I either used myself or heard about from classmates and friends to manage the opinions and expectations of loved ones. [Read more…]

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How to Manage a Medical Issue When You Have a Full-Time, Demanding, Legal Job

March 14, 2023 by Leave a Comment

How to Manage a Medical Issue When You Have a Full-Time, Demanding, Legal JobThis week we welcome back guest writer and lawyer Marissa Geannette to discuss dealing with a medical issue and being a lawyer at the same time.

Juggling a demanding legal job with all of your other life obligations definitely takes some work. On top of that, if you have a medical issue, it’s even more essential that you have a plan so that neither your work nor your health suffers.

So, how can you manage a medical issue and keep up with your job, all while taking care of yourself? This is such an individual question, and, in the end, what you choose to do or say (or not do or say) is totally up to you. However, we have a few tips to help you start thinking about how you might want to manage your own situation. [Read more…]

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Law School Perspective – How to Make Your Relationship Last Through Law School

January 31, 2023 by Leave a Comment

Law School Perspective - How to Make Your Relationship Last Through Law SchoolThis week we welcome back guest writer Shirlene Brown to talk about the challenge of making a relationship last through law school.

Are you in a relationship and about to start law school? It is possible that you have heard the rumor that your romances in law school never last. So you may be worried that your relationship may be doomed to fail because you are in law school. This is understandable as law school is one of the most stressful times of your life, and you may be concerned about not having a lot of time for a relationship. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you should break up with your sweetheart. It is possible to have a relationship last the entirety of law school. Personally, I started dating my significant other about 6 months before I started my 1L year, and I am married to him now! Since I have been in the trenches of law school and love, here are some tips and tricks to make your relationship last through law school, if not even further! [Read more…]

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How To Juggle Multiple Work Assignments At Once

January 17, 2023 by Leave a Comment

How To Juggle Multiple Work Assignments At OnceThis week we welcome back guest writer Marissa Geannette to discuss managing multiple work assignments as a lawyer.

As a law student, you already know what it’s like to have more than one thing due at once. Having competing obligations and multiple assignments due at once is nothing new to you.

When you begin working, especially at a law firm, you’ll likely find that you have even more things to juggle. Sooner rather than later, you’re bound to receive multiple assignments, from multiple lawyers, all due at the same time. So, what’s a new lawyer to do?

First of all, let’s put something to bed once and for all– multitasking doesn’t work. Our minds can’t do two things at once, so when we try to do that, we end up costing ourselves more time in the end.

That’s why none of these tips are about how to multitask. Instead, we talk about other strategies you can implement to juggle multiple work assignments without driving yourself crazy.

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Things I’m Excited about for Spring

January 3, 2023 by Leave a Comment

This week we welcome back guest writer Stephanie Gregoire to discuss what she’s looking forward to this semester.

The first semester of 1L is officially in the books so as I take the next few weeks to get some well-deserved rest, I’m also looking toward the next semester. This semester has been a challenge, but I’m still very excited about next semester. Here are some of the many reasons, hopefully they give you something to look forward to as well!

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