I am starting law school...

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

…and I am worried!

I have made a list of all the stuff I needed to do/get before school starts, and I have everything – a new computer, a new desk, a new printer, a new palm pilot, a new digital voice recorder, a new computer/book case with wheels, new notebooks, new pens, new tires for my car – everything I can think of.

I scanned a few law school textbooks, too. I’ve done all the financial aid stuff, the loan’s going to be direct-deposited in my bank account, and I’ve toured the univeristy several times to make sure I know where to park (it’s a huge place, much bigger than my undergrad!). I’ve watched the movies they suggested, read the books they suggested, and I’m STILL frazzled.

I keep going over things I’ve done and bought, over and over, fretting that I’ve missed something.

I feel so unprepared!

Now that I’m less than a week away from orientation, the demons in my head are giggling at me. Do I really know what I’m doing? Am I really sure going this deep in debt is what I want to do? Is my husband going to leave me because I can’t spend as much time with him? How am I going to afford everything we need since I can’t work this first year? What if my car dies, what do I do then? I won’t have the money to buy a new one!

What if I flunk out???

AIGH!

What if the other people in my class don’t like me? What if the teachers are evil-minded sonsabitches? What if all the books turn out to be mostly latin? What if it snows so badly this winter that I can’t make it to class (it’s a long drive)? What if my car breaks down between here and there, my cellphone dies, and I’m stuck under a huge snowdrift and I slowly freeze to death/suffocate/starve???

I swear my blood pressure has been rising continuously for a week.

Please, if someone has been through this before, tell me if I need to worry about something else.

2

In my experience, the people who went to law school because they didn’t have anything else or the ones who didn’t know they wanted to practice law had a harder time adjusting to law school than those who knew that they wanted to practice law. It sounds like you have a good basis to work with, so try and relax.

I hope not :smiley: Law school can be tough on a relationship, so be careful. Just remember to leave law school at law school and try not to take the days frustrations home with you.

Remember, they’re all lawyers in training, and nobody likes lawyers. Just try and find a couple close friends, and ignore the ones who don’t like you.

They are. Well, some of them anyhow. Just don’t take it personally.

I think you have enough worries to deal with without anyone adding more.

Seriously though, best of luck to you. Try to remember not to let it get to you when you have bad days. Let us know how it goes. If you need any other advice, feel free to ask, or to email me

3

Law school gets much easier the second and third years. Tell your husband that you’ll be a complete stress monkey for the next 9 months or so.

If you have any children, would your mother take care of them for a few months? (only half-joking :slight_smile: ).

You should really study until yout can’t possible study any more during the entire first year. You should be an expert in each subject you take. You should feel like you could sit down with Prosser and discuss torts or with Corbin and discuss contracts. It is impossible for you to study too much.

4

It’s a piece of frikkin’ cake – easiest four years I ever spent. (Quit laughing – I went at night!)

Do ALL the reading (at least your first year) and you’ll be fine.

–Cliffy

5

Oh dear, now I must worry about studying all the time and doing all the reading :wink:

Nah, that doesn’t bother me.

Now, knowing that no one in the whole world likes me other than other lawyers leaves me feeling a bit :eek:

I mean, I really have to have lawyers as friends???

:stuck_out_tongue:

6

You sound just like me, last year. Except the anxiety took such a toll on me that I ended up with panic attacks that I had to alleviate through therapy :slight_smile: (not an overreaction granted how bad I was at both high school and college). Part of it was through how much misinformation I received by people who had either a.) really had bad experiences that were out of this world abnormal or b.) people who are nice but like to engage in a little hyperbole for their own egos and c.) other internet boards geared for pre-law students.

But don’t give in and don’t worry! You sound like you’ve already researched stuff and that’s more than a lot of your classmates will have done. I don’t know about your school-but at least the one I went to (Large/Public/Midwestern) totally babied me and held my hand throughout the whole year-especially first semester. I’m serious. Multiple sessions on exam writing from different professors and student organizations. Mind numbingly boring sessions on IRAC and case briefing and all of it. My school wasn’t ultracompetitive (although stuff gets a wee bit tense towards the end of semesters-but it’s not that bad) and cutthroat either-contrary to popular reports. The other kids are new, too-they’ll be as nervous as you are!!! Everyone will be wanting to make friends.

And as for the stuff with your husband-I think it can work. Several of my classmates are married and many of them seem to be doing okay. In fact, most of them made sure to make their spouses a part of the law social circle to a certain extent. Also keep in mind that you’ll have your own personal cheerleader and support system in him.

Anyhoo-the best of luck to you. I did pretty badly in both high school and college (although thankfully a proclivity to outperform on standardised tests has kept me afloat) but I ended up doing really well in lawschool-the best I’ve ever done since 7th grade. It’s all about effort and keeping your cool.

Sincerely,

Anu

7

Oh and another thing-your uni will probably provide free shrinks. Don’t be ashamed to go and talk to them (hell, I do, except for different reasons). First, you’re paying for it and second quite a few of your classmates are their clients too!!

And search out the profs-especially the ones you feel are warm in class. Times have changed-one even accomodated me on an exam due to my hypochondria issues (long story).

8

Unprepared? You sound very well prepared to me. (Coming from a guy who entered law school at 17 (possible in Australia), not knowing the slightest thing about what I was getting in to!).

**

**Only for a few short years. I ditched my law school associates (freaks! the lot of them!) shortly after graduation. :stuck_out_tongue:

**

**Unlikely. You’ll encounter the odd latin phrase or two, but your texts will be written in entirely incomprehensible english.

One piece of advice I will give is to become friendly with as many of your fellow students as possible. Build a network. Friends in law school provide invaluable support when the going gets tough. Practically no one – particularly in the later years of school – has the time or ability to learn everything about every subject. With a group of friends, however, you’ll be able to pool your resources and cover each other’s weaknesses.

9

anu-la, I’m in a large, pulic Midwestern school. Which one did you go to?

Narrad, I’m glad I can ditch the lawyer friends after school :stuck_out_tongue:

10

Illinois (Hellbana-Chamsuck)

It would be really funny if you turned out to be a future 1L here!!! I actually “met” a lot of my classmates before school even started by bumping into the UIUC incoming 1Ls on the Princeton Review boards.

11

Well, now that I know you’re going to the same type of school-I’m fairly certain that most of the Large/Public/Midwestern schools follow the same baby 'em program-so nothing to worry about :).

12

#1: the one thing you forgot to get was a new prescription for anti-anxiety pills!! Just kidding – I completely understand your panic having been there once myself.

#2: as far as debt goes: consider this an investment in your future.

#3: every single person in your classes feels EXACTLY the same way that you do. Look on it as an opportunity to make a whole bunch of new friends based on a common denominator: fear.

#4: there is absolutely nothing, let me repeat, nothing, that can prepare you for the experience of law school. It will be the best of times, it will be the worst of times…

#5: the teachers ARE evil-minded sonsabitches. (didn’t think I’d make it all whipped cream and roses, did you?). Seriously, many lawschools “oversell” the incoming class (also known as 1-L’s) as a way of creating an influx of capital for the operating budget, operating on the assumption that there will be a certain percentage who will either leave or be asked to leave. Therefore, the goal of first year teachers is to weed out those who are not really serious about law school so as to make subsequent class sizes more managable. Judging from the fact that you’re even posting here worrying about it, I would hazard a guess that you are NOT one of those who will be the target of “weeding out”.

#6: Remember that it will never be as bad as your first year, on which you operate mostly on the basis of fear because you don’t know what to expect. From then on, its cake. Read your assignments, be prepared to speak up in class (my school required it – I guess its preparation for being in front of a court full of people), and take advantage of extracurricular activities (mock trial, internships, etc.). If your goal is to get hired by a top firm, they look at grades, job experience (internships, clerkships, etc.), grades, and grades. But you can still make a decent living if you have two out of the four (I won’t tell you which two but only one of them is grades).

#7: relax and enjoy yourself as much as you can. Law school is an experience unlike any other.

Good luck!! :slight_smile:

13

I am going to Ohio State, actually, although the baby-holding programs sound wonderful. Maybe I can transfer?

Thank you for all of your replies :slight_smile: If all lawyers are as nice as you guys maybe I’ll be okay.

14

Everything will be fine once they surgically remove your personality.

The punchline comes when you realize the after three years of nonstop fun, maybe one month’s worth had anything to do with actually practicing law. Well, except for the constant reminders your classmates provide that lawyers are generally competitive jerks.

Enjoy!

anu - went down to Shampoo-banana a couple of times this summer to drop my kids off at band camp. They sure put quite an addition onto the law school. Of course, they were just putting in a computer room my last year…

Say hi to Laurie Reynolds for me. I’m sorry for driving her out of the room that one time. And tell LeFave to pound sand!

15

Get used to that feeling. :slight_smile:

**

See above.

**

Especially get used to that feeing. No matter how prepared you are, you’ll always feel like you’re never prepared enough. and you’ll generally be right. Regarding everything else, yes, some teachers will be evil minded sonsabitches, some will be so overjoyed you’ve actually done the reading and understand the rule of law you were supposed to extract they will exalt you before your peers and exempt you from push-ups for the day. Most will be a combination of both. Law school is hard on relationships, but not necessarily fatal to them. An understanding SO is key.

One of the best analogies I’ve heard describing law school (other than “mental boot camp”) was that it was like teaching you how to drive by putting you in a car, picking you up with a crane, and setting you down in rush hour traffic. Cars screaming by, frantically searching for gears, that sort of thing. The fear and uncertainty you feel is pandemic to every 1L who ever matriculated. However, most of them wait until at least the first day of school before they start with the panic attacks. In other words, calm down! Law school isn’t a sprint, its a marathon. Keeping your pace and running smart is key. Enjoy these last few days of freedom and spend some quality time with your husband. See a movie, go out dancing, have some fun. Law school is a harrowing and wonderful experience, and you’ll make some of your best friends of your life there. Enjoy and keep us posted.

16

Just remember that they give bonus points to the first student to respond “Pass” when asked a question in class.

Fuck the instructors. Just who do they think is paying their salary?

17

I would just like to point out that I did not read a single case in Contracts last year and still managed to get a B+.

Flunk out indeed!

I was just as nervous as you last year but when I got to class I realized that everyone was in the same boat as me. I’ve made great friends and am actually looking forward to starting my second year in 2 weeks.

18

I forgot where this thread was for a couple of days.

Dinsdale: unfortunately I didn’t get Reynolds for property and I’m staying far far away from criminal so no LaFave either (Thank god because I HATED his stupid casebook). I will be taking tax with Kaplan in the fall, though. I know he’s been here for a while.

I know a couple of alums back from when they first started putting the addition on-when were you here?

Anyhoo, it’s always cool to bump into another lawyery Illini.

19

You got through high school, you got through college. Law school isn’t any different. You will be fine. Just don’t let the bastards who insist on talking in class all the time and raising their eager little hands at each prompt intimidate you. They usually aren’t the ones who do well anyway. You may have a prof or two who think that scaring students is a sport, but most are there to help you.

20

anu - graduated from law school in '86.
Ronnie Rotunda was my best bud among the faculty, but I hear he’s gone now.