I know at least a couple of you have 'done' law school...
So far, Hubby seems to be doing fine -- he's working at it all the time, but he also seems to be loving it.
So -- from those of you who have finished -- care to share your hints & tips?
-- and, spouses, feel free to chime in -- either with advice for me or him :).
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3 comments:
As one of those who survived law school...here goes:
1. You will get behind on the reading. It's a fact of life. Do your best to get as much done as possible.
2. Everyone "gets it" at different rates. If you haven't had your light bulb moment yet, don't worry.
3. Make your own outlines. Don't use the commercial ones. It helps to reinforce the material.
4. Ask your professors to review your outlines. Law school has this cruel policy of one exam that determines your grade. It would suck if you spent the entire semester misunderstanding a concept.
5. Study groups are great with the right mix of people.
6. Take time to take care of yourself. You need to re-fuel now and again. Have an outlet for the stress.
7. You are about to enter the stage in which you start wondering if the admissions office made a mistake. This feeling will pass.
For the spouse..as echoed by my husband:
1. Be flexible because the hours are crazy.
2. The real hell doesn't happen until the bar exam.
Advice for both of you:
1. Take time out to spend time as a couple!
2. Communicate!
Haven't got through it yet, but some of my friends and I have had conversations along the following lines: It's school. You've probably been good at school so far, so do what works for you. Do the reading before class*, go to class, and study.
(*with Seeking Solace's caveat in mind! But I know for me, I did worst last year in the class I got the most behind in.)
Personally, I found looking at old exams *incredibly* helpful, especially doing practice exams with other students (because they always came up with stuff I'd missed, and I remembered it better after thinking, "Oh crap, how did I miss THAT?!?"). Doing practice exams and going over the answers with the prof (if they'll do that) would probably be even better (I wasn't usually organized enough to do so, but I know people who did).
Don't kill yourself overdoing it. Work a middle path, take practice exams, see how your first semester exams go and adjust from there. Going to office hours can be nice to have a human connection with your professor, esp. if you need recommendations in the future, but don't go if it's to show off or ask the prof to check a 60-p. outline and 4 years of practice exams - she's working hard too. I checked lots of stuff against the internet or commercial guides - it's all been done before. Learn, review, and then have a bit of a life!
And start scoping out which activities you'd like to get involved it - anything with practice writing or arguing that's actually kind of fun will greatly enhance your experience.
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