So you took the LSAT, finished the admissions applications and you’ve been accepted to Law School. Now what? As someone who’s been there and done that, consider my advice.

For starters, thank your family and friends for helping you get to this point. Then apologize profusely in advance for being emotionally, physically, and mentally unavailable for the majority of the next three years. Go visit the campus if you haven’t already done so. Pick a spot you like in the library. Make sure it’s comfortable; it will become one of three destinations besides your bed and the classroom that you will call home. And read on.

THE TRUTH

• Law school is infinitely boring. And alarmingly a lot like high school.

• You CANNOT help changing. You WILL become more cynical, more impatient, either skinnier or fatter, more fatigued, and less inclined to tolerate b.s. You WILL become more analytical, and will learn the fine art of procrastination. You WILL think like a lawyer, to the point that by your 3L year, you won’t even realize it.

• Law students (especially during first year ) tend to be disconnected from reality/the outside world. It isn’t your fault; you simply don’t have enough time to read about the UCC and the latest stock market debacle.

• Relationships are damn near impossible during finals.

• If you aren’t going to study, stay out of the library. Nobody wants to hear you whine about how long it took you to brief Palsgraf or how completely asinine the rule against perpetuities is. We already know.

• Nobody likes a know-it-all.

• No one in law school is detached enough to send his grades away on a paper airplane like in “The Paper Chase”. If we were, we wouldn’t be the anal type-A’s that we are. That’s what got us here in the first place.

• “Legally Blonde”, while greatly exaggerated, did get a few things right. Mainly, you WILL be expected to have read and briefed for the first WEEK (not just day) of class.

• While dressing like a lawyer may make you feel better, it won’t impress your teacher(unless you are required to do so for practicals or clinicals). Osmosis is not a valid process for acquiring knowledge of the law through your couture legal trappings. Besides, 14 hour days do not call for 6-inch stilettos.

• And yes, there will be snarky students who boast about their academic achievements to anyone who will listen. Beware, these students define themselves by how many fancy words they can string together in a sentence, not by any “reasonably objective” standard of what a real human being is. See reference below to “snitches.” Also see reference above to “know-it-alls.”

• Not everyone is your friend. Snitches definitely exist. That being said, friendliness and politeness go a long way.

THE GAME

• Education does not equal common sense or even intelligence; Ignorance increases the more influential your degree becomes.

Law school is NOT about how smart you are. It’s about how smart you study.

• Learn how your professor grades and what they want BEFORE the final. Examine old finals they have published (if possible) and talk to prior students (who have done well).

• DO NOT compare yourself to other students. Because of the curve, THERE WILL BE SOMEONE WHO DOES BETTER THAN YOU, PERIOD (unless you’re a maniac with no other goal in life than to book all your 1L classes like a guy from my section. But most of us have other priorities. Like, uhm, exercising, eating, and maybe even sleeping). DON’T LOSE HOPE, there will also be someone who does worse than you.

• Practicals and clinicals beginning in your second year offer a great break from the grind of outlining. They also give you bankable skills for the future, such as how to argue an appellate brief, litigate a constitutional issue, or conduct client interviews.

• DON’T REINVENT THE WHEEL on outlines and notes. You don’t have time. Supplement them with what pertains specifically to your class. However, set yourself apart in your seminars.

• The Socratic method is arcane. And terrifying. If you aren’t prepared, it can be downright panic- inducing. Here are some tips on how to get through it.

“Don’t make eye contact with the professor when he/she is perusing the room looking for a volunteer or who to call on next. Keep your eyes on your computer. Act like your taking notes or reading from the textbook.”

“If “If you write your notes, then keep on writing until you hear the professor call on someone.”

· “ “Don’t whisper or talk to the people sitting next to you. That draws attention to yourself.”

· ” “If you think you have a good chance of being called on, you can combat being asked a question by raising your hand and asking a question first.”

·” “You can stall by asking the professor to repeat the question, but don’t ask in a way that makes it seem like you weren’t paying attention in the first place. Ask him/her to rephrase the question, or that you don’t understand what they meant by the question. If you take a long enough pause (and maybe act like you’re looking for the answers ( in your notes or in the book) the professor might just skip over you and ask the next poor soul on the list.”

”     “Don’t worry about looking like an idiot- the truth is, everyone in the class was praying that they wouldn’t get called on because they wouldn’t have known what to say either (except those jackasses who say the answer under their breath, loud enough for you to hear their arrogance but not loud enough so you can actually hear the answer).”

“You could also combat the question by saying ‘I actually had a hard time figuring that out,’ or ‘The opinion seemed vague; I couldn’t understand how they got to that conclusion,’ or something along those lines. Everyone in the room may know you’re full of it, but faking your way out of the hot seat doesn’t usually lower your participation grade-absolutely not knowing and blatantly saying ‘I don’t know’ usually will lower your participation grade. Let’s at least try to get some points for effort.”[1]

• A good scheduler can solve a million problems. Blackberry anyone?

• Supplements are to be used along the way, not last minute. And using them doesn’t mean you’re dumb. On the contrary, it means you’re smarter than the next guy/girl who doesn’t use them.

• Set yourself up to study the right way, on routine. Cramming is hell on your mind, body, and emotional well-being.

THE REAL WORLD

• Hook up with a mentor, esp. in the field you think you’d like to practice.* Tag along with them. You may find, as I did, that you absolutely despised the field. Their experience is invaluable, and more than a listening ear, they can end up beign true friends and comrades in “the struggle.” Plus, they’re really handy when it comes time for character affidavits on your bar apps.

*Disclaimer: For women, the threat of sexual harassment from a mentor/future employer definitely exists. Be wary about to whom you indebt yourself.

• Try and speak to your law professors one-on-one for the courses you enjoy. Visit them during office hours. You may find that they are very pleasant people outside the fluorescent gleam of the classroom. A professor who knows you put in the effort will be less likely to pick on you, and more likely to give you helpful hints.

• If there are on-campus organizations that interest you, join them. But not until after first semester of first year. You will find that these groups, often based around culture, area of practice, or service will provide an outlet from your studies. What’s more, they’ll be made up of people with interests/experiences similar to yours. Some of your greatest allies (or maybe even your future partner in practice) might come from these groups.

• Good nutrition does wonders during finals. Red bull, coffee, cookies, and chips may be great for your tastebuds, but they don’t do a damn thing for your waistline, metabolism, or energy.

• If you are religious, continue going to whatever services your faith may have. Inspiration will get you through the hardest times. Caveat; if you aren’t religious, inspiration, from whatever source you find it, will still sustain you.

THINGS TO CONSIDER

• Some schools change their curve percentages midway through your tenure. This will effect the grades you get later on in your elective courses because each class will have different requirements. Inquire about the school’s policy on such changes, and ask if there is a lock-down on the curve you would receive based on your date of entrance.

• Law school is prohibitively expensive. Research the loans and lenders your school’s financial aid office deals with. Check their interest rates. Apply for scholarships. Stay up to date on deferments from undergrad. Borrow books from the library, other students, or buy them online. BOOKSTORES ARE A RIPOFF, and law texts change year-to-year. However, these changes may only be in one or two rules or cases. Use the previous year’s edition, and just look up the new stuff online.

• When calculating the costs of attendance, make sure to include transportation costs to and from school, and when considering an unpaid internship, include the costs of traveling to and from.

• The best advice I got during law school came from my cousin who graduated from UNC Law when I was a 1L. BarBri and PMBR hire student reps. For about an hour a week, and a specific number of sales (which is not hard to get), you can work off the cost of your bar prep courses.

• Referring to the first truth, look into your school’s study abroad and/or visiting student options.

THE TRUTH REVISITED

• Law school may be the best experience of your life. It is always said that it is what you make it. No matter what, you will push yourself harder than you may have ever pushed yourself before, and you will see how well you perform under pressure. You WILL learn about things from your texts that you had no clue about before. And, most importantly, you will learn about experiences, situations, times, and life in general, from people you never thought you would associate with before. Finally, KEEP AN OPEN MIND. And keep reading.