August 26, 2024,
At the start of every academic year, the editors of The Temple 10-Q share some tips for new law students on how to handle their first year of school. The advice has a somewhat business-law slant but applies to all 1Ls. It has two parts: schoolwork and personal/social advice. Part I (schoolwork) can be found here.
Personal and Social
- Reputation Matters. Yes, law school is competitive, but do not be THE JERK. Those in your classroom may be your competition, but they’re also your future colleagues. Do not burn bridges. The legal community is small, and word gets around.
- Stress!!!! Part 1. For many of you, the first year of law school will be the most stressful experience of your education. The best way to deal with this stress is to maintain balance: keep up with your schoolwork and stay involved with activities outside of the classroom. Whether it’s cardio at the gym, volunteering where appropriate, trying the latest restaurant, binge-watching Netflix, or hanging out with friends, make sure you take time for yourself.
- Stress!!!! Part 2. Do not let others determine your stress level. If you know that you did all of your work during the week, don’t fret because someone is talking about the additional, non-assigned reading they decided to do. Law school does not have to eat up (all of) your weekends, and others should not set your study schedule (see “Stress, Part 1,” above). If you are a full-time student, most weeks there is plenty of time from Monday to Friday to complete your work.
- You Are Not Alone. Your first year of law school is difficult, but know that on any given day, a pretty good number of your classmates find it similarly challenging, too. The key is to maintain focus, learn every day, and move forward, secure in the knowledge that many have been through the same things you are enduring, and have been just fine.
- Join the AV Club! No, seriously. Get involved in one or two extracurricular activities. Temple has many interesting clubs and societies (though not, sadly, an actual AV Club, so far as we know) where you can learn, meet new people, and make a positive impact from the day you start law school. Many law school groups have events at lunchtime or in the late afternoon—try to participate. Often, their talks and panels relate to why you came to law school in the first place. Just make sure these activities don’t eat into your study time.
- Ask for Help. If you are feeling overwhelmed, and your usual solutions don’t help, the Law School and Temple University offer plenty of support. The Dean for Students and your professors all want to see you succeed and can help you get the help you need (confidentially). There is much benefit, and no shame, in asking for help. It’s important to maintain as much of a regular, “normal” routine each day as possible. That includes sufficient rest, a balanced diet, exercise, and ways to relax.
- Take a Risk. Committing to a legal education, like any major life commitment, is a risk. There’s no reason to deny that, and some reason to embrace it. Subject to the general observations about reputation and stress, above, now is a good time to take risks, at least small ones. Raise that hand! Introduce yourself to that interesting person! Be that interesting person!
- You Made it Here, So You Can Make it Anywhere. Getting into any decent law school is difficult, and Temple is among the harder ones. Many talented people wanted your seat—and they did not get it. Mired in the work and stress of your first year, it is easy to forget that just getting here is a significant accomplishment in itself. Feeling good about your past is, of course, no substitute for doing the work today, but it can help to remember that you’ve succeeded in the past and have every reason to do so in the future.
There are probably as many 1L tips and stories as there are folks who have passed through law school. If you like these tips—or don’t, or have better ones—let us know.