\u201cYou will never influence the world by trying to be like it.\u201d <\/em>\u2013Sean McCabe<\/p>\n \u201cWhat lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters…compared to what lies within us.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u2013Ralph Waldo Emerson<\/p>\n Welcome to what will soon be your new normal \u2013 days that feel long because of the hours of work you need to get done, but weeks that go quickly because you constantly feel like you run out of hours in the day. The good news is that you have already made the difficult decision to commit to this new and, albeit difficult, exciting and life-altering path. Take a deep breath and prepare to begin, even if you don\u2019t feel you are ready. Know that you are among good company, for many of the best and most successful people began before they felt ready. They began anyway, and so will you.<\/p>\n Remember that you are already here<\/em> – which means that not only are you good enough to be, but that you can handle whatever this year throws your way.<\/p>\n You are better than you think<\/em>. Let those words sink in and repeat them to yourself until you believe them. Talk to yourself like you would talk to your best friend. Recognize that fear and insecurity don\u2019t make you weak \u2013 they make you human. Recognize that every single one of us feels that way too \u2013 even the people who won\u2019t admit it to you (and sometimes, especially those people). What makes you brave is feeling it but carrying on anyway.<\/p>\n \u201cOnly the weak are cruel. Gentleness can only be expected from the strong.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u2013Leo Buscaglia\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t try to be different. Just be good. To be good is different enough.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u2013Arthur Freed<\/p>\n \u201cHumility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u2013CS Lewis<\/p>\n Confidence does not equate with cockiness. Believing in yourself does not mean failing to believe in others. Confident, strong people know how to be themselves and carry themselves with an air of confidence without putting down others or making anyone else feel like any less than they are.<\/p>\n You have embarked on a new journey, but you have also joined a new community in the truest sense of the word. Think of those around you. Hold open the door for the person coming into class behind you. Introduce yourself to strangers. Say “Hi” to Carol when you swipe your ID card at the front desk. If you encounter people who do not afford you the same courtesy, pay them no mind and carry on in your kindness anyway. It is so simple, yet so often overlooked. Be nice to everyone.<\/p>\n \u201cYou need to be content with small steps. That\u2019s all life is. Small steps that you take every day so when you look back down the road, it all adds up and you know you covered some distance. It took me a long time to accept that, but it\u2019s true. You need to have patience.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u2013Katie Kacvinsky<\/p>\n If you are anything like I am, you may already feel overwhelmed. Last year around this time when I was seeking advice, a friend told me to simplify it in my mind. She said to just do my reading and go to class and focus on those two things in the beginning. It really helped me to constantly remind myself of this and turn my focus to these two things and, at the start, only these two things.<\/p>\n If you do this in the beginning, you will be taking the small steps every day that you need to take to be on your way to a successful semester. Any challenge in life can only be accomplished by breaking down a complex process into small, doable steps. Law school is no different.<\/p>\n \u201cYou must begin to think of yourself as becoming the person you want to be.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u2013David Viscott<\/p>\n Each person has his or her own idea of what works the best, what will make you the most successful law student, what strategies you should use, what books you should read, whose example you should follow. Most of these ideas will be good, well-intentioned, and true. Most of these ideas will have worked for the person passing on the advice. And while it\u2019s good to seek out and listen to this advice, you must also remember that you are none of these people.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t lose yourself trying to be what other people think you should be. Or what you yourself think you should<\/em> be. Listen to the advice, act on it, try different things, and then adjust accordingly. If you have always studied a certain way or learned best a certain way, there is no need to reinvent the wheel. Law school is a unique academic model, different than any other you have encountered previously. But you know yourself better than anyone else.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t be afraid to do what works for you. It\u2019s okay not to follow through on someone\u2019s suggestions if you realize it\u2019s not conducive to how you learn. Forge your own path and take deliberate actions toward being the person who you want to be. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cComparison is the thief of joy.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u2013Theodore Roosevelt<\/p>\n \u201cWe are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u2013Aristotle<\/p>\n Remember why you came to law school. You must have had your own reasons, different and separate from every other student\u2019s reasons. Don\u2019t let them get lost in what can feel like the madness of the day-to-day work.<\/p>\n Remember what you love to do and don\u2019t let those things go. Yes, you will need to prioritize school, but if what makes you feel alive is going to church, going to the gym, or going to live concerts in the city, keep going<\/em>. Take care of yourself. Take deep breaths. Practice mindful living. Go outside, go for a run, volunteer locally. Keep things in perspective. Cultivate good habits. There are so many things outside of your control in law school, but what you choose to do is not one of them.<\/p>\n Prioritize your to-do list. If you are running out of hours in the day, stop watching TV. Become the master of your time. Keep your favorite things in your life because giving yourself those mental breaks and holding onto things that bring you joy will serve you well both inside and outside of the legal world.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve learned to fly the air like birds, we\u2019ve learned to swim the seas like fish, and yet we haven\u2019t learned to walk the earth as brothers and sisters.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u2013Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.<\/p>\n \u201cMost people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u2013Stephen Covey<\/p>\n This school is full of so many smart, talented, diverse, and wonderful individuals, all who come from different backgrounds and all who now have both a common school and a common goal. Take advantage of this because it is such a wonderful gift.<\/p>\n Recognize that we will only ever truly move forward by embracing our differences, by listening (really listening<\/em>) to others\u2019 perspectives, by desiring to leave people better than we found them, and by knowing that we have something to learn from every single person we meet.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy do we fall, Bruce? So we can learn to pick ourselves back up.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u2013Alfred, The Dark Knight<\/p>\n \u201cDoubt is a pain too lonely to know that faith is his twin brother.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u2013Khalil Gibran<\/p>\n \u201cI did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u2013Maya Angelou<\/p>\n I\u2019m not sure if you\u2019ve ever felt like this but there are times when one mistake can feel so overwhelming and so all-consuming that it seems insurmountable. Don\u2019t let a setback pull you down too low. Take it for what it is, learn from it, create a plan to move forward, and begin to execute that plan. If you have faith, you will know that nothing is too bad that it takes away all hope.<\/p>\n This is a completely new environment and, sometimes, despite your best efforts, you might fall flat on your face (figuratively, or literally on campus, which happened to me so don\u2019t feel bad if it happens to you). Know that you can only do the best that you can with what you have. Once you know better, like Angelou says, you can do better. And if you keep trying, you will.<\/p>\n \u201cOpportunity is missed by people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u2013Thomas Edison<\/p>\n \u201cWhatever you do, work at it with all your heart.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u2013Colossians 3:23<\/p>\n You have already been told that nothing worth having comes easy. You have already read and, no doubt, heard from others that law school is very hard. To do well, you need to work hard. There is literally no substitute for putting your head down, putting in the (many) long hours, and doing the work. Even when you don\u2019t feel like it. Even when you feel like you don\u2019t know what you are doing. Even when you don\u2019t understand what you are reading. Do the work anyway. Try anyway<\/em>.<\/p>\n Plan ahead and learn how to be the most organized version of yourself. Recognize that this opportunity is here before you and it is yours for the taking, but that the only way you will get the most out of it is by working harder than you have ever worked before and giving your absolute best.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is no such thing as a self-made man. You will reach your goals only with the help of others.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>\u2013George Shinn<\/p>\n You have to believe in yourself. This is so important. No one else can do it for you. But if you are struggling to believe in yourself or if you come to a point where you feel as if you can\u2019t, even for a time, find someone who does. There are people who do and will believe in you with such conviction that you will begin to believe in yourself again.<\/p>\n Ask a professor, ask an administrator (start with the Student Services Office), ask another student, ask me. Seriously. You don\u2019t have to worry because someone in the building knows how you feel and has been there before and has made it out the other side and wants to help you. Don\u2019t be afraid to go to a professor\u2019s office hours with your questions. Don\u2019t be afraid to ask for another time to meet with a professor if you can\u2019t make the scheduled office hours. Don\u2019t be afraid to ask about something that isn\u2019t directly aligned with the in-class material. Don\u2019t be afraid if, for a while in the beginning, you feel like things aren\u2019t coming together. Remember to bring it back to the basics – do your reading and go to class. Review after class and at the end of each week to understand and consolidate the material.<\/p>\n Know there are ACE counselors<\/a> who are here to help you, too, with questions about the first-year experience, with any struggles you may be having, with more specific class, reading, and exam preparation strategies for your professors. Know you can ask if you have other, unrelated concerns. Even if the person you ask isn\u2019t the best person to help you, she can point you in the right direction and connect you with someone who is.<\/p>\n Ask for help if you feel lost, confused, or unsure. Ask for help if you feel down, worried, or alone. Even beyond the people within the law school, you can ask for help from the university\u2019s counselors<\/a> or from Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers<\/em><\/a>, a program that provides confidential help to lawyers and law students. Know it does not make you weak to ask for help or to admit your own struggles. Know you are not alone.<\/p>\n Someone once said, \u201cAnd sometimes, I don\u2019t know if there is anything more comforting than hearing someone\u2019s voice say: \u2018I know, I know, I know.\u2019<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n If you feel overwhelmed or insecure or worried, even if no one else admits to you that they are feeling or have felt the same, I am here to tell you that it\u2019s not true.<\/p>\n You\u2019re not alone and it\u2019s going to be okay.<\/p>\n \u201cKeep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that. But the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u2013Mark Twain<\/p>\n \u201cIf you can\u2019t fly, then run. If you can\u2019t run, then walk. If you can\u2019t walk, then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>\u2013Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.<\/p>\n \u201cListen to the mustn\u2019ts child, Listen to the Don\u2019ts, Listen to the Shouldn\u2019ts, the Impossibles, the Won\u2019ts — Listen to the Never Have\u2019s, then listen close to me — Anything can happen, child, ANYTHING can be.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0\u2013Shel Silverstein<\/p>\n Create mantras for yourself to remind yourself you can do this. A professor I once spoke with (who was actually a perfect stranger but who offered me kind and sage advice anyway a few years ago) told me that, when asked how he reached Nirvana, Buddha answered, \u201cI did not strain, and I did not stop.\u201d<\/p>\n This comes to mind when thinking of law school because, often times, you just have to keep going. The days are long because you are always so busy, but the semesters fly by for that same reason. Keep going and try as best as you can to keep the strain at bay, knowing that you can<\/em> finish what you need to finish.<\/p>\n Law school is like a marathon. But remember that the first (and only) step to running and successfully completing a marathon is, after all, to start running.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" You have embarked on a new journey, but you have also joined a new community in the truest sense of the word. Think of those around you. Hold open the door for the person coming into class behind you. Introduce yourself to strangers. Say “Hi” to Carol when you swipe your ID card at the front desk.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":1619,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[497,496,495,81,62,61,82,66,60],"audience":[653,54],"coauthors":[494,893],"class_list":["post-1615","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-student-advice","tag-confidence","tag-first-year-of-law-school","tag-inspirational-quotes","tag-law-school-habits","tag-law-school-mindset","tag-law-school-success","tag-law-school-time-management","tag-looking-back","tag-motivation","audience-admitted-students","audience-students"],"yoast_head":"\r\n2. But you must also be humble.<\/h2>\n
3. One day, one class, one moment at a time.<\/span><\/h2>\n
4. You don\u2019t have to be what other people expect you to be.<\/h2>\n
5. Remember who you are.<\/h2>\n
6. But be open and willing to change.<\/h2>\n
7. Don\u2019t let a setback pull you too low.<\/h2>\n
8. Work hard.<\/h2>\n
9. Ask for help.<\/h2>\n
10. Keep going.<\/h2>\n