Holiday Gift Ideas for the Law Student in Your Life

Christmas is coming up!! Call me crazy but I have been listening to Christmas music and watching Hallmark Channel as much as possible. It is my favorite time of year!

I love shopping for Christmas presents and finding things I know the people in my life will love. But us law students... we are a special breed and our wants and needs can be different from most. For all those family and friends out there who want to be supportive and help out your law student, here are some gift ideas that will be helpful and appreciated as they finish their legal education!

1. Wireless Headphones 
These are so wonderful for law school!! I can listen to my music or recorded lectures, with no strings attached!! In loud and busy law school areas, these will be a law students best friend- particularly around exams!

2. A Coffee Mug 

Law students tend to go overboard with caffeine so a coffee/tea mug is never a bad idea. I think this one is perfect for any aspiring lawyer ... Trust me (I am almost a lawyer). 

3. A Professional Bag 

Every aspiring lawyer needs a professional bag for interviews and internships. This would be a super useful gift that will serve your law student very well through law school and beyond! 

For the ladies: 

For the men: 

4. Gift Cards

Law students are notoriously broke and stressed. Gift cards to take themselves out to dinner, for a relaxing shopping trip or most importantly, for coffee. If all else fails, you truly cannot go wrong with some gift cards to let the law student in your life treat themselves.

Also, gift cards to help law students build their legal wardrobes are a great idea. Express, Banana Republic, J. Crew are all great options for them to purchase professional wardrobe staples. 

5. Stress Relief 
Law school is super stressful... items to help your law student get some stress relief are always a good idea. Bath bombs, oil diffusers, a yoga mat, candles... etc.

6. Inspirational Items 

Your law student is probably always looking for inspiration... cute desktop signs or things to hang on the wall of their office to keep the motivation up in the heat of finals is a great gift idea. 

7. Travel Mugs and Water Bottles
Remember when I said caffeine is very important to law students?? Well, this is extremely true and travel mugs are a lifesaver in the morning when you are running out the door for class. I LOVE the Contigo no spill mugs.

Long days of class also call for lots of h2o. I have two favorites for this: Camelbak water bottles and my RITC tumblr (keeps ice cold for a full school day!). Your law student would certainly get lots of use from either of these. 

8. Amazon Student Prime Membership

Amazon prime is the greatest thing. Not only do you get access to Prime movies and TV shows and the Amazon music library, there is free two-day shipping on almost everything! For busy law students, that is the best way to shop. Your law student would be so appreciative of an Amazon Prime membership and for students, it is half price! This is the gift that keeps on giving all year long. 

Happy Holidays!!

Mid-Semester Finals Prep Guide

Well hello! It has been a full month since I last blogged. Life has been absolutely crazy- I made it to the final four in my law schools interscholastic appellate advocacy competition which involved 2.5 weeks of daily practices and constant revision on top of reading, class, work and food/sleep. It cumulated in an oral argument in front of 3 real, federal judges as well as our whole student body. It was stressful and exhausting but such a great experience. 

It is now midway through the semester and I know there are many 1L's out there getting stressed about final exams but are not sure quite what to do to start preparing. I have gotten a few questions about prepping for finals so I am sharing what I am doing at this point in the semester to start prepping for final exams. I hope it helps! 

1. Update Outlines 
I know every 1L ever is beyond tired of hearing the word outline but this is the time to be working on them and updating so you don't end up spending your whole Thanksgiving break outlining. I have been working on updating all of my outlines to the current point of material so that I can relax more on Thanksgiving break this year. For more on outlining see this post: A Guide to Outlining.

2. Meet with Professors
Now is the time to clear up confusion in the material. As you are outlining, make note of areas where you are confused or your notes were messy. Go get it cleared up by the professor sooner rather than later so you are not stressing at the last minute and fighting for office hours with all the people who waited until the week before exams to ask for help. Having your outlines updated will help you to know if there were confusing areas you need to get some help with. Then you know that whatever info is in that final outline is correct and you fully understand it.

3. Practice Essay Questions 
Law school essay questions are a new breed of essays you have likely never encountered. My biggest downfall my first semester of law school was not doing enough practice questions, not being comfortable with how to write them out and not having a solid plan for how to attack them. I highly highly suggest tracking down some practice essay questions for each subject and taking some time to write them out in exam-style conditions. It will help you to become comfortable with the feel of law school essays and make it less intimidating come exam day. The best case scenario is getting old practice questions from your professor along with model answers. If you can't get those, many of the bar prep companies give out free study materials on first-year subjects and there is also tons available online after a simple google search. There are often practice questions in your casebooks as well so make sure to look there.

4. Practice Multiple Choice
Just like essays, law school multiple choice questions are very different from other multiple choice. Find some to practice and get comfortable with them. It will make exam day way less stressful when you are prepared for the type of questions you will encounter. In addition, practice essay and multiple choice questions can pinpoint some weak areas in your understanding of the subject that need to be cleared up before exam time.

5. Start Studying
I know it seems crazy early, but it is time to start actually studying. Practice essay questions and practice multiple choice are a part of that but substantively studying the material is most important. I like to start making flashcards and reading over my outlines at this time. I also start meeting with my study group or study partners to go over out outlines and ensure that we have everything/there are no holes. I love group studying but it is not for everyone. If you are studying solo, start making a habit out of studying and find a good spot for it. If you plan to group study, start meeting with your group and ironing out the kinks. Law school exams require you to know and understand a massive amount of information. The earlier you start studying, the better.

6. Relax and Stay Healthy 
Don't get me wrong, this is a stressful time and working hard is vital. But doing so at the sacrifice of your mental and physical health is not good. Eat well, get plenty of sleep, take some time for yourself and the things you enjoy, exercise and spend time with friends and family. Law school takes over your life but you have to fight back a little bit and keep yourself happy and healthy. Also, it is cold and flu season so it wouldn't hurt to start taking a multi-vitamin and vitamin C- it is no good to be sick during exams!!

Shop my exam printable materials here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/LegalDuchessShop?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=1059870419

Here is a free printable to help you stay on track! 

Print HERE

Best of luck to all! Thankfully, the light at the end of the first-semester tunnel is growing closer.

How I Have Changed My Study Habits as a Second Year Law Student

Hello friends!

I feel like I have been neglecting this little blog. School has been crazy- I am in the middle of an oral advocacy competition and I have to make new arguments and go head to head each week in addition to class, reading, writing an appellate brief for moot court and working in admissions. Blogging just got pushed down the priority list. But I am back!

Now on to today's topic... as I am a few weeks into 2L year, I have made some adjustments to my study habits. Some of my upper-level courses are structured a little differently than my 1L core classes which have forced me to adjust as well as my own shifting and evolving learning process and knowledge base. I have posts from 1L year about my note-taking and study habits and I do believe that they served me very well at that time and for those classes. The adjustments I have made are more due to changing class structures and my ever-evolving way to understand the law as best I can and as thoroughly as I can... and I have become busier so efficiency is my #1 priority now. Here are the changes to my law school study habits.

1. Class Reading/Preparation
Unlike many of my classmates, I continue to read everything for class and take notes on my reading. Many of my classmates have dropped down to just book briefing but I find that taking notes is the best way for me to truly understand the material and have the best retention of it. Unlike my 1L year, I actually take more detailed notes from the reading and I count on them more in class as I participate more. 1L year I was content to answer cold calls, sit and listen and only voluntarily talk if I truly felt confident in what I had to say. Now that I am a 2L and a lot less nervous, I raise my hand whenever I have something to contribute and therefore having good reading notes helps me to follow along with class and have insightful comments. Also, my real life experience of working in a prosecutors office has given me some real-life legal context for some of the things I am learning in class. Therefore, when reading for class, I jot down notes of real-life examples that are related to bring up in class or in office hours. I find that having some real-life context is really helping my retention of the material so far this year. Additionally, my classes are structured a little different: one of my classes has little to no case law and is based on problems... Another is based purely on statutes. It has required me to read and learn differently.

2. Class Notes
Another change I have made from 1L year to 2L year is I take all of my class notes by hand. I found that when I took computer notes last year, I more easily became distracted and I did not retain as much of the information. This is reasonable because many scientific studies have been done that prove handwriting aids in retention and better understanding. By hand writing my notes, I am forced to synthesize the professor's points because I cannot physically handwrite every word as easily as I could type every word. This is a constant practice in analysis, issue spotting big rules and synthesizing which are important legal skills. I find that I remember the information better and when I type it up later into an outline, I am working from my own synthesized words and rules, not the professor's words and it helps me to have a deeper understanding. I have found that simply word-vomiting the professor's words/phrases onto an outline does not equal full understanding and was not the most effective way for me to outline. I also color code all my class notes because bright colors are easier for me to remember long term and it distinguishes class info from reading notes; I take all reading notes in black ink and class notes in a color designated for that specific class (ex. Constitutional law is blue, criminal procedure is purple...). I also love the freedom handwriting notes provides- I can make graphs, pictures, tables, etc. Whatever I need to do to get that information, I can. Sometimes computers can hinder notetaking in my experience because of the formatting problems and having to pause during class notes to fix the bullets or margins, etc.

3. Outlining
I learned my lesson first semester of 1L year- outline as you go. I spent last Thanksgiving break frantically outlining and it was the worst. Now, my approach to outlining is to outline after finishing a section or chapter. This way, I am outlining throughout the semester and I can address questions, confusion or concerns sooner rather than later. It also helps that the information is fresher in my brain when I outline it and it helps me to formulate and synthesize it better into the outline thus creating a much more effective study aid come finals. I just finished the fourth week of the semester but I have all my outlines started and 2 are completely up to date...the others will be up to date by the end of this weekend. I refuse to stop making my own outlines- I think it is such a valuable skill and learning tool... simple printing another persons outline will not allow me the same level of understanding nor the learning provided during the outlining process. Overall, outlining no longer scares me the way it did 1L year... I just buckle down, set aside some time each week and get it done.

4. Review/Practice Problems
Kind of like outlining, I have started reviewing throughout the semester instead of just at the end. Not only is outlining itself a form of review, I make a point to review my notes after class, twice after reading and to attend office hours. I attempt to make sure that I understand everything right away instead of waiting until the end of the semester to figure something out. There just is not enough time to do it all at the end of the semester and I need excellent grades so I am putting all the extra effort in. I have started doing some of the practice problems from the casebooks and as the semester moves on, I will be completing multiple choice questions each week and practice problems that I can take to professor office hours for feedback. This is something I neglected 1L year and I think I did myself a disservice. After reviewing my past exams, I have identified a few issues I would like to work towards resolving in the future when taking exams- I am not waiting until the end of the semester; I am starting right away to do everything in my power to be as successful as possible for exams this semester. Unlike 1L year, I know exactly what I need to do to be successful... I just have to buckle down and do it.

5. Organization/Planning/Efficiency
My schedule is a little more diverse this year. I have more responsibilities beyond just reading, class, studying. One thing I haven't changed is my dependence on my planner. I would seriously go insane without it. Beyond that, I have had to be a little more inventive with my time to fit everything in. I multitask- cooking is also my Netflix time, I work in between classes to make money, I do my reading right when I get home from class so I don't procrastinate, I outline and review on Friday afternoons before 5pm so I can have Friday nights off. For my appellate brief for moot court, there is very little structure. Therefore, I set aside time each week within my planner to work on it and stay accountable. I have started to do this with everything- I plan time for cleaning, grocery shopping, outlining... everything is planned and I do my best to stick to it. I meal plan and utilize a crockpot often to make sure that we eat decently without wasting a bunch of time in the kitchen puttering around or doing the "what sounds good" or "what do we have" discussion. I record my oral advocacy competition arguments and listen to them while driving to and from class to enforce my memorization of my arguments. 2L year for me is all about efficiently and effectively using my time so I can get everything done and still have some time to relax.

For me, 2L year has been about implementing the lessons I learned 1L year and making myself a better student and a more efficient person. I do not regret the things I did 1L year... I was not the same person I am now and I am choosing to move forward to be the best I can be. 2L year is definitely different and is stressful and difficult in different ways than 1L year. However, I am confident that I will be successful and I am more confident than ever that the law is what I want to do.

Helpful printables: https://www.etsy.com/shop/LegalDuchessShop?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=1059870419

How to Maintain a Law School-Life Balance

Acclimating to life in law school is not easy. It is nothing like undergrad and the difference takes some getting used to. Tomorrow night I am going to be a part of a 2L student panel to give advice to my schools new 1L class during their orientation. One thing I am going to stress to the new students is a school-life balance and how important it is to maintain. It may not be easy and it will likely take a few weeks to establish a good balance between law school and life but it is very important. I suggest starting right from the beginning with establishing a solid school-life balance.

My first few weeks of 1L year were trying... I had a hard time finding a balance between my school work and my normal life. It was about a month into school when my husband sat me down and let me know that I was letting law school take over my life and he was worried. From then on out, I made a point to maintain a better balance between school and life. I wasn't always successful- around final memo time or exams, law school took over. But the rest of the semester, I worked to maintain a good balance between school and life and I think my mental health benefited greatly as did my marriage, family relationships, and friendships. It is easy to get caught up in law school and letting your life revolve around it in the first few weeks/months; if you make a school-life balance a priority from the beginning, it will be easier to maintain in the long run. Here are my tips for establishing a school-life balance right from the start.

Why the First Semester of Law School Does Not Define You

If you have been reading for a while, you may know that I struggled with my first semester of law school. If you have not been reading for a while, here's the cliff notes version: I entered law school having always been a top student, one of the smartest in my classes, on a full-tuition scholarship and having just graduated Magna Cum Laude with dual Bachelors degrees. I was ready to crush law school just like everything else. Suddenly, everything I thought I knew about school and studying didn't work and I was surrounded by people just as smart and often smarter than me. That was a big adjustment. I questioned myself and my choice to attend law school daily. Eventually, I got into the swing of things and it got easier. Then, I took law school exams... wow. They were unlike any exam I had ever completed and I struggled. A lot. No matter how hard I studied, it didn't seem to be enough and the format of the 4-hour exams was just draining. I squeaked by but my grades were nowhere near where I wanted them to be and I was confused, heartbroken and completely frustrated. I contemplated dropping out. I thought of back up plans if I couldn't finish law school. I cried to my parents and husband.

Finally, my wonderful mother got tired of my whining and moping and gave me the kick in the butt I needed- She informed me that it was okay to be upset and disappointed with myself. But she also said I had never not excelled at something I put my mind to in my entire life and it was about darn time I got knocked on my rear. She told me to stop whining and make a decision- I could either buckle down, work harder than ever before and prove to myself and my school that I could excel in law school the second semester. The other choice was dropping out and figuring out something else to do with my life. I took the first option.

I am happy to report that my hard work paid off- I re-engineered my study tactics, worked my butt off and was able to pull my GPA up 2 entire points after the second semester. I got a higher grade in every single class and I even got my first A in law school which led to me dancing down the hallway of my internship. I am eligible for Moot Court and moved up in the ranking. I have a wonderful internship and I am learning something every day. Overall, I am heading into my 2L year much more confident and set in my plan to finish law school and succeed in the legal field.

So why did I tell this story?? Because one semester does not define you. You can fail and fall flat on your back... it's okay. You can cry it out. Just pick yourself up, make some changes, buckle down and choose to improve. Never ever let one bad class or one bad semester break your dreams. I failed. I had the worst GPA of my life. I got my first C's. I took that failure and let it fuel me to never get those grades again and succeed. If I can do that, so can you!

Never give up after one tough break. You are smart enough, you are good enough and they would not have let you into law school if you couldn't do it. Re-engineer, redouble your efforts and attack it with a vengeance-fueled by all your frustrations. Work so hard you will never have grades that low again. Make success the only option. Whining and complaining will not change your grades- only hard work will do that. Do not give up after one bad semester.

The caveat to that is that it is okay to change directions. If after the first year you truly realize that law is not for you, then find something else. That is not giving up- that is making a way for yourself that is right for you. The law may not be for everyone and it is not what it seems from the outside looking in. There is no shame in choosing to go for a different career. You must do what's best for you.

I wish everyone finishing their first year the best of luck as grades come back- I hope the curve falls in your favor. For those gearing up for their first year of law school, prepare for a lot of hard work, exhaustion and the possibility of failure... but remember, you can always improve and that first semester does not define you. As my internship supervisor wisely told me, there are a million great lawyers out there making a difference and some never even got an A in law school. Grades do not define you. Keep your head above water- you can do it!!

An Easy Diet for a Young Professional

I will preface by saying I am dieting merely out of a personal effort to be a little more healthy and to eat less junk food in the wake of final exams where I ate like crap. It is not a lose weight diet but merely a more regimented way to stay on a healthy eating plan. Bikini season is just around the corner so this healthy diet will be paired with some exercise and hopefully, all that winter flab and finals week pizza will be gone. 

I have always been a healthy person blessed with a high metabolism. I have always been very active, growing up on a farm with endless work to do and riding horses daily my entire life. My family ate pretty healthily and I have never been one with a huge appetite so I have always been thin and trim and had zero concerns about my body. After starting law school and moving to a new city with only a small yard to work in and no horses to ride, suddenly all of my physical activity was cut out of my life and I spent all my time hunched over books or sitting in classrooms. Though I still ate healthily, took the stairs and did Yoga when time allowed, I could definitely tell a negative difference in my body and my overall fitness.

Now that school has ended for the year and the weather has gotten better, I have made a vow to get my fitness back under control. Besides the gym membership I will be purchasing in the next few days, I know a healthy diet is the best basis for a healthy body. I have done some research and devised an eating plan that will be simple enough to stick to as I start my internship and could work for most busy young professionals looking to trim up a bit and feel better about what they are putting in their body without breaking the bank or giving up enjoying food.

Breakfast

I will start my days with a whole bunch of coffee (non-negotiable) and one of a few varieties of filling, yummy and healthy breakfasts. I also take a variety of vitamins every morning including: Biotin, Magnesium, Vitamin D, Calcium, B12 and Vitamin E.

• Oatmeal with Fruit 
• Whole Wheat Toast with Peanut Butter
• A Fruit Smoothie
• Egg Sandwich (1 egg, 1 slice of cheese on an English muffin)

Lunch

I will be packing lunches to take to my internship so they need to be portable and easy enough to eat at the office. My lunches will include carrots and ranch, low-fat vanilla yogurt, whole wheat crackers and a variety of entrees. (oh and a cookie because I have the worlds biggest sweet tooth)

• Leftovers from previous dinners
• Baby Spinach Salad
• Turkey Sandwich on Whole Wheat Bread

Dinner

My husband is on a Gluten Free diet per doctor's orders so most of our dinners are Gluten Free. Because of this, they are all homemade and relatively healthy. I have a variety of go-to recipes and I am always looking for more. Here are a few of my favorites:

• Lasanaga
• Shredded Chicken Sandwiches
• Chicken and Rice Casserole
• Mongolian Beef Stirfry
• Shepherds Pie
• Grilled Chicken with a Vegetable side

Dessert

Did I mention my sweet tooth? It's rather persistent so I will need some sort of dessert in my life that still operates within the general realm of "not too unhealthy". 

• Cookies made with applesauce in place of butter
• Chocolate covered blueberries
• Dove Dark Chocolate Squares
• Chocolate Pudding

Snacks

I am a bit of a grazer so I always have to have some snacks available. This is usually how I end up eating junk so I am trying to be proactive and have some healthy snacks available. My goal is to limit to 2-3 snack breaks per day but we will see how that goes....

• Crackers and Laughing Cow Cheese
• Carrots 
• Celery
• Apples and Peanut butter
• Fruit Smoothies
• Yogurt 
• Granola bars 
• Trail Mix (nuts, cheerios, m&m's and raisins)

Well, friends, we will see how this diet fairs... fingers crossed my willpower is strong!

Reflections on 1L Year

Well... I did it. I completed my first year of law school. I am still too tired to really comprehend that fact but it is starting to sink in. This whole experience has been hard, exhausting, enlightening, entertaining and completely fulfilling. I have never been so proud of myself as I was upon completing my last exam and officially becoming a 2L. Now that a few days have passed, I have had time to sit back and really reflect on this year and all I have learned; inside the classroom and out. Here are my reflections on 1L year and tips for future 1L's.

1. Law School is a Whole New World
Cue the song from Aladdin because law school really is a whole new world. Sadly there is no magic carpet to guide you through your first year and you will have to rely on good ole' trial and error coupled with hard work to make it through. No matter how many blogs you read, older students you talk to and preparation you do, there is really no way to truly prepare yourself for the first year law school experience... it will try you but you will survive.

2. Friends Make it SO Much Easier
Just like anything else, friends make things easier. Particularly in law school, it is great to make some good friends within the school who understand what you are going through. Your best friend, parents and significant others will try but no one can really understand this experience unless they have gone through it/are going through it. I cannot stress enough how great it was to have those law school besties to lean on when things got tough. I could not have gotten through it without breakfast dates, study sessions, group texts and the constant laughing thanks to my law schools friends.

3. You're Not the Smartest Anymore
Law school forces people of extreme intelligence, strong work ethic, type a personality, competitive nature and a passion for the law into a few small classrooms. Most of us have always been "the smartest" prior to coming to law school and suddenly, everyone is like that. You have to put your ego on the backburner and not let it get to you. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses in law school; some excel in legal research and writing, others in oral arguments and some people just jive with criminal law. Find your niche and be proud of that and stop trying to be the best at everything- being your personal best is plenty good enough. This was a bit of an adjustment for me... but as soon as I stopped comparing myself to everyone else, life got a lot easier.

4. But, You are Smart Enough
There will be moments in the first year where it just seems like too much information, you will never be able to remember everything, you will never be able to comprehend adverse possession... let your doubts and concerns fuel you to work hard but also remember that you can do it. You are smart enough or you wouldn't have gotten in. You will be amazed by what your brain is able to comprehend, memorize and discuss by the end of the semester- you will be able to speak what seems like a whole new language. That's the light at the end of the tunnel. I am not the same person I was in August... I know more, I think differently and I have changed.

5. It Gets Easier
The first weeks of law school are hard... everything is so different. But, it will get easier. You will get better at case briefing, you will learn to read faster, you will crush a few cold calls. First semester exams will seem daunting, second semester will seem conquerable. There were a lot of moments where I wondered if I would ever be able to finish reading before midnight or answer a cold call without sounding silly and I can proudly say, I did it and you can too.

6. Don't Lose Yourself in the Process
Law school will change you and that's okay. But you can't let it change who you are. You are becoming a lawyer- that will be your career, not your entire life. Neglecting relationships, mental and physical health, hobbies and non-legal life is not worth it in the long run. Law school will be a huge portion of your life but don't let it take over completely. Balance (or something in that vicinity) is key.

7. Don't Lock into One Path Too Soon
I came into law school pretty open-minded as to an end goal- I wanted to be a lawyer and I wasn't picky as to what kind. I know other people who were dead set on becoming intellectual property lawyers or health compliance specialists. They put all their eggs in that basket and wouldn't accept internships outside of that field. I think they are doing themselves a disservice because you never know where you are going to end up and you never know if you might fall in love with a career path you never saw in your future. Stay open-minded and let life take you where it takes you.

8. Take Failures in Stride
Life is going to happen, you are going to miss a class or forget to read or heaven forbid, fail a class. It's not the end of the world. Life will go on and it does not mean you will not become a lawyer or be a good lawyer. Dwelling on failures will do you no good. Take it from someone who had a few hiccups in the first year.... life goes on and a few months later those things just don't matter anymore.

9. Take Opportunities
Law school is a great time to step outside of your comfort zone a bit. Join clubs, go to events you normally wouldn't, network... this is your last step before the professional world so take advantage of what it has to offer. I would say take chances but I don't think that's accurate- take advantage of opportunities. You never know where they may lead and how it may impact your life and your legal career.

10. If I can do it, You can do it
Law school is really hard but it is manageable. I struggled, I questioned myself, I cried a lot... but I made it. I completed my first year and I am 1/3 a lawyer. I am no genius and I am not the hardest worker in the world. I am newly married, a new homeowner and a dog mom x3. I spent a bit too much time watching Netflix, drinking wine and blogging. Despite all of that, I did it and I succeeded. You can too, I promise.

Law school is hard but if this is the path you are meant to be on, it is so worth it. My first year is an experience I will never forget and I am so glad I blogged my way through it and can look back on these times. Thank you to everyone who has been along for the ride- the sweet comments and emails I get just make my day. This blog is not slowing down anytime soon. I have a big summer full of an internship at my local criminal prosecutor's office, a few trips, lots more DIY's and cooking and just sharing my ordinary life with those who find it worth reading. Thank you to everyone who reads and follows along with "The Legal Duchess:.

Signing out as a 1L for the last time,  

Law School Finals.... Snapchats from 2 Miserable Weeks

Well friends... I am halfway through finals. 2 down, 2 to go. I have been getting an average of 5-6 hours of sleep per night, I have worn nothing but leggings and dinner has consisted of cereal and pizza. What a time to be alive.

I do not have the time nor mental willpower to make a real post so here's some snapchats from finals week to keep you entertained until I have recovered enough from finals to think about blogging again.

Got to have the proper snacks

Someone was feeling creative

Late nights + color coded charts galore

haha... but really though

Always helping

Going for the pretty study spread

but really just locked in a study room miserable 

again, always helpful

Husband shows up with dinner and caffeine as a surprise. I married a kepper

A very helpful baby dinosaur 

Best wishes to all those taking exams! May the curve be ever in your favor,

How to Study when you have Zero Motivation

Happy Monday.... I am driving the struggle bus today. It's that point in the semester... the end is so near you can taste it and yet a few weeks of non-stop studying and exams stand between you and freedom. It's the time when procrastination is at an all-time high, all you want to do is be outside in the sunshine and spending any extra hours in the law school sounds like torture. But, as much as it sucks, it is the time to buckle down and study your little heart out and get the grades you want. Here are my tips for finding the motivation to study when you have none.

How I Stay Organized with a Law School Exam Binder + Printable Exam Study Schedule

I LOVE to be organized. Like full on color-coded, sticky note crazy, everything is labeled... mildly OCD. Organization helps me to keep my crazy life straight and everything ready to go. The more stressed out I get, the more organized I want to be... it brings me peace. Therefore, exam time in law school requires me to be super organized or it just stresses me out even more than the exams already do. My key to organization during exams? My trusty exam binder!

I started making my exam binder and study schedule for spring exams tonight and I thought I would share the process with my readers! I started making it already so I have a collection spot for the exam materials I am starting to pull together in these last few weeks before exams.

Prepping for Law School Finals: One Month Out

I am not sure where the time went butttttt final exams are in like a month. Cue epic freak out. Time to outline, write out flashcards and take practice exams until I'm blue in the face. Here is what I am doing to prepare and set myself up for success one month out from final exams.

Maintaining Mental Health in Law School

If anyone has ever told you law school is easy, they are either a super genius or insane. Because it is hard. It puts you to the test. It is easy to get caught up in school and forget to take care of yourself physically and mentally. I cannot stress enough how important it is to take care of your health- particularly your mental health. Here are some tips for maintaining mental health during law school.

1. It's a marathon not a sprint
Law School lasts a solid 3 years followed by several months of bar preparation. You have to keep yourself moving forward toward that ultimate goal: a juris doctor. Starting out going balls to the wall and burning yourself out will not help you in the long run. Slow and steady is the goal; try to maintain a balance between school and life from the beginning and when you need a break, take one. Get a good nights sleep, spend time with family and friends, eat healthily, relax sometimes, find a way to destress and if you feel like you need help, get it. Good grades mean nothing if you sacrifice your mental health to get there. Just take one step at a time to get where you need to go.

2. Me-time is Necessary 
I mentioned relaxing. It is so important to take some time for yourself to relax. Maybe this is a long bath or baking a batch of cookies. Whatever settles your mind and brings you some peace, do it often. Personally, I like to bake or clean my house (just call me Monica Geller/Bing). As weird as that might be, it helps me to clear my mind and not think for a while. It also gives me something to look forward to: a sweet treat or a clean house. Sometimes I just take 30 minutes in the morning to drink my coffee and watch one of my favorite TV shows. It doesn't have to be extravagant, but finding a relaxing way to have some me-time and turn your brain off for a little while is very important when things get crazy.

3. Make Friends not Enemies
Law school is competitive. It is the nature of the beast and the type of people who pursue law. However, constantly being on edge and trying to compete with classmates is just downright exhausting. It is much easier to go to school and enjoy it because you have friends there. You are going to spend 3 years of your life around those people; it is much better to work toward making friends not enemies/competitors. Friends make you happy and happiness is much better for mental health. Law school is hard enough, don't go through it alone.

4. Don't Fake It
If things aren't going well, do not try to fake your way through it. Relax, slow down, talk to someone or get some help. Faking it and letting the pressure/stress/anxiety build will cause it to blow up later on. It is much better to address these things sooner rather than later. During my first semester exams, I tried to fake it whenever I was around my husband and put on a happy face, cook dinner and be superwoman. Around exam #3, I had a complete and utter mental breakdown in front of my poor husband who just didn't know what to do to make it better. After we talked through it and I finally stopped crying and screaming, we decided that whenever law school starting to send me over the edge, I would let him know and he could take a few things off my plate and cook dinner for a few nights or clean the house, etc. I needed to give up on being superwoman and accept that sometimes, I can't do it all. Open communication and taking care of problems earlier will be so much better in the long run.

5. Find a Healthy Way to Destress/Relax/Let off Steam
I have already talked about "me-time" and relaxing. This is a little different. During law school, often you need an outlet for all the frustrations. I know some people have healthy ways of dealing with this (exercise) and others have less healthy (alcohol or stress eating). It is much better to find a healthy way of dealing with these frustrations and to let off some steam. Personally,  I like doing Yoga or taking the pups for a long power walk. In undergrad, I loved spinning or kickboxing to get out my frustrations so I am currently begging my hubs to buy me a spin bike. Whatever works for you, a healthy outlet for stress and frustrations is always a good idea. However, many people turn to less healthy ways to deal with these frustrations; alcohol, drugs, stress-eating, etc. It may be easy to fall into those habits but they are not good for you long term. Try to find a healthy habit and start it before the stress hits. This way, you are already in a healthy routine so when you need to de-stress, you already have the habit of running/biking/swimming/yoga/etc. to blow off that steam.

6. If you need help, get it
Law schools generally have great access to mental help professionals, counseling services, etc. due to the stressful nature of law school. If you are struggling- go see someone. There is absolutely no shame in taking steps to ensure your own mental health. You do not even need to tell anyone- just do what you need to do and get yourself (hopefully) feeling better. You must put yourself first and make your mental health a priority.

Law school is really really hard. It tries you intellectually and mentally. Take care of yourself and keep your mental health in check because without that, it's going to be even harder. Make yourself a priority because no degree is worth giving up your health.

If you ever need to talk through things, my inbox is always open. I may not have all the answers but I can always listen.

A Guide to Law School Outlining

If you are in law school and you have heard the word outlining 365x since starting, raise your hand. If you were 110% confused as it what the elusive "outline" was, raise it again. If you spent 1L Thanksgiving break frantically outlining and still having no clue what you were doing and then entered your first round of exams with no confidence in those 30-40 page monster outlines, raise it one more time. If you raised your hand every time, you are just like me.

I had NO idea what on earth an outline was when I started law school. I looked all over the internet, talked to all my professors, talked to 2Ls and 3Ls and yet I still did not fully understand what I was supposed to be doing. I gave it the good old college try over Thanksgiving break because prior to that, I just hadn't been able to wrap my head around what I needed to do. Come exam time, I studied the crap out of those outlines but I was not 100% confident I had everything I needed to know or had it arranged and synthesized correctly. Throughout my first semester of law school, just the word "outline" caused me to have extreme anxiety. Now that I am on to semester two, I am feeling much better about the whole process. So for anyone out there who is struggling the way I did first semester, I truly hope this helps! A good outline is a big key to law school exam success so understanding the process is key.

Everything You Need to Know about Taking Notes in Law School

Notes.... seems like half my life during law school is spent taking notes. Reading notes, class notes, notes on how to outline, notes of how to study, notes on internship searching.... it never ends. One of the pros to this-I have gotten extremely good at my notetaking system.

Maintaining Friendships in Law School

Full disclosure- law school pretty much screws with every single part of your life. Where you live, how you spend your time, sleep schedule, eating habits, hobbies..... relationships and friendships. I think this is one of the hardest things about law school; figuring out how to write a trial brief and reading 100 pages a night is something you get used to. Having limited time with friends, family, significant others and trying to get them to understand what you are going through and why your stress is through the roof.... that takes a lot of adaptation. Also, law school throws you into a population of driven, competitive people and makes you spend several hours, 5 days a week with them. You either make friends or make enemies real fast; either way, relationships with peers is just another thing to navigate during your three years at law school.

Why You NEED to go over Exams with Professors

In case anyone is curious, the second semester of law school is NOT easier than the first semester. Sure, I know how to read, brief, study and handle a cold call now but I do not know how to write a trial brief, act in a mock pre-trial conference or handle the internship search. So that's how I am feeling a few weeks into the second semester. On the plus side- I have landed an internship with my local prosecutor's office for the summer and will be receiving both class credit and work-study. I am super excited for this opportunity.

Thoughts on Starting the Second Semester of Law School

Well.... I just completed my 3rd week of the second semester of law school. SOS.... it's been rough. First semester sucked.... second semester is so far even harder. Does someone want to remind me why I thought law school was a good idea?

So far, I have twice as much reading each night compared to last semester, legal research and writing assignments every weekend, professional development activities left and right, making time to review my exams from last semester and trying to find an internship. Outside of law school, I was rear-ended in a hit & run accident, my car is in the shop, I have been sharing a car with my husband and driving him to and from work, we got a new dog and my house chores are so overdue it's not even funny. It has been crazyyyy. 3 weeks in and I already had a meltdown.

One thing I know that is weighing on my mind is my grades from last semester- they were not at the level I had wanted, though they were not bad. I am working twice as hard thus far trying to set myself up for success this semester and to raise my GPA. I am reading more thoroughly, taking excessive reading notes, raising my hand twice as much in class and I have already started outlining. I sure hope it pays off because I am exhausted.

As for the internship search, I have an interview next week (hallelujah!!). I know it will be a huge relief once I have something pinned down and that isn't hanging over my head and stressing me out anymore.

I hope your second semesters are off to a better start than mine!

Spring Semester Goals

My second semester of Law School is just 3 short days away! Break has flown by. As I prepare to start another semester, I am making some goals for myself to try to further improve my learning and study habits. Hopefully I will stay on track.... Here are my 10 goals for my second semester of Law School.

A Law School Update

Sorry it has been so long! Life has been so busy I could barely find time to cook dinner let alone blog. But, without further adieu, here is an update on Law School.

I just turned in my final legal memo for my research and writing class. It was a huge challenge and seemed to overtake my life for a week or so and I am so relieved to have it turned in. However, now the anxiousness of waiting for the grades may just give me an ulcer.

Classes are simultaneously getting harder and winding down at the same time. We are to the point where everything has interwoven and has come full circle.... it is a lot of information to keep straight.However, at the same time, we are getting shorter reading assignments, let out of class early and things are noticeably slowing down. I start to get excited and think I have spare time and then I remember that exams are sneaking up really fast and get right back to work.

On the subject of exams, I am scared to death. I have been outlining and making notecards but I feel like I have so far to go in so little time. Thankfully the memo is out of the way and that frees up a lot of time for studying and outlining.

Another thing that had started to take up my time is professional development. They are officially talking us through the internship search process and we have to turn in resumes, cover letters and etiquette events. Also, we have at least one networking event every week that require dressing up business professional and take a good hour or so.

So long story short, Law School has officially gotten crazy, hard and stressful. It is testing me in a way I have never been tested and challenged before in my life. But it is a means to an end... it will be worth it when I am done and I can add Juris Doctor to my name.

Back to reading! Hope everyone's semesters are going well. 

My First Law School Midterm

Happy Halloween!!!! Law School is getting real folks. Want to know what sacred me today? I had my first midterm this afternoon. I realize this is a lot later than most schools but my teacher pushed it back a whole week to ensure we covered the last chunk of material. My exam was over Estates and Future Interests of Property Law. According to my professor, this is the hardest material we will cover all of 1L year... I am pretty sure I believe him. That stuff was hard.