Starting law school can be daunting and is not for the faint of heart. There are a few things to keep in mind though that will keep you grounded and make the first few months more manageable. Here they are.
Do Not Stress About The Socratic Method Of Teaching
One of the biggest challenges of law school is getting used to the socratic method of teaching. I know that I was terrified of the first "call on." I remember worrying that I would look silly, unprepared and nervous. This went on for the first few months and I often spent many a class in fear. After time though, I realized that the call on was not a big deal. First, neither the professor nor your classmates expect you to look like an expert. Second, you likely look and sound much better than you think. I found I was my own worst enemy and very critical of what I said in class. Finally, fumbling or not knowing an answer is normal and expected. You are there to learn and if you knew everything you would not need to pay $45,000 a year to go to law school. The best advice I can give you about the socratic method is to prepare for class and to relax. Those two things will make your first few months run smoothly. One thing I can promise you is that by the second semester, your fear of the socratic method will drastically reduce as you will come to terms with everything I have mentioned above. One student I met used to skip classes because she was so terrified of the call on. Big mistake.
Go To Class
You likely have already started to see many people cutting classes. Some say that they can just read the text and do well and others feel the professor just repeats what they already know. Both of these types of students generally do poorly in law school. The best way to get good grades is to go to class. Several people who were not doing well after the first term asked me for advice on how they could improve their grades and invariably they were people who did not feel that going to class was that important. I cannot tell you how many times I heard, “He just repeats what is in the textbook” or “I go to most classes”. Going to half of the classes will get you half the grade and if you do not mind a B- or C, then do not bother going to class. This advice is applicable for all years in law school but especially the first year. Even in my third year of law school, I would read and brief a case and be surprised when I would attend class and find that I missed a significant point. In addition, often when I read cases and then subsequently went to a class, I found that I may not have paid as much attention to the part of the opinion that the professor found most interesting. If a professor finds a particular aspect of an opinion fascinating, you can bet that this aspect is what is going to show up on the exam.
Keep Your Eye On The Prize
Your first year will be the most important year of law school and may very well determine the opportunities you will be afforded after you graduate. You should keep in mind that on campus recruitment is conducted immediately after your first year ends so employers only have your grades and activities of the first year to go on. As such, to the extent you can, you should put as much focus and attention on getting good grades and getting involved in activities such as Moot Court and Law Journal. While I understand that most will put in an effort, this is the year to perhaps skip the party now and then, cancel plans that interfere with studies and to do everything you can to get top grades by year end.
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