Visiting Law School Professors Office Hours

Well, well, well. If it isn't finals, sneaking up right after you thought you were safe from midterms. Sucks, right? Yeah, in case you haven't noticed, "this sucks" is a general theme of law school and like you've probably noticed, it won't get easier from here but you're just going to get used to it now. If you're stressing about the idea of finals looming in, take this moment to take a breath and calm down but then resist the urge to run away from your responsibilities and finish this post. For my sake at least so I don't feel like a loser who makes blog posts that no one reads lol :) 

Anyways, let's talk about midterms real quick (and not the elections haha). Let me first acknowledge that most of you did worse than you were expecting. That's okay! It's rare to do well on your first law school test, and it's even rarer that anyone actually thought they did well and also happened to do well on it. It's just part of the fun, self-esteeming boosting method of law school 🙃 

So, when I was a 1L the ABA was just starting to recommend midterms because as you might've heard in the news, law school performances are all over the place and the ABA thought it might be nice for schools to realize that all of their students are struggling hard core before they're one final grade. I know midterms suck, but be grateful for them!!! Yeah you probably did bad. Remember how I failed one of mine? It's better to find out you were failing before the big test than in January when you find out you're on academic probation! This is a scrimmage game to help you see where you're killing it and where to improve. How do you know these things? Well, my friend, please refer to the title of this post!

Related: The time I almost dropped out of law school

Call ahead

Not literally, but do give your professor a heads up. It's not a great plan to just show up willy nilly at office hours expecting to get anything out of it. First off, there's a whole class full of people with the same intentions as you. You're not going to get to talk with your professors about their personal suggestions on how you could be an A student if there's 10 other people in their office trying to do the same. Second off, professors have a life and job outside of office hours so you don't want to be rushed trying to review the answer key before your professor kicks you out because he has another class in 10 minutes.

This is a very critical step in beating law school, so don't rush through this. Email your prof ahead of time and schedule a time to meet with them. You're an important ray of sunshine and you deserve a full hour (or however much they schedule it for) and deserve their full, undivided attention. I know that some professors will just be like just stop on by during office hours and if that's the case then fine, but don't just assume that and at least first try to get the solo VIP treatment that you deserve.

No matter the grade, GO

Luckily for the purposes of this blog, I've been through it all— from surprising myself with better-than-expected grades to embarrassing myself with WTFFFFF went wrong grades. Even if you got an A+ you still need to hop off your high horse and go see the professor about your test. Why? Because they is always room for improvement in the legal field. That's why it's called practicing law. Be a learner, not a knower! Trust me, even the top scorer from a T14 school has tons of room for improvement because you are far from being a qualified attorney. 

On the flip side, yep it's embarrassing as hell to participate in class and put forth all your effort and get a disappointing grade. Lick your wounds because I know it hurts. But, my dear, that is the way of the law. Every single person in this profession has thought they killed a cold call, exam, motion, trial, and ended up looking like an idiot. Anyone who says otherwise is a damn liar. So have a little comfort knowing you're not the only one who has messed up and take it from me that you can turn this semester around. Your mission (that you have no option of "should you choose to accept" because it's your future on the line, nbd) is to figure out your strengths to keep those up for next time, and figure out your weaknesses to strengthen up for next time.

Approach it with a game plan

Don't just come in and expect your professor to do all the work. Remember, this is law school so the hand holding pretty much ended at orientation. Take a notebook with you and find out these answers while you're there:

Essays

What was a model answer? Either from last year's final or a sample of one of your classmates of what they like to see.

Where was I the weakest at? Most 1Ls have a problem of stating a conclusion without backing it up (using "because" in their analysis). But some have a problem of missing the issue completely so their whole response is off. Some have problems articulating their arguments. And sometimes you just flat out didn't know the rule. 

What is one of my strengths? Find out the best one or two things you did on that paper, and learn how to improve them. This can help you go from getting 2 points on the conclusion to 3 points and all these 1 extra points can help you when it comes to the curve. Remember, no matter how great you are there's still room for improvement!

Multiple Choice

What areas of the law am I missing the most? (example, for Torts I somehow forgot that intentional torts existed and answered all of my questions based off negligence)

What type of questions am I missing the most? (do you know the rule but are missing the issue, spotting the issue but missing the rule, getting confused in the facts, missing double negatives in answers)

Are there any old tests I can review? What supplements do you recommend?

Why am I missing these questions? This is more for you to consider because a professor probably won't know. (were you rushing through it and will need to work on timing, are you misapplying rules because you don't know them well, are there similar rules that you're getting confused) 

Related: How to prepare for different law school test questions

Shoot your shot

This will not work for most professors, but like the heading says, shoot your shot. Come in with your outline (or schedule this later for time concerns) and ask your professor to look over it. Are you being too broad with the concepts and missing points by leaving out the details? Are you too hyper-focused on minute details that you're slowing yourself down? Don't ask them to edit your outline for you, but just ask if they think you're adequately studying the material.

Related: How to make a law school outline

This can actually be a major help for you if your professor is willing to do this. If you're zoomed too much out or in and they can help you with this, then you can improve your studying for the final. If your professor isn't up for this, try to have them steer you in the right direction for help, like to a tutor. And if you don't get this, still reach out to an upperclassmen who did reasonably well in this class with this professor and knows what they're looking for. Making your own outline is super helpful when studying, but also nerve-wrecking because you never know if you're doing enough or too much, and this is how you find out that answer. Remember, you never get what you don't ask for! 

Be professional nice

Hi do I sound like your mom yet? But for real, take this piece of advice seriously. I've felt and seen everything from walking in all hot because you just aced the test to wanting to cry because you're sucking it up to wanted to yell because you just can't believe you did that poorly. Resist all these urges. Go out with your classmates for drinks and get your emotions out before you even email your professor about your test.

This person in front of you has a lot of power, but it's easy to forget that. If you want a job next summer or a scholarship next semester, the person you're going to right now might be just the person to help you out through a little thing called a rec letter. And if you show up prepared and work with them on improving yourself, then maybe you'll be in a prime position to take them semester after semester and go from getting a B to a B+ to an A- and wow hello good GPA. Beyond that, remember that your professors are still remembers of the legal community and likely have a million lawyer friends (because no one else will put up with our lame law jokes) and can recommend you for a job or hook you up with a mentor later on. Basically, just remember to be strategic with your moves in law school because you're building up your reputation and career opportunities right meow.

Related: How to ask a professor for a rec letter and Tips to raise your law school GPA

Look, I know that visiting professor's office hours seems like one of those things that everyone says to do but you don't actually do it... but DO IT!! It's one of those things that feels like it'll be really awkward and embarrassing at first but then once you do it, you're sooo glad you did! Oh and once you go, make it a personal mission to go again at least once more and no later than 2 weeks before the final.

What's the most helpful question you've asked (or wish you would've asked) during office hours? And how often do you actually go to office hours? Let me and all your fellow law students know in the comments! 

let's be friends!

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Finding Meetups & Study Groups in Your 1L Year of Law School

Hi friends! I'm super excited today because I'm back with another guest post!! I was so excited to find out that TestMax wanted to collaborate on today's post because I've been following their Twitter all of law school and think they're such a cool company! In case you're not super familiar with them, TestMax provides comprehensive test prep courses (mobile and web) for LSAT, Bar Exam, and most recently, a product called the 1L to help students get through their first year of law school. As you'll see below, TestMax really knows law school and have great resources for 0Ls and 1Ls. Today, they're helping you get your study group up and running!

Getting through your 1L year can seem incredibly daunting. You're adjusting to a new, rigorous program and are probably working harder and longer than you ever have before.

To balance this out, it can help to find study partners or groups to break up the work, help each other out, and make your law school experience more manageable. Another benefit to these groups is the networking factor. The law school students of today are the associates, partners, and network of the future in the field of law.

Here is a look at different online and tradition methods to make your 1L year a little less of a solo journey:

Student Organizations and Clubs

Possibly the most obvious place to being searching for a group setting of fellow law students is a list of your law school organizations. The positives here are that many clubs may not expect 1L students to take on too much responsibly. So, this could be a way to meet others, learn from them, and set yourself up for a leadership position as your progress through law school without over-committing yourself in your first year.

Organizations exist for eeeeeverything imaginable. There are clubs for different ethnic backgrounds, spiritual backgrounds, social justice interests, etc. At the University of Virginia, there's even a student organization called Mindfulness in Law which aims to use a mindful approach to improving legal work and relationships.

Check with your school and do some digging to see what's available. You may find some really interesting clubs to partake in!

Online Law School Forums

Online forums provide a great opportunity to start or join a conversation with other 1L students (or students of any year) when you want to discuss experiences with others in the same boat. These can be questions you want answers to, advise you seek, opinions you're collecting, dealing with stress, etc. Even though this is a little bit more old school, online forums, such as Top Law School's TLS Forums, let you reach out to and connect with other law students you may otherwise never come across or have contact with. This can give you greater reach and accessibility to different resources and ideas. These kinds of forums have made the world a VERY small place, in many ways.

The downside to these forums is that, as anyone can join most of them, you may not have ways to truly vet all the contributors. It's always important to use your best judgment and to not accept things on blind faith.

Meetup Websites

Technology to the rescue once again! These days, there are so many websites dedicated to organizing group meet ups. You can start the listing yourself (just remember the extra responsibilities that come with this!) or find one and join in.

Some are done virtually, giving you the flexibility to not worry about it being local, while others let you list by physical location, allowing you to find others in the area. One of the most popular of these sites is Meetup.com, which boasts hundreds of meet ups each minute in locations across the globe. Here, you can find or create opportunities to build study groups, meet with people to discuss specific interests or topics, etc. In our most recent search, there was a current lack of 1L-specific study groups already listed, but consider that the opportunity to create a dream group exactly as you'd like. For quick reference, take a look at the Law School groups here: Law School Groups.

Other options are seeking out meet ups through event websites, like Eventbrite, where you can not only get your knowledge on, but also find other students to connect with. There's also sites geared more towards casual local hangouts, like CitySocializer, in case you want a hang out that's not law school centric.

Online Study Groups

Along with the above options, you can find different sites that encourage and facilitate online study groups. These are a bit few and far between, but you can consider something like GoConqr and see if it works for you! Again, remember that you need to use your best judgment when working with strangers (and soon to be study buddies) online, to make sure you're working with motivated, focus students.

The journey through law school is challenging, and adapting during your 1L year is crucial to your overall success. Don't allow yourself to become over-committed or feel isolated in your experience. There are tons of people just like you looking for meet ups, study groups, and forums on a local, notional, and even global level. With so much connective capability, you can certainly find the right fit for you. The benefits are emotional, educational, and network-enhancing!

How to Save Your Law School GPA

Surprise haha! I plan on doing a post about graduation and several posts about what I learned from my internship and about Bar prep, but today I'm taking a quick study break to write this because I feel like I need to say this now so here it is. 

Okay so look, literally EVERYONE in law school will have *that one semester* where they didn't do so hot (even yours truly). Even if you're on academic probation, I want you to remind yourself of that! Law school is hard and sometimes it can be too much at once and your grades can suffer, but that doesn't mean that you should drop out (unless you truly hate it). So here's some ideas to help you get back in the game and raise that GPA.

Related: How to mentally bounce back from bad grades

Take the professor, not the class

This was some advice that one of my 1L professors gave our class and he was so right. If you find a professor that you click with and did well with, take that professor again as much as possible. Each time you retake him, you're starting out a little bit ahead because you already know what to expect in class and on exams. This little edge can help you get repeat good grades to cushion your GPA. And, usually if you retake a professor a lot you get to know them and then wow look at you having a go-to person for scholarship or job rec letters or other opportunities. Even if you don't necessarily need these classes, take them if your schedule will allow it.

Related: How to find law school scholarships 

Take summer classes

I'm a huuuuge proponent of summer classes in law school. Not only are they normally cheaper than regular law school classes (so you're getting credits at a discounted rate and taking out less loans), you also are getting ahead on your credits so you can take less classes in during the regular year. This will help your grade during the regular year because you can take less classes so you'll be less overworked and will have less to study during finals and more time to study for your other classes. 

Anyways besides all this, the summer classes that I've taken are usually easier because you are taking only one or two classes at a time and generally the classes aren't as intense as regular law classes because they're shorter. Now a warning that summer classes are usually smaller and you know how that's not fun with the curve so try extra hard in these classes! I mean after all, it's a lot easier to take one class and throw yourself in to it and then put yourself in a position to beat the curve  than treat this like a regular class. Don't worry if you're working during the summer or gone, because you can still take advantage of this if there's some flexibility with your schedule.

Related: How to balance summer classes and clerking and How to handle an online law school class

Take the easy A

Now, there's some debate on whether this is sabotaging you with the Bar if you are taking pointless classes that aren't covered on the Bar or are taking Bar-covered classes but not really learning anything. I took an easy Wills class and while some of this stuff is new to me I don't really feel all that behind my classmates who took the harder Wills professor and learned more than me, because the Bar prep companies do a good job of catching you up. If your grades are fine then maybe you don't need to risk this, but I think if you're on the edge then it's worth it to chase the grade. I mean, after all, being prepared for the Bar is useless if you failed out of law school right? 

Try a new study style 

Each year of law school, I ended up having a totally different study style. Not because one was bad so I had to do another but just because I had to adjust to my circumstances and also I guess I wanted to experiment for the purpose of weighing in my opinion (just like Carrie Bradshaw's dating life right? haha). Anyways, here's some different styles for you to explore:

Breaking your day down into sections

Study from 9-5 like a job

Read on the weekends and review before class

If you were working or were in extracurriculars, then maybe it's time to cut back on those or even stop. I know you're probably trying to set yourself up to get a job, but again remember that you're not going to get a post-graduation job if you don't graduate. Also, it might be worth the investment to look in to getting some supplements to help you review and make sure that you're understanding the material like you need to be.

Related: Law school supplements 

This is a short post, but I just wanted to give some of y'all out there some motivation and ideas to get you started on saving your GPA! If you got bad grades because you realized that you hated law school, then I totally support your decision to drop out (I mean hey at least you tried and now you know). But if you don't hate law school, don't think just that one bad semester or a few less-than-mediocre semesters should make you stop. If you have any other suggestions of how to help that GPA creep back up, leave a comment below (even if it's anonymous!) and pass on the knowledge. 

let's be friends!

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Time Balancing in Law School

I sent out a calling the other day for post requests from y'all and the overwhelming theme of every request I got had to do with managing your time in law school, which I totally get because that's one of the things that can be the most overwhelming to figure out as a 1L and also one of the things that I feel like all law students complain about.

Manage your expectations

College did not prepare you for law school, time-management wise, at all! In college, your day was like 3-4 hours of school and then 20-21 hours of free time. This led to lots of parties and opportunities for part-time jobs and just a whole bunch of Netflix. Coming from this to law school can make you feel like you have no free time at all when suddenly you realize you're spending like 14 hours a day either in class or reading for class or preparing for class. It's a big life-style change! So if you're not in law school yet, you might as well go ahead and accept your fate that your daily schedule is going to change.

Related: How law school and college are different

Your free time isn't really free time

Another big change is how you actually spend your free time. In college, in between classes gave you plenty of time to go out and be social with friends or run errands all over town. In law school, by the time you are finally done with class and reading, you're exhausted. Mental exhaustion is a totally new feeling that probably up to this point you've only really felt after you're finally done with finals and therefore a string of all-nighters. But in law school it can be like an every day thing. So instead of being productive when you finally have nothing to do and cleaning your apartment, or being social and meeting up with friends, all you have the energy to do is just lay on your couch for like an hour and stare at your ceiling, not really thinking about anything because your brain is exhausted (this literally happens to me). All this to say that it just gives this allusion that you have no free time in law school because you never feel like you have free time to get shit done.

Related: How to learn to have free time in law school 

Make your time efficient 

I will preach time management as one of the keys to sanity in law school until I am blue in the face. I'm telling y'all if you aren't good at time management before law school, you'll learn fast. This is kinda a trial-and-error thing because what works for one person might not work for you and what works for one semester/year might not work for the next. Whatever system works for you, if you schedule out your day you will feel like you have so much more free time because you will get a block of a solid 6 hours or whatever of free time to truly relax instead of an hour here and 30 minutes there, which will feel like you never actually have time to just take a break.

Related: My 1L daily schedule and my 2L daily schedule

Study smarter, not harder

Speaking of time efficient, here's the thing I'll let you in on... it's literally not worth your effort to spend 5 hours preparing for one class. Yes you should be be reading for class, and book briefing will help, and making a case brief (IRAC) will help, and there's always more that you can do. But once you get down the basics, you can slowly stop doing so much because it doesn't take as much effort for you to understand what the legal concepts are. I'm not saying start slacking, but I am saying start figuring out what gives you the most help and stick with that. If you start to feel like you're slipping behind, just use some supplements to fill in the gaps to make sure you're fully understanding what's going on. I promise you that if all you do is kill yourself trying to study every waking moment, you're going to end up burnt out on law school and hate yourself.

Related: Quimbee and Law school supplements explained

Tackle things in pieces

You will basically have two assignments your 1L year of law school— readings every day and then a big memo or brief (an appellate brief, not a case brief) for your writing class. Some people prefer to get their readings out of the way on the weekends and some people prefer to do a little reading each day. Try out both and don't just assume that one is better than the other because reading is your life for 3 years. Just whatever you do, don't get behind on your readings!! 

Related: How to create a study plan 

Which brings me to the big writing assignment. Start early because this is seriously harder than anything you've ever written before. I don't care if you whipped out a 30-page paper one time in college by pulling an all-nighter and still got an A. This has lots of case researching, argument brainstorming, argument organizing, and lots of citing to figure out and you will have a full panic attack if you wait. Plus, it's easier to squeeze in just a little extra work on top of your every day assignment for a few weeks instead of being that person stuck choosing between reading for class or working on your paper. 

Related: How to write a an appellate brief and How to write a memo

let's be friends!

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Putting the Law School Curve Into Perspective

It's me again! Sorry I accidentally took like a month off from blogging but honestly with finals and then Christmas coming up it really felt like I only took 2 days off! But I know that right now is the hardest time of the year to be a 1L. You took your finals that were probably harder than you anticipated and now you just sit back and wait for your grades. I remember coming home from my first semester of law school and family friends would ask me how school was and my honest answer would be, "I don't know. I could've flunked out or I could be on the Dean's list so we'll find out once grades are posted." And it takes like a month for your grades to be posted! 

It's so nerve-wrecking because for almost all of your classes, your grade comes down to that one test. None of this oh if I make an 83 I'll get an A in this class math because you don't have any other grades to calculate and because of the curve, you don't know what you'll get in the class. I feel like the curve can be a major source of anxiety for anyone who isn't used to it, so I thought I'd dedicate a whole post to it since I've just mentioned it in passing before.

It's not as bad as you think

The curve was explained to me once as You don't have to outrun the bear, Just the other campers. This is the curve at it's most basic part, but isn't really the whole truth. I mean, yes, technically, if you do better than everyone else, you'll get a good grade. And yes, technically, this didn't really happen in college because if everyone else did just as good as you, then you'd all get a good grade. But here's the thing I've come to find out, the curve doesn't punish you like you'd think it would. 

In all actuality, law school is generally made up of some of some really smart people to begin with. The curve can show you who really understood the material (beyond just word vomit) and who really worked for it. The people who get A's actually do write a really great answer and the people who get F's actually do write a really blah answer. And the people who get B's/C's (whatever the curve median is set to) actually do write really average answers.

Most people know the right answer

Here's a very basic difference in the curve:
Dan punched Paul. Discuss the potential outcome of a lawsuit between D and P.

F answer: Paul can't sue Dan because it's totally legal to punch people.
D answer: Paul will win.
C answer: Paul will win because this is a battery by Dan. The elements to battery are... 
B answer: Paul will win because this is a battery by Dan. The elements to battery are... The elements of battery where met when... 
A answer: Paul will win because this is a battery by Dan. The elements to battery are... The elements of battery where met when (applying the facts to the rule)... This is similar to case X; there, the Defendant slapped the Plaintiff and the court found that the slap was a battery because...

F completely gets the answer wrong. D just barely answers the question. C answers the question and gives a rule and some elements. B does that plus applies the facts of the case.  See, up to this point, all answers that were right technically passed. A just goes that extra step and shows that they truly do understand and know everything they've learned about battery. There's nothing wrong with B but between the two responses, it's obvious who deserves an A. And there's nothing wrong with C but between the two responses, it's obvious who deserves a B. Law school doesn't just hand out 4.0's; you have to really work hard to earn them.

You'll still get the grade you deserve

I say this because it can be really easy to either be completely afraid of the curve or blame it for your grade. But just like in my example, it's usually pretty obvious who deserves the F and who deserves the A so it's not like people aren't getting the grades that they deserve. And actually, the curve can really help you. For example, in undergrad if there was a really hard test and most of the students got like 30-50% wrong, then they'd all fail. But in law school, if a test is really hard and most of the students got that, well then what do you know getting 50% correct is a C! That's right, sometimes the curve can pull you up!

It get's better after 1L

Here's another glimmer of hope about the curve: it gets easier after your 1L year (but also double check with your school before you rely on this). A lot of schools see the 1L year as a way to test out the class. Some people are only in law school because it was there backup plan (yes this is a strange concept to those of us who dreamed of only this for years). Some people are only in it because they were pressured by their parents to be a lawyer. Some only are here because they just want to be rich. Law school will test you to see who really will dedicate their time and effort to it and who will ultimately need to be weeded out because they just don't need to be a lawyer. And future interests in property are a way to haze you just for fun! Back to my point, once you survive to be a 2L and your school knows you're in it to win it, they don't have to test you as hard. This means that hopefully your GPA will go up just a smidgen. 

Related: A breakdown of the 1L curve and An example of the 1L curve

Beating the curve: review your finals

So, how do you beat the curve? The easiest way is to point chase, my friends. In the spring when you get your grades back, go to office hours and review all of your finals! While you're there, hopefully your professor will offer to let you see the best responses to each question. If he doesn't offer, ask to see it! If they don't allow this, then ask them to go over your final with you and see where you can improve. Usually really all you need is to just explain yourself just a little bit more!

Beating the curve: point chase

The secret key to point chasing is attack outlines! Condense all of the material from each chapter down to the main topics that you can fit on one page. So for this, I would have battery, the elements, and a relevant case name if there's one. If it's a closed-book final, memorize this and then write it down on scrap paper during the first minute of your test. This way, you have a little checklist of everything relevant to include on any one issue so that you can make sure you're covering your basis.

Beating the curve: be time conscious

Another tip is to use your time wisely. If you read a fact pattern and realize that you don't really see any issues, skip that question and move on. It's better to spend your time answering questions that you truly know the answer for and get all the points on that one than to waste your time thinking shitshitshitshit for 20 minutes and then only having time for a half-hearted answer to the question that you do know the issues.

And unless your professor specifically tells you he wants a lot of info about the cases, don't get caught in a case time-trap. Hit the cases hard and fast. For example, just say Pennoyer instead of Pennoyer v. Neff. And spend no more than one sentence stating the facts and comparing/contrasting them to your facts, and no more than one more sentence stating the rule/holding and applying that to your facts. Lots of points in just a few sentences, and then move on. 

Related: How to point-chase in a final and More finals tips

How not to think of the curve

But ultimately, you're not going to have peace with yourself until you accept the curve. Yes, there are people who actually have perfect 4.0's in law school (my friend is one of them and I'm amazed). However, most likely you're going to be a B/C student and there is nothing wrong with that! Reread that sentence again and again until you can accept it. It's really hard for law students to accept this statement because usually we've always being overachievers and we've just come accustomed to have stellar grades. But if you're sitting there embarrassed about your 2.5 GPA, you're worrying and stressing over nothing. If anything, take comfort that a majority of your classmates are sitting right in the same boat with you. 

Also, don't waste your energy being jealous of the people with better GPA's than you. As you saw above, the people getting C's and the people getting A's generally understand the material the same amount, one just did a little better job explaining how she understood the material. And I swear if I ever find out any of my readers are trying to sabotage their classmates because you're in the mindset of "the worse they do, the better I'll do," I will save what little money that I make off this blog to personally fly out to your school and yell at you. Seriously though, that mindset is what leads to "if I hide this exculpating evidence then I'll for sure get a guilty conviction" behavior. It's just a slippery slope and if that's the only way you're getting good grades then brutally and honestly you didn't deserve that grade. I'm not saying bend over backwards to help your classmates study, but I am saying that a much more realistic and sane way to approach the curve is to just put your nose down and try your hardest.

Why the curve won't kill you

Which brings me to my last point (getting off my soap box now), I said it in my podcast episode and I'll say it again: all you need to do with the curve/finals is to try your hardest and have faith that your hardest was enough. You'll pass; you'll survive; you'll move on to the next class that you think will be your law school career; and then you'll graduate. Law school  is just about learning how to ride out the storm, my friends. 

let's be friends!

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Library Necessities

As I type this, my butt is numb because I've been sitting in this chair for over 7 hours straight. Yes that's right, it's time to live in the library! Since I need a lil study break, I thought I'd do a quick post over some lib necessities because really your whole study vibe can mess up when you're not prepared.

Of course, if you're over the library then check out my post on Where to Study for Finals for suggestions on where else to go!

Snuggie

I'm convinced that libraries only have two AC options, full blast in the summer or just turned off in the winter. No low setting, no heat when it's cold. Snuggies are the best because your full body can be warm but your arms are still free to highlight and type all night. Sure they might look a tad ridiculous, but at this point in the semester I bet you're rocking a greasy messy bun and sweats so we can all agree that looks don't count during the semester. 

Ear plugs

People ignore no talking signs. That's a fact. Ear plugs will allow you to block them out and will save you from having to shush people every 5 seconds. Some people swear by noise-canceling headphones but I've come to find that having no sound at all is way less distracting than even having study music on in the background. I keep a travel case with some ear plugs in my study carrel at all times and I think it really helps me get more done.

Blue-light glasses

After hours and hours of looking things on your laptop as you study, your eyes are going to start hurting and you're going to get a headache because that's just a thing that comes with technology. Blue-light blocking glasses are a cheap way to fix this and save your eyes from damage. These are actually just handy to have in general because I feel like law students are always on our laptops.

Every colored pen and highlighter you own

I usually keep my big stash of highlighters and colored pens in my house, but for a serious lib sesh I'll load them all up and take them on a little field trip. For some reason, I get very extra when I'm at the library. Idk if subconsciously I'm trying to use all these colors to show off like look at me color-coordinating I might as well run a studyblr or if it's just because I'm procrastinating by telling myself that I have to color-code before I even get started. Either way, go ahead and bring them all because you're going to want them.

Neck/back warmer

Okay, okay, so this is definitely even less fashionable than a snuggie so probably you would only wear this if you're studying in a study room where people can't see you or you've just gotten to the IDGAF stage of studying. I got this neck/back warmer on a recommendation from my doctor for when I study because the hours of looking down at my notes was starting to really make me be in pain. This thing warms up those muscles to help prevent them from cramping and as an added bonus libraries are always freezing so will warm you up too.

Focus help

I use two little things to help me spend more time working and less time pinning on Pinterest. I've mentioned the first one in my Favorite Law School Apps post, but it deserves another shoutout. I have the Focus app on my phone and watch that helps me use the Podomoro study method of 25 minutes on-task and then a 5-minute break and repeat. It makes me take little breaks so I don't get burnt out or still, and then the "get back to work" alerts help me keep my study breaks from turning into an hour of doing nothing. The other thing is the Self Control app for my laptop. Basically you make a list of all of the sites that you know you shouldn't be on and it blocks those for you. If you're super serious about studying, you can use this app and then on your 5 minute breaks from studying, you can go on bathroom breaks or re-organize your to-do list. Basically you make the library 100% social media free.

Game plan

Here's literally exactly what I do when I get to the library so I can be my most productive. 

1. Turn on pocket points — Since my study app works on my watch, I turn on pocket points as another incentive to stay off my phone as much as possible. Plus I feel like getting a free cookie after several hours in the library is a pretty good reward for working hard.

2. Make a to-do list — I always go a little extra and write down more to-do's than I know is possible, because I'm the kind who will be like oh I only have one more thing to do tonight so I can take a longer break so I need the reminder to stay on-task. I also get extra and make to-do's about my to-do's. So like right now I'm writing a paper so I made a to-do list of every paragraph that I need to write and I'm checking them off as I go. This also helps because I jump around and don't write in order, so I need to make sure that I don't forget to go back and finish a paragraph.

3. Make a timeline — If you've got a lot going on, this will help. What I like to do is plan out and say okay I'll spend an hour outlining on this subject and then the next hour I'll review it. Then I'll move on to the next subject and do the same. Even if you just want to focus on one subject the entire time you're at the library, I really feel like planning out your to-do list will help it be more feasible and also will establish an end time. The end time helps because it can either be a motivation factor like okay only 3 more hours of making yourself do this crap and then you can take a bubble bath or will keep you reined in so you don't look up and realize that it's 3am and you have class in 5 hours and you just completely lost track of time.

let's be friends!

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Law School Supplements Explained

Being a blogger is so weird sometimes. The other day I was getting into my car to go to work and I thought wow how have I never written a post about what people are talking about when they're referring to supplements? and so here we are! I'm going to cover all of the ones that I can think of, but if I miss something please comment below so that I can update this! I just want my readers to be the most in-the-know students 💁🏻

Outlines

Outlines are the #1 study method in law school and because of this, everyone you meet is going to have a different opinions on outlines. So here's mine— outlines you make > outlines you get from upperclassmen > commercial outlines. Outlines are very casebook and professor specific. Outlines you make are the best because you're going to have a shitton of information to memorize for your final, so by re-reading your notes and re-writing the rules you're actually reviewing and working on memorizing the information. Outlines from upperclassmen can be helpful but only if they've had your same professor and book. If your class doesn’t use a book then the outline to that book would be full of cases that you didn’t even read and missing on a lot of cases that you are expected to know. I even have friends who have offered me their outlines because we had the same book but because they had a different professor than me, I don’t even bother because for all I know, my professor really emphasized Chapter 21 because he thought it was important but her professor only assigned 10 pages from Ch. 21 because he didn’t think it was important. That’s another big reason of why I don’t trust commercial outlines.

If you’re stressing about outlines or just want a little guidance, the best thing that you can do is join a student organization. Ask before you join what outlines they have because a good one will have an outline for almost every from a student who at least got a B. That way you know you’re getting the relevant information. My advice to you so that you don’t end up with a C- in every class is that if you do get ahold of an outline, don’t just study that! The best way to use someone else’s outline is to print it out with you (preferably double space) and then fill it out during class with any information you think should be added. That way you have less notes to take during class and can focus on listening, but then still get a lot of information in your class. And then take that filled-out outline and use that along with your other in-class notes to make your own outline. 

I know a lot of new 1Ls stress about what an outline should even look like or how to structure them, so I've uploaded my Civ Pro outline for y'all to see as an example of what you can do. Mine tend to be bare-boned and just what I want to memorize, but I know a lot of other students feel like they benefit from having full sentences and more information in theirs. Also, if you read through this after you finish your own Civ Pro class, you’ll see what I mean about how it really helps to have the same book and same professor for an accurate outline. You can view my outline example here. But if you're still stressing, Quimbee's outlines that they just came out with look like they're very straightforward and I personally do trust this company. I also know that a lot of my classmates prefer to use the Emanuel's outlines to help them.

Related: How to turn your class notes into an outline

Scripts

Another thing that organizations sometimes have for upper level students is what’s referred to as a script which is basically a whole bunch of people got together and wrote down everything from that class, that you can use to follow along and build your own outline from. Those are more helpful once you’re a 2L/3L because then you can just read their 4 pages over chapter 1 instead of all 42 pages of chapter 1 and still get the main information.

I started using scripts that I was given this year and they definitely are a big help. I read them before class and then I'm prepared for questions that my professor might ask me (you never actually look forward to the Socratic method) and it allows me to be able to juggle preparing for class, working, and mediating. The one thing that I've learned since using these is don't think you won't need to take notes since you basically have what the professor's going to talk about. I still take notes just as if I didn't have the script or else it would be really hard for me to take all 220 pages of the script and turn it into an outline. Plus, it helps you pay attention in class because it can be extra tempting to zone out when you have the script right there.

Case briefs

Case briefs are another thing that are basically essential to survive in any law school class. The usefulness of these is that it forces you to pay attention as you're reading. The bad part is that they can take a really long time when you're having to stop what you're reading and write it down. I always say that for your first few months of law school, you really should be practicing your briefing skills because you will need these as an actual lawyer. But once you've practiced enough and really just need the briefs for the Socratic method, you can use commercial briefs. 

I personally recommend using Quimbee because that's what I've been using and I think their briefs are great. Quimbee will have subject-specific briefs. If their subject matches your subject, this is really helpful because it’ll cut out all the crap that you won’t need. They have all the major books and the only one they never got was because it was one that a professor from my own law school had written so they never got that. If Quimbee has your book, then you’ll be set and it’s amazing. Even if they don’t have your book, they might still have some of the cases. So like the book they didn’t have but then got was my contracts book but I would just search for the case and then sometimes they’d have it because it was in another contracts book. 

Related: Using Quimbee to help understand law school subjects

You do have to pay for Quimbee (put I seriously believe that you get what you pay for) but there's also OneL Briefs (free)  Casebriefs (free) and Oyez (free). Oyez is just better than Casebriefs, but neither are subject-specific so you will get all the information. But both will give you the facts of the case and the issue and the holding. 

Practice problems

E&E stands for Examples and Explanations. All they are is practice problems and answers. The practice problems will really help you see how to best answer a question. And yes they're a "commercial supplement" but y'all my commercial law professor had us doing Bar prep questions as practice problems and I could easily tackle them because I remembered what the E&E had taught me. If you spend the majority of your time going through these practice problems, it will really help you understand your outline as your review it. When I study, I do about 50% practice problems, 30% memorizing flash cards, and 20% reviewing my outline. In my opinion, E&Es are right up there with outlines as far as what you have to be doing for finals. Another great practice problems options are the Q&A books. Either way, I strongly suggest you either buy some practice problem books or see if your library has any to rent. I'm not kidding when I say doing these practice problems will really help you prepare for the final and help with your timing. And if you're a 1L who has no clue what type of questions to expect on your final, these are pretty close to what you'll have.

Summaries 

Another thing that is common for people to use to study with as it gets closer to time to study for finals (which starts 6 weeks before dead day) are summaries. The reason for a summary is that you can read a quick condensed version of your class to refresh your memories. But also I know some students actually prefer to read these before class starts so that you know what you're going to learn. While I don't think this is necessary in any way, I can see how it will help calm your nerves a bit when you've already started tackling understanding the tough subjects, so it's totally up to you how extra you want to be. One of my friends had to miss about a total of 2 weeks throughout the semester because of a family illness and he used the Short and Happy books and got the exact same grade as me so even though I've never personally used a summary, apparently they can help. Another popular summaries brands are the CrunchTime books and Gilbert's Law Summaries.

Flashcards

Lastly (well of what I can think of) there's flashcards. I like to make flashcards on Quizlet of the rule with the elements on the back or the case name with the rule on the back. But I know that one thing that's really popular for 1Ls are commercial flashcards like Law in a Flash. Commercial flashcards usually go beyond what I put on mine and even have hypothetical questions with the answers on the back. The only downside to this is that they don't have explanations for why the answer is right quite like E&E or Q&A books do. But they're great to review with either on weekends or at the beginning of studying for finals. 

let's be friends!

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