Preface Discussion

[Erin Lain]

Comments 1: Stress:

(Page ix) The authors say that law school has the reputation for being
the worst. Keep in mind, this reputation is just in fact that, a
reputation. Once I got the hang of law school, I liked it.

Also, keep in mind that the reason your first year is hard is because
it is a transition. You are learning things you’ve never learned
before, in a manner you’ve never learned before. There are a few
things that inevitable: 1. You will be stressed out, 2. There will be
points in your first semester that you don’t know what’s going on, 3.
You will feel incredible pressure because most of your classes hinge
on one test at the end of the semester (there usually aren’t mid-terms
or graded assignments throughout the semester to gauge how you are
doing), 4. There will be points in which you feel like everyone else
is doing better/ understanding things better than you are.

My advice is to recognize that you will feel these things, and to know
that it’s OK!

Question:

How do you deal with stress? Do you take it out on others? Do you
drink? Do you eat an entire package of Oreos in one sitting? We all
have healthy and unhealthy ways we deal with stress. It is important,
before you get to Drake Law, that you have a plan for dealing with
stress, otherwise you may deal with it in a very unproductive way
(like being short with your significant other, or getting “wasted”
every Friday night). Trust me, you can’t keep those type of behaviors
up for 3 years.



Comment 2: How important is your first year?

(Page ix) The author says “your first-year grades follow you not just
throughout law school but far into your legal career.” WHOA, I’m
stressed out just reading that sentence! I have a couple comments on
that statement. It’s true that grades matter. It is easier to find
internships, or get on law review if you have better grades. However,
those at the bottom of the class get internships and jobs too! It’s
not as if those at the bottom of the class are destined to become
homeless and jobless.

That being said, I am not encouraging you to shoot for the bottom,
rather, I am trying to alleviate some of the stress from the idea that
“grades are everything.” Remember, there can only be so many people in
the top ten percent of the class, and if you are not one of them, it’s
OK. Guess what, at the end of the day you will STILL BE A LAWYER. Just
try to keep everything in perspective, and do the best you can.



Comment 3: No one will teach you what you need to know:

(Page ix-x) Its true, law school is all about self discovery, and
learning how to analyze for yourself. However, I don’t want you to
think that you are alone in your first year. Class is set up to not so
much answer questions, as ask questions (you will see what I mean when
you get here). That doesn’t mean you can’t ask questions! There are
many resources for you while at Drake:

1. ME! The Academic Success Program meets once a week on Saturday
mornings, for the sole purpose of answering questions. If you’re lost
send me an email or come find me, and if I can’t help you, I can at
least point you in the right direction.

2. Your professors. I won’t lie, I was very intimidated by my
professors. However, they are excellent resources, and often times
they are much more approachable in their office than in the classroom.
Don’t hesitate to ask questions, even if you feel like you are the
only person in the whole world that doesn’t understand something.

3. Your peers. There are 450+ students that have just gone through, or
are going through, what you are. Find a mentor and ask them questions.
***On a side note, I would keep in mind that current students may not
have enough perspective to guide you effectively, they can be just as
stressed out as you, or dealing with their own issues. So if you come
across a “jaded” student, recognize that just because they say “it’s
impossible to get better than a C in a class”, that they are dealing
with their own issues. Also, what works for one student, will not
necessarily work for you. I cannot count the amount of advice that I
received from other students, which in the end, really didn’t help me.
Just because they read a case 5 times in a row while drinking green,
doesn’t mean that is what you should do!

The important thing is that if you don’t understand something, don’t
let too much time go by before you get your questions answered. If you
do, you will wind up days before the final with too many questions to
know where to begin.

Question:
Are you the type of person who likes to struggle in silence? Recognize
that you might have to
“Man or Woman up” and, find someone to help you. I GARUNTEE there will
be more than one time when you don’t understand something. Find your
comfort level in asking for help, and ask away. It doesn’t have to be
the professor (although they can probably be the most helpful).



Comment 4: Before School Starts:

(Page xi) The authors nailed it on the head with the list of things to
get figured out before school starts. There are a couple of things on
the list that I think are especially important.

1. Figure out what type of studier you are, and where you can study
the most effectively. Do you need absolute silence? Do you like a
little background noise? Can you get absolutely nothing done at your
house/apartment? Can you get absolutely nothing done at the library
because you are surrounded by friends? Think about these things, they
make a difference in how you go about studying.

2. Prepare others for your first-year. If you haven’t already, you
need to have a conversation with your friends and family about how
things might change while you are in law school. First, you won’t have
time to talk to/hang out with them as much, or when you do, all you
will want to talk about it law school/how stressed you are. I
recommend having the “things will change” conversation before they
actually do, that way things are less ugly. You may think I’m
exaggerating about this, but I assure you, I’m not. I had a couple
falling outs with friends because they didn’t understand the “things
will change” concept, and I didn’t have the conversation with them
early. If you are married or have a significant other you need to have
a serious talk about how the relationship will change, and things like
who will do household duties, or when will you make time for each
other.

3. Do not work your first year. I absolutely agree with this, however,
money problems can add to stress. If you have to, get a mindless job,
one that does not take a lot of brain effort, and make sure it’s
flexible. If at all possible, try to at least wait until second
semester, when you have settled into the law school lifestyle. During
the second semester of my 1L year, I waited tables 2-3 days a week. It
worked for the most part, but I also think my grades suffered a
little.