Winter break is over and college and law students are back on campus, falling right back into the same rigorous routine. Or are they? It’s usually around this time that students kick up their feet, toss away their daily planners, and say, “I’m over it.” I’ve been there. Jumping back in to classes after a two-month winter break was the last thing on my mind, at least until my law professors kindly pointed out that the real world was just months away.
So what’s the secret to curing third year? Here are a few suggestions to help get you out of bed and focused on what lies ahead.
1. Get Motivated
You know graduation is right around the corner and you’ll be thrown (yes, thrown) into the next stage of your life. Keeping this in mind should be enough to start getting you mentally prepared for law school or finding that legal position.
2. Stay in Shape
Get rid of that beer gut you’ve been working on all break and hit the gym! It’s very easy to fall into a lazy routine once third year kicks in. Working out and eating healthy is important to do at any stage of one’s life, but for law students, it will make you feel energized and a lot happier about that pending “real world” doom come graduation.
3. Keep Your Daily Planner
I knew many people who tossed this piece of gold aside way too early in the semester. Big mistake. Imagine someone stealing your phone; How utterly lost you’d feel without it. Just because you don’t want to see that you have a law school exam next Thursday doesn’t mean you don’t need some kind of reminder of the week ahead.
4. Stay Organized
It’s good to know your priorities at this stage. Maybe you have a little more time for a social life now that the only classes you’re taking are electives. Evaluate your current circumstances. Do you have a legal internship? Or are you currently interning? Map out your priorities and plan accordingly.
5. The Bucket List
When we leave law school, we’re supposed to do so as sober, serious adults. So with just months left of college, there’s no better time to break out your bucket list and start crossing things off. Maybe you always wanted to party with your professors, take a picture with the school mascot, or explore that haunted insane asylum that’s been shut down for decades. Now is the time.
6. Visit the Law School Services Center
Don’t sit in your swanky off-campus apartment in denial. The future is inevitable. Your last year can’t be all about paint parties and becoming beer pong champs. There is life after college and visiting the career center will help you prepare for it no matter what lies ahead. Best to bite the bullet and schedule an early visit. Staying on top of job applications and resumes will only make post-law school life easier on you.
7. Explore
Don’t be afraid to try new things. At this point, you already have an idea of what kind of lawyer you’d to be. However, don’t let that stop you from delving deeper or taking classes in a random subject like, environmental law or an animal law course.
8. Make Charts
I’ve always been a visual person who has done better when looking at charts and images rather than sitting through straight lectures. If you know you’re that kind of learner, make yourself visuals and lists of things you need to do before graduation. When applying to law schools and legal jobs make a chart or spreadsheet and check off finished applications, sent resumes, any responses, etc.
9. Use The Buddy System
If you can’t depend fully on yourself to stay focused, find someone who needs that extra push as well so you can keep each other in check and on track.
10. Reward Yourself
If you’ve been staying focused on classes and work and find yourself itching for a break, then take it. I used the reward system myself multiple times during my last quarter in college, either by sleeping late one day or spending the weekend partying instead of studying. Although law school does not get any easier, it will seem easy once you get past your first year. As long as you can find a good balance between work and play, you’ll have no problem adjusting to life post-law school grad.
