Getting into law school is hard enough, but once you’re in, you’ll realize the hard part is just beginning. Succeeding in law school takes work, but if you make some plans and are smart about how you attack your coursework, we’re confident you’ll succeed. So today, we’re going to share five tips for being successful in law school.
Succeeding In Law School
Here are five tips for getting ahead in law school.
1. Pay Attention in Class – While this sounds simple, it’s harder than you may believe. Walk into any college classroom and you’ll see a number of students on Facebook, playing on their phones or struggling to stay awake. Paying attention and taking notes will go a long way in laying the foundation for your law school success. Walk into class knowing that for the next 45 or 75 minutes, your attention will be solely on the professor and the lesson.
2. Write Out A Study Schedule – Another key to being successful in law school is to make a study schedule and to stick to it. Every day you should strive to set time aside to study and review the course materials. Studying needs to be a priority, not something you do when it fits into your schedule, and some people find it easier to write out a daily or weekly study schedule to keep themselves on track.
3. Study Groups and Office Hours – Taking advantage of extra opportunities to learn and retain information is key during law school, so consider forming a study group or heading to a professor’s office hours. Align yourself with other students in class who have similar goals and work ethic, and you’ll all benefit from one another.
4. Practice Applying Your Knowledge – Anyone can review cases and retain information, but knowing the law is only half the battle. In fact, when you walk into class ahead of an exam, you can expect that the vast majority of them understand the laws and cases in question, but it’s who can apply it the best that will succeed. Practice exams can help you get used to applying your understanding of the law. Don’t just soak up the law, practice applying it and your grades will thank you.
5. Compete With Yourself, Not Your Classmates – If you’re in law school, odds are you’re pretty competitive by nature, and so are a lot of your classmates. It can be easy to get caught up in how you’re doing compared to other classmates, but that can put extra stress on yourself. Instead of comparing yourself to other classmates, compete with yourself. Set goals to do better on tests and exams than you did on the last one. You can only control yourself, so put less focus on how you’re doing compared to your classmates and more emphasis on how you’re progressing as an individual.
