#I can't seem to help myself... I get asks and bam essay

[fuckstudy]

Hey there idk what to say but I'm on the verge of crying bc I feel so lazy. Even one of my teachers told me about it and I feel like a useless law student u_u I know we need to be disciplined and responsible but sometimes I just can't keep it up bc I feel tired :( idk what to do I don't want to fail my finals or retake curses bc I know I'm smart enough to be at the top but I'm not doing what I need to be in that spot :( #help

/hugs tightly/ 

Cry. Cry if you need to - if it makes you feel better, if it means that you’ll have clarity of mind for the steps ahead. 

Here’s the secret: not all law students are type A, disciplined and ‘responsible’ all the time. Heck, not all successful law students are disciplined, responsible, 10 hours of study per day.

We’re human. 

And that means its natural to feel tired, to experience burn out and fuck everything I’d rather maim myself than read another 100 pages on constitutional law. 

But that doesn’t mean that you can’t be successful. That doesn’t mean you can’t reach your potential. 

It just means you need to rest. To find your motivation. To reset. And recharge.

So that you can work at your full potential again.  

And you’re not alone. 

Just because you’re not disciplined, ‘pomodoro’, bullet journal, study 10 hours a day doesn’t make you any less of a good, smart or talented student. I can’t count the number of years I felt ‘inferior’ because I wasn’t studying as much as I thought I needed to. I was the classic ‘stress but don’t do anything about it until a week before the exam’ type student. In my final two years at law school, I crammed each semesters worth of work the week before the exam. In my final year I started and finished my thesis the week before it was due. All nighters were my jam. 

Was that ideal? No. Was it good for my mental, emotional, social health? Absolutely not. Do I advocate it? Not a chance. 

But in the end, I passed. I graduated. I did well. 

And I guess, that’s what I’m trying to convey... in a long winded manner. Don’t count yourself out of the race just because you’ve had a stretch of bad days, months, years. Don’t think you’re inferior just because you’re not studying the way everyone else is. 

You’ll get there. You will. I promise.

Why? 

Because failure, lack of motivation, lack of dedication - these factors alone do not determine your success.

Its how you respond to them that will. 

It sounds like your body and mind are imploring you to take a rest. Take a break. A day, an afternoon - a significant period of time. It may sound counter productive but law school is a marathon, not a sprint. Taking some time out now... well, think of it as insurance for the future. Refuelling the tank for the journey ahead. 

And when you’re ready, when you’ve cried your lungs out, binge watched every single tv show you have on your list, caught up with your friends - then chip away at the work. Get up, a start again.

Law exam tips (for the last minute fuck its due tomorrow type student) 

With regards to specific tips for revising exams (when you’re under time pressure or not feeling like it): 

Start by checking what topics are examinable, and what aren’t 

Consider the weighting of each section (might be helpful looking through how many weeks you spent dedicated on each topic) 

Highlight the key principles of law and the source (e.g. statute, the specific case) 

Have one or two factual case examples 

Problem solving structure 

Practice past exams - just IRAC that shit. Seriously. Just get really quick at issue spotting. 

And if you’re running low on time, go to your online legal encyclopedia or similar source (e.g. Lexisnexis, Halsbury, LawNow) and PRINT OUT THE COMMENTARY 

SERIOUSLY

DO

IT

Because it’ll sum up the principles, provide case examples (which you can then look up and flesh out)

BASICALLY ALL YOUR NOTES IN ONE. LEGAL PROBLEM SOLVING FRAMEWORK, DONE. 

then flesh out the commentary with what you’ve learnt in class. Or delete the stuff that wasn’t covered. 

Other resources

And here’s some resources that may help: 

Things you can actually do before going to law school that do not involve attempting to teach yourself the law (but also useful here) by @lawschoolruinedme

An important message from @medicalstate

Staying motivated

Dealing with failure

Studying for semester finals

Dealing with a shit grade  

Burnout 101 by @polcry

How to deal with burnout by @simmonestudies

How to deal with a burnout by @kawaiistudy

Exam guide ( incl helpful links to IRAC motherfuckers) by @polkadotsnstripes)   

A final note  

All in all anon, I just want to tell you that you’re human. And thats ok. That’s actually bloody fantastic cause humans are much more exciting, much more happier and balanced than animals that lock themselves in the law library for 15+ hours a day. 

You can achieve great things as a human. 

With sleep, a good support network and time to just breathe. 

And pass on my “fuck you, kind regards” to anyone who dares to accuse you for not being a ‘good law student’, just because you haven’t done [insert stupid cocky law assholery type comment brag about reading cases/ doing an activity/ volunteering etc here]. 

All the best anon.

I look forward to hearing about your progress.