Hi, im a grade 12 student and im considering studying law soon, and i was wondering if theres anything you wish you knew about studying law when you were at the stage that I am? thank you
hi! take this w a grain of salt bc ive only been going to school for a month. but here u go!
1. it involves a lot of reading. A LOT. and you have to absorb the concepts as you read them the first time bc, more often than not, you're not gonna have the time to go over them a second time for a more in-depth review. it would just be to jog your recall. don't worry too much tho! this is a skill you naturally develop especially throughout your college years since you would be reading a lot of difficult texts (i assume you'll be taking up an ab program since you have plans to pursue law?) of course, law school is 100x harder than college and you can never fully prepare for the workload, but building a stable foundation as early as now would definitely help you in the future.
2. you need to be great at thinking on your feet. this is something im struggling with at the moment bc of my social anxiety and fear of public speaking (ikr, what am i doing in law school lmao). i have always been the type to internally rehearse what i need to say a thousand times before i actually say it out loud. if you put me on the spot, no matter how impressive the idea is inside my head, it's all disorganized and incohesive the moment it comes out of my mouth. that being said, try to participate as much as you can in activities that expose you to public speaking and impromptu speeches like hosting school events, reporting, debate orgs, etc.
3. you don't have to be smart, but you definitely need to be studious. admittedly, people who are inherently intelligent will have an advantage over the others because they'll be able to understand concepts quicker (it is an edge bc believe me —there's never enough time when you're in law school). sure, it might be a little harder (i know it is for me); nevertheless, you'll survive even if you are not one of those people who are intellectually gifted. what you need is to be consistent in studying, because you absolutely won't last 4 years in law school if you don't put in the work. always come to class prepared. study all the topics assigned, or at least try to cover as many as you can bc you definitely can't bs your way out of a recit.
4. the idea of becoming a lawyer was planted in my mind by suits and htgawm 🤣 don't fall into that trap like i did! the study of law is nothing like its portrayal in popular media (which is understandable bc no one would wanna watch the monotonous lives and routines of law students if not from rose-tinted glasses). media makes a spectacle out of the sleepless nights and the volume of material to be read and mastered, but it doesnt reveal the exhaustion that comes from such to the point that you avoid laying down during your breaks in between periods of studying for fear that you cant close your eyes for a minute wo drifting off to sleep. it glamorizes the idea of allotting most of your waking hours to studying but it doesn't show on TV the faces of your family when you say you cannot come yet again to the plans they made on the weekend. your heart must be REALLY in it, or you should at least want it enough for you to be able to make the sacrifices it's gonna require you to make because—believe me—there would be many.
