Kristin Does [0L Prep-MINI Update]

I’m still getting through Getting to Maybe. I’ve been kind of distracted but time’s winding down and I’ve been working harder on getting through it this week so I can get to the next book.

Hopefully I’ll finish by this weekend and and I can do a real update on some of the things I’m learning. I haven’t finished and I haven’t started law school, but I’ve gotta say it feels like it is helping me a lot. I’m already understanding how I should be thinking, and it’s helped me to think about and plan how I’ll take notes and what I should focus on. Additionally through the various examples explaining techniques I’ve also  learned a couple things about the law! Nothing extensive, but some points in major cases that everyone learns about first year so that’s also a benefit.

It’s 15 chapters, and each chapter has like 4 parts to it so it’s a lot to get through but I’m definitely feeling like it’s worth it. Look out for a ‘for real’ update next week and I’ll talk about some of the major points in the book.

P.S. If you’re looking for the book, it was pretty easy for me to find it online, but if you can’t, I’m going to add a “contact form” page this week and if you fill it out I’ll email it to you or send you a link to where I found it (some schools/professors have posted it so definitely all safe sites).

Law School Worries: 1L 15?

You know that whole rumor about people going to college and gaining the “freshman 15”?

Well…it’s not a rumor.

I’m those people…and shameful to say, it actually turned out to be more like a freshman 30 and it didnt take freshman year, it only took the first semester.

It’s pretty common, you go from having your meals cooked or decided for you by your parents to fending for youself. Cooking for yourself, choosing your own meals, staying up however late and being in dorms makes it no easier. Hanging out in the lounge till 2am, what else are you going to do but have midnight snacks? Cafeteria food not looking good today? Burger, pizza, or burrito (my weakness) it is!

Especially when your like me and you came from a house where you never had as much access to all these things. I grew up eating chex and kix, takeout/fastfood was a treat, and buying anything beyond water,icetea or fruit juice meant it was probably a special occasion (party, bbq etc.).

So when I say I went wild, I WENT WILD. I discovered the gloriousness that is Ben&Jerrys, probably had fast food for at least 1 meal 5 times a week,  drank all the soda, starbucks, and energy drinks I wanted, it was a lot of unhealthy madness.

Freshman Year’s motto

After first semester I tried a little harder to watch all the junk food but I fluctuated a lot, losing some, gaining some, losing some gaining some.

An annoying cycle…BUT

Junior year I got it together!

I worked hard, I ate good, and it paid off. I lost 40lbs (and kept it off)! I was even pretty close to some abs coming in before I moved back in January.

However, as I’ve said in a previous post the last 6 months of my life have mainly been like

couch potato status

so I feel like I’ve lost my fitness drive and I really need to get back to it. I don’t want to get so overwhelmed with law school that I forget to take care of myself. With the amount of work and studying I’ll be doing it’s easy to fall into a habit of takeout or frozen dinners every night, along with energy drink induced all nighters.

If I’m going to get back in the groove of regularly working out and getting on that Jada Pinkett status (because how is it legal to look that good? and at 43!) I’ve got to start now.

I’ve just got to get my motivation back…

Surprisingly a lot of the 1L advice post I’ve read (links here) have stressed the importance of exercise. Not only is it good for your overall health, but it’s good for your brain, it keeps you energized and keeps those endorphins up to fend off that ever present law school depression. And as cliche as it is to say, when you eat good you feel good. And when you feel good the studying will probably be a lot easier.

On the one hand it wont be the same as Freshman year. I’ve been on my own, I’m a pretty good (nearing ridiculously awesome) cook and I’ve made exercising a regular part of my life before. On the other hand, it’s the getting back to it that takes all the work. I’m hoping blogging about it will force me to be a little more accountable, because if it’s up to me to make myself go workout I’d rather play sims all day, but if I blog about it don’t I actually have to do it? haha

I think I might do an ab or leg challenge for the month of July so I may post a general plan or inspiration (once I get some).

But in the mean time, any tips for getting motivated? How do you do it? Let me know! I need hellpp

currently

.

Let Me Tell You a Secret

Secret timmeee

I wasn’t a Polisci major all 4 years in college. I actually went in as a Biology major and Political Science minor.

okay okay…it’s not really a secret

From the 3rd grade on I was absolutely sure I wanted to be a pediatric surgeon. I wanted to specialize in transplants, and later be part of Doctors Without Borders traveling the world and saving the lives of those who couldn’t afford it. I’ve always wanted to help people, and I’ve always been interested in the body. And even as I got older it stuck. I used to watch discovery health religiously. Twins getting separated, moms giving birth, transplant stories… back when they used to have the crazy real life graphic stuff.

I was (and still kind of am) really in love with science.

Then in middle school when I first got my interest in political science I decided I would still be a surgeon but retire by 40/50 and be a politician. I was so sure I was going to be a pediatric surgeon that pretty much everything, including even going to a Medical Magnet high school surrounded the idea of becoming a surgeon.

14 years later… I’m on my way to law school and A LOT in my life plan has changed. If 8 year old, or even 17 year old college freshman Kristin could see me now, she’d be pretty confused.

My Light Will Not Be Extinguished

Every Month, Every Week, Every Day…a new hashtag, a new tragedy, a new death.

When you have to fear for your life, even in a place of worship (and there was a second church shooting in Memphis today, probably because someone has idolized the Charleston attack), it’s hard to go about your life without being in a constant state of fear.

Fear that the next hashtag will be your mother, your father, your brothers, your sisters…YOU.

Sometimes I’m filled with rage…

I think, will it ever end? How much pain, and oppression must we endure?

Sometimes…I can’t breathe and I can’t focus and it seems like there’s no hope. It’s hard to do anything but think about all of the injustice. Not only in America, and not only to black people but to people of color all over the world. Palestine, the Dominican Republic..there is injustice and oppression everywhere.

I can’t let it kill my drive though.

It is things like this that push me further and deepen my passion for law and becoming a person who causes and contributes to change. Change in the system, change in our communities, and overall change in our society.

I will not let my light be extinguished.

I will work to use every opportunity God gives me to contribute to changing this ugly world.

-Kristin

Kristin Does [0L Prep]-Plans

I have about 54 days (which is almost 8 weeks) until I’m moving!

My goal is to get through a book a week. This means I have about 2 weeks wiggle room for those days I don’t feel like doing anything, I want to have fun or I’m too busy to get reading done.

I plan to go in this order (assuming I can find all the books I want).

Getting to Maybe

How to do your best on Law School Exams

LEEWS

Plain English for Lawyers

Thinking Like a Lawyer/Learning legal reasoning

1L of a Ride (although 1L of a Ride can be read anytime or simultaneously, it doesn’t need to adhere to any specific order).

I chose this order because of how the books relate to each other and based on which ones I’d like fresh in my mind the closer I get to law school.

Getting to Maybe and How to do your best are the same topic from different perspectives. LEEWS offers a detailed system for succeeding at what Getting To Maybe and How to do your best will teach me. Next I’ll use Plain English for Lawyers to improve my writing skills and as a grammar refresher (because your ability to study or analyze is irrelevant if you can’t articulate it). Last, Thinking Like a Lawyer or Learning Legal Reasoning will lay down the law basics right before I’m on the way to orientation.

And that’s about it for prep so far. After each book I plan to give you guys an update on my goal progress, and an initial review for the resource (to be followed by a real review during the actual semester).

gifs of jon snow because im still hurt T_T

T_T Stark fans understand my pain

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Links to my favorite/bookmarked 0L Summer and 1L advice posts

Most of these are from TLS because I think they had the most down to earth/realistic advice, but it’s all different people with different perspectives that give really great detailed advice. I think every potential law student should read a couple of these (or post like these) before entering law school. Even if reading this is the only prep you do this summer, I think they offer really great insight!

Also, no worries if you can’t read all these links right now. I have also created a page in my navigation bar for resources which will have all these links and more!

How To Succeed In Law School- Student Guide #1 (By UC Berkeley Grad)

Reflection on my 0L Prep (By a Paralegal turned Law Student)

Advice for Doing Well in Law School (By a Law Student who ranked top 1% at Loyala 1L then transferred to a T1)

Law School Advice (By a student from a T10 law school)

Advice for Doing Well at a T1 (By a student from a T1 School)

Success in Law School- a Unique Perspective (By a NYU student who placed top 10% 1L year)

Prepare for Law School: How to Study Law to Succeed (By a law school graduate who currently tutors law students and runs Law School Hacker blog)

Kristin Does [0L Prep]-Goals

and now the moment you’ve all be waiting for

First, there are 2 types of prep, General Prep and Substantive Prep.

General Prep consist of things like learning how to brief cases, learning the basics of issue spotting, learning the process of outlining (and how best to outline specifically in relation to law school exams), learning how to read opinions (or getting used to reading opinions), or any law school exam test taking prep/studying tips. The idea of general prep is working to build a really great foundation that you can further build on throughout the semester. It should help you structure your studying from the very beginning, as well as give you a good idea of what you should be focusing on during class and as you read cases. It should also give you tools and tips to make “thinking like a lawyer” and legal analysis come easier. Additionally my version of general prep will help me begin the basics of learning how to write like a lawyer.

Substantive prep is actually getting into the law and beginning to learn the basics of all the classes (or the hardest classes) 1Ls typically take (such as torts, property, or constitutional law). Some people do this by reading Explanations & Examples (E&Es) books or Hornbooks (which are somewhat like the law school version of “sparknotes”) on these different subjects. The idea of substantive prep is that you try to grasp some of the basic legal concepts before you officially start school, which could make class easier to understand and take away some of the learning curve to also contribute to structuring your studying and helping you understand cases and hypotheticals better.

My focus is going to be on general prep because I personally don’t think substantive prep is necessary or significantly helpful.

Kristin Does [0L Prep] I

Guess what time it is?

not that kind of business though

But first, a little background before we get to the details so you’re able to see where my head is and understand my goals a little better.

All work and no play, makes Kristin go crazaayyy

 

no beer no tv make homer go something something

 
I started pretty early on my 0L prep so I’m taking it slow to make sure I can still enjoy these last months of freedom before my life is consumed by class, studying, networking, internships……..work work work!

Balance is important. 

I’m going out of town to visit a friend and go to a music fest this weekend and I’m super excitteeddd 

When I get back though, back to work and I’ll be making/publishing that detailed post about my prep plans I promised! 

Until then

  

When you finally find the perfect theme

aawww yyeeaahh

I’m new to wordpress so I’ve been playing around with it for a couple of hours adding widgets, changing colors, and headers and trying out different themes. I think I’ve changed my theme like 5 times since yesterday, but finally I like the way it looks and flows. Yayyyy!

Law School Worries: TBH I’m Lazy

There’s still about 2 months until I’ll have to move to Law School but I feel like that time is just going to fly by and as each day brings me closer to starting school I get a little more nervous. I invent a couple new fears and my heart drops a little more. I’m excited, but I’m nervous and I’m anxious.

The worry of today is about the workload and my work ethic. I mentioned in my post about the Game of Law School that part of “winning the game” is not only working the smartest within the system, but combining that with a superb work ethic.

And I’ll be honest with you guys, I’ve never had to put forth such a work ethic. This is probably going to sound cocky but I have gotten pretty far just by being smart.

I was labeled gifted in elementary which led to honors classes in middle school, and AP or honors classes in High School. I passed 5 AP test, and entered college as a sophomore from all the credits so I got to skip a lot of GEs. With the exception of my freshman year in college (which is a long story) I’ve gotten good grades (As and Bs) with minimal effort (sometimes less depending on the subject). I wouldn’t be honest if I said I have ever put a 100% effort toward any class or subject, and that’s mainly because I’ve never had to.

Our education system does nothing but teach us to memorize and regurgitate.

You know that person people hate…that did the 10 page paper the night before it was due and got an A, or never did the reading but somehow still aced the final while most people have been running around for a week just to get a B.

I’m her.

I don’t claim to be a genius or anything. I didn’t graduate undergrad with a 4.0 (evidence of my laziness) and I’m not out here curing cancer or building spaceships from broken toasters but, I’ve very rarely been legitimately challenged or felt the need to adhere to legitimate study time for success.

I don’t feel anything I’ve done in my life has prepared me for what I’m about to take on with law school. For this workload, this stress and for the dedication to studies being in the top is going to take. The main thing I have going for me in all this is my drive to be successful no matter what (and God of course).  

I have overcome a lot. I’m a minority from inner-city low income community. Neither of my parents graduated college, and I am the first of my siblings to have graduated college (hopefully setting examples of what they can aspire to or be even better than). I had to figure out and learn a lot on my own, from college applications, to financial aid forms, to how to study and pass college classes. I have worked hard to get to where I am, but not as hard as I could have to be even better.

To deal with this worry, part of my 0L prep is getting myself into the habit of sticking to a study schedule and bettering my time management skills. The beginning of this new school year will mark the rebirth of Kristin as a student. This is my future, and the subject I’m most passionate about so I’m ready to give 100%. The fact is, everyone in law school (and really grad school in general) is smart or has worked their butt off (or both) to get there. So in the grand scheme of things I’m no “specialer” than anyone else entering law school in fall. Therefore, I’ve just got to make sure I hold myself accountable, and remind myself that the only person who can get me to where I want to be is me. For those that are more intelligent than me, they won’t work harder than me, and for those that work harder than me, they won’t play the game smarter than me. There’s no excuses for not giving it my all and making sure I’m one of the best.

It’s time to really go hard.