Tips on Preparing for Law School

As the new academic year is around the corner, it's time to start preparing for law school. At this point, many Level 1 students would be overwhelmed. Don't worry we've got your back. Here are few tips that might help you have a great start to your law school experience.

TIP #1 Research your course

Your course is much more than what you think. Read the previous year's handbook and Voilà you'll be surprised at how much more information it contains. Going through the handbook will help you understand and prepare for what yet to come your way.

TIP #2 Review your modules

With the whole pandemic situation around and things being online, make sure to visit your student portal and check if all your modules are listed. 

At my law school, we have a student portal where we select our compulsory and electives modules before the start of the academic year.

TIP #3 Get your books

Before the start of your lectures, you will be provided with a reading list. Usually, this list will be divided into two parts i.e. essential reading and optional reading. The essential list is the one that will be used by your lecturers to prepare the weekly lectures. Make sure to buy these books as these will be needed throughout the year.     

For the optional list, I'd suggest waiting to see which ones are worth reading.  Another tip here would be that instead of purchasing these books you could either borrow them for the library or find them online on various websites. 

TIP #4 Buy stationary 

You all know that law school requires a lot of reading which at times can be daunting. Plus, after reading you might need to prepare summaries that will help you later.  I recommend having a pencil case with things that will help make your reading and writing experience a bit less stressful. 

Once you are aware of your modules, go ahead and buy folders for each of your modules. You could also go a step extra and buy dividers for the folders to separate lecture notes, seminar handouts, assignments, etc.

TIP #5 Set up a LinkedIn profile

Law is one such course that stresses the need to build your network. Setting up a LinkedIn profile can help you connect with professionals in this field. It can also keep you updated on the networking events happening around you.

TIP #6 Build your reading capacity 

Law school undoubtedly brings along the need to read volumes and volumes. Spend at least an hour or two this summer reading a challenging novel or a simple comic to build up your reading capacity. This will ensure that you won't get shocked once you start with your semester.

TIP #7 Don't get overwhelmed

In my opinion, these are the only tips you need to prepare yourself for law school. Make sure you enjoy the summer and don't stress out yourself. REMEMBER you need enough passion to sustain yourself throughout your degree.

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