Truth or Truth

When I started as a first-generation law student, I was hearing horror stories from everyone. Today, I am going to debunk two of the ones that kept me up at night riddled with anxiety. First, everywhere I turned people were telling me, “The first thing you need to do is find a study group as soon as possible. You cannot survive without a study group.” As a Los Angeles transplant, I did not know anyone when I started at Loyola so the thought that my grades might be dependent on my ability to make several friends incredibly fast was a little scary. Although I was fortunate enough to make great friends and actually did have a study group for two of my courses, I survived without study partners for all of my other classes. Study groups are great if you learn material better with a group of peers, but (a) they are not the best study method for everyone and (b) if you are not in one, it will not ruin your chances of earning a high grade.

Secondly, when I was not nervous about finding a study group, I was concerned that I had no time for a “release” from school. “Say goodbye to free time, time with friends, and a social life.” I cannot begin to tell you how many times I heard that and worried that I would not have time for family, Disneyland, and Netflix. (Obviously, I have my priorities in order.) Additionally, when was I going to have time to hang out with this hypothetical study group if my whole life was going to be outlining and reading? However, throughout the year, I realized this also was not 100% accurate. Sure, there is A LOT of reading and studying, but that does not mean you have to completely forego your life outside of school. In fact, I would argue that everyone needs a little time for release and to separate themselves from all the stress. Long story short, not everything people tell you about law school can be taken as being automatically accurate. To use the extremely overused phrase, “Keep Calm and..” enjoy the next few years. It will be over before you know it.