Before coming to law school, I thought the environment would be the opposite of collaborative. I had read about how competitive it is and about students who refused to share notes, outlines, or ideas with classmates. However, after the first semester I can confidently say that my experience at Loyola has not been like that at all.
During the first semester, I realized how much my classmates and I lean on each other. While I, personally, do not have a specific study group, my section has a discord channel where we all ask questions, send reminders, and encourage one another. When someone is confused about the parameters of an assignment or aspect of a case, they’ll ask a question in the group chat, and someone will reply with an answer or their thoughts. It’s led to a lot of discussions that helped me on assignments and readings in classes.
This is especially true during exam season. When we’re all outlining and studying, we make sure to send encouraging messages, ask questions about cases or concepts we’re confused about, and remind each other of exam review times and exam day details.
This is true even outside of my specific section. I know a lot of student organizations have mentor programs where upperclassmen and even alumni sign up to help 1Ls through their first year and even after that.
Overall, the entire Loyola community is supportive of one another. Despite the competitive aspect that comes with the curve, we make it a point to be there for one another and help when we can. After all, law school is one of the hardest challenges any of us have ever faced, so it’s only natural that we lean on people who are going through the same thing.