One and a Half Years In: Law School at a Glance

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Law school has a way of measuring time differently. Semesters feel long, finals feel endless, and suddenly you look up and realize you are one and a half years into this journey.

This past exam period was one of the more challenging ones yet. As a second-year evening student, I faced two in-class exams and a take-home essay, all within a two-week span. Balancing three major assessments in such a short period of time was not easy. It required discipline, long study hours, and a lot of patience with myself. I put in significant time and effort, and while it was exhausting, it was also a reminder of how much stamina law school quietly builds over time.

One thing that made this exam period more manageable was the people around me. I studied alongside friends who formed a study group, and that support made a meaningful difference. We helped each other work through difficult material, clarified concepts, and found moments to laugh and release some of the stress. Law school can be intense, but it is experiences like these that remind me I am not doing this alone.

Winter break, on the other hand, offered something entirely different. Space to slow down, reflect, refresh, and reset. Having a little more time to focus on myself made me realize how much law school has come to shape my daily life. It keeps me busy, challenged, and mentally engaged in a way that feels purposeful. At the same time, this break reminded me how necessary rest and balance are. I have learned that productivity and rest are not opposites, they work best together.

Looking back over the past year and a half, law school has changed me in ways I did not fully anticipate. I am more disciplined, more structured, and more intentional with my time. Oddly enough, my time management is better now than it was in undergraduate, even though I balance far more responsibilities.  I approach problems differently now, breaking them down carefully and thinking several steps ahead. At times, the demands of law school can feel overwhelming, but I have also gained confidence in my ability to handle difficult workloads and unfamiliar challenges.

If there is one lesson this stage of law school has reinforced, it is that growth does not always feel comfortable while it is happening. Some semesters test your limits more than others. Some breaks are necessary not just to recover, but to reflect on how far you have come. Completing one and a half years of law school feels less like a finish line and more like a checkpoint. 

As I move forward, I carry both the discipline law school has instilled in me and the reminder that balance matters. Winter break may be over, but the perspective it offered is one I hope to keep with me for the rest of the two and a half years of this journey.

TOPICS: 2E