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Before starting law school, you often hear about the competitive, individualistic class (cohort) environment. After all, it is hard to ignore the fact that law school grades are based on the curve, meaning your grade is measured relative to your classmates’ performance. However, my experience at Loyola has proven this assumption to be far from the truth. I have found that my peers are far more collaborative and supportive than I initially expected. Instead of fighting to outperform each other, we work together to succeed.
One of the most crucial sources of support during my first semester has been my study group. What began as a small group of 4 classmates I met during orientation has grown to 10 peers. We meet every Thursdays at 8 p.m through Zoom to review material, dissect complex legal concepts, work through hypotheticals, clarify questions, and check in on each other’s well-being. These weekly meetings have become an invaluable part of my law school experience, especially when the workload feels overwhelming.
Also, study groups are an excellent way to prepare for exams. During my first Contracts midterm, for example, I thought I had studied all the material thoroughly. But during a study session the night before the exam, one of my peers raised and explained a topic that I had completely overlooked. That very topic ended up being the focus of 5 out of the 25 questions on the exam. Without that study group session, I would have walked into the exam unprepared for a major part of the material.
Ultimately, the collaborative atmosphere at Loyola Law School has had a profound impact on my experience here. The student body is focused and professional, but there’s also a deep sense of collegiality. Everyone wants to succeed, but not at the expense of others. The culture of mutual support and shared growth has allowed me to thrive, and it has been essential in helping me through some of the toughest moments of law school so far.