Hang In There

Well, 1Ls. How are you all doing out there? I think most of you have probably just survived your first week. Think you'll be able handle a whole semester of this?

It can be frustrating. It can be overwhelming. It can be discouraging. Nothing like spending 10 hours a day studying and still not understanding what is going on in class.

Well, I'm here to tell you that it will get better. Not necessarily immensely, or in a life-shattering way, but several things will happen to you over the course of the next few weeks:

1) You will begin to get used to the workload. (Not entirely a good thing, but it does make it easier once you just surrender that last little thought of maintaining your previous social life.)

2) You will begin to understand what each particular professor is looking for and then less stuff will be going over your head. You'll get a better idea of how to take notes in class and maybe even begin to focus on what will actually be relevant for the exam. You'll also learn that you don't have to prepare as much for some classes, because you may never get called on.

3) You will find the learning curve. Some find it earlier than others, but everyone finds it at some point. What takes you 10 hours to do now will only take you 3 hours to do in the future. Really. I promise. However, usually once the learning curve kicks in the professors somehow seem to pile on even more reading, so it's not like you'll be having 7 hours a day to spare.

4) You will make a complete and utter idiot of yourself. No matter how carefully you guard yourself, you will say something entirely stupid. But you know what? Take comfort in the fact that EVERYONE will make a complete ass of themselves over the course of the semester.

I know that me saying is not just going to make it better. But just think about how many people ahead of you have made it through 1L year without dying. See, isn't that encouraging? It may not seem like it now, but you will survive.