Tips on Successfully Going Back to School Full-Time after a Career

by lindsay miller

Making the leap from full-time employee to full-time student can be daunting. After reading these tips on how to successfully transition, hopefully you will see that you are more prepared than you think.

Prior to starting law school last fall at 31 years old, I practiced as a full-time pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) in a variety of settings in Chicago and Columbus. Although I loved my job as an SLP, I knew my passion for advocating for individuals with disabilities and policy-related work would draw me to law school eventually. Looking back, I had more tools than expected to make the transition successfully.

It’s important to have camaraderie with your classmates for a multitude of reasons, ranging from double checking due dates to emotional support. Be open to new friendships even if you feel your network is complete.

1. Instead of viewing law school as a career change, view it as a career addition.

You are not losing your skills from your previous career. You are building upon them. Just because I want to be an attorney doesn’t mean I lose all of my years of practice and hard work as an SLP. My career taught me time management, professionalism, people skills, problem-solving and what I value in a career. Even if you are going to law school to make a complete career shift, the skills from your career are not lost. Use them to your advantage.

2. Don’t be scared of “school mode.”

When telling others about my decision to go back to school, people frequently asked, “Aren’t you worried about having to study again?” The idea of studying, reading, writing and taking final exams that account for most of your grade can be scary when you’ve been out of practice. You may need to brush up on study skills again. However, you likely already have the skills needed. I am willing to bet that in your career, you solved problems, interacted with others, prioritized tasks, met deadlines and were evaluated on your performance. Those are skills important to being a successful student, too!

3. Treat it like a job.

You held a job with working hours and had the experience of balancing a career with life’s other commitments. In your career, you most likely experienced ebbs and flows in workload as well as times that required you to bring work home or put in more hours. Similarly, you will inevitably have evenings when you study or have projects due that require you to put in more hours than normal. However, if you treat school like a job, it’s manageable. Create a schedule and stick to it. That way, you can feel good about taking well-deserved breaks or dare I say it, entire days off from studying.

4. Don’t rely on your previous academic experience to predict law school performance.

I was fortunate enough to attend one of the best Speech-Language Pathology programs in the country (Go Northwestern Wildcats!). The program was tough, taxing and challenging: 400+ in-person clinical hours, Neuroanatomy, Language Science, Acoustic Phonetics, you get it. I graduated at the top of my class. I also got the lowest score (of my entire class!) on my first midterm of law school because I lost track of time. Because of my career experience, I knew how to keep perspective in that situation. I knew that one screw-up on a midterm did not determine my fate as a law student or future attorney. However, I also knew I had to be proactive and hone my skills quickly. I contacted our awesome academic success professor that evening and asked her for advice on how to improve my time management for the rest of my mid-terms and finals. Fortunately, I made some tweaks, did fairly well in the class and have never lost track of time during an exam since then.

5. Get involved in activities that are meaningful to you.

There are many opportunities in law school to get involved in activities that spark your interest. Just because you may be a non-traditional student doesn’t mean that you can’t take advantage of every opportunity available to students. I always valued, liked and participated in student government. As a result, I ran for the position of 1L representative for the Student Bar Association and won! Legal Analysis, Research, and Writing was my favorite class of 1L year. I am now a Teaching Assistant for the class and am on Law Review. If you choose wisely, opportunities beyond the classroom do not feel like a must, but rather a privilege.

6. Don’t change the things you already know work for you.

You have the advantage of knowing what time management and organizational strategies work and don’t work for you. I keep a paper planner because I like the feeling of crossing tasks off my list. I get up at 4 a.m. to read some mornings, but rarely stay up past 10 p.m. to complete an assignment. I know that eating healthy and doing my favorite workout makes me feel energized and helps my workflow. I know that using graph paper and Ink Joy pens to take hand-written notes is my favorite way to take notes. Don’t feel inadequate because you didn’t pull an all-nighter or your outline isn’t color-coded. Trust your instincts. Do what works for you.

7. Make new friends, but keep the old.

It’s important to have camaraderie with your classmates for a multitude of reasons, ranging from double checking due dates to emotional support. Be open to new friendships even if you feel your network is complete. I don’t know where I’d be without my law school friends. You have an advantage because you already have professional networks established and understand the importance of networking. Keep contact with them. Most importantly, being in law school doesn’t mean you have to be absent from your support network outside of school. Continue to spend time and have fun with the people most meaningful to you before you came to school – your friends and family. I’m beyond thankful for my family, boyfriend and friends. They encourage me, keep things in perspective and motivate me to take time off to have fun or just relax.

8. Ask for help (academically and otherwise).

Don’t let the whole semester go by thinking you’ll “learn it later.” Ask for help. Reach out to your professors. I am grateful for my tremendous team of 1L professors – Professors Anderson, Beattie, Cohen, Cordray, Gilles, Guttenberg, Hara and LooperFreidman. After meetings with them, I felt better about concepts. More importantly, my professors provided peace of mind and encouragement. Just as it is essential to seek out academic support when needed, it is equally important to seek out mental health support when needed. I know I have. It is a well-known fact that law students suffer from higher amounts of mental health and substance abuse than our graduate school counterparts. Fortunately, many law schools now employ licensed therapists and professionals to help students effectively and confidentially. Without your mental health, you can’t expect to do well. Seek out help when you need it, always.

9. Be kind, work hard and stay humble.

Finally, I leave you with my favorite mantra that has served me best in my transition back to school. Be kind, work hard and stay humble. Wishing you all the best!

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Capital University Law School