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PROFILE
Keeping Time [by Mike Murphy] Whether your career plans are to work for a law firm with a big Scrooge McDuck vat of money or to try to save the world (and pay off your loans) one thing is the same: law school keeps you stressfully busy. They make it that way to separate the wheat from the chaff, give you your tuition’s money’s worth, and to prepare you for the fast-paced world of lawyering. But you can’t spend all day every day in the library - can you?
Here are some time management tips, by and
you play, play hard. And when you work, don’t
R-E-L-A-X. “Everyone tells you, in law school,
for law students, on how to manage the pace
play.” Prioritize your errands and school as-
that if you don’t get ‘X’ grade or end up on
and style of school in a way that keeps your
signments and focus as much on your work
‘Y’ student organization, you’ll never get ‘Z’
sanity and schedule intact:
as possible as you’re doing it. Take care of
job,” said Peter Cunniffe, a recent Michigan
little tasks as soon as they come up. Pay
Law grad. “It’s not true, but everyone tells
Stay Balanced. Try not to change your life-
your bills the same day they come in, reply
you that.”
style from your pre-law days any more than
to e-mails as you see them. Keep your room
you have to. If you have some sort of activity
clean. Think of this time in your life as one
What Peter means is: don’t believe the hype.
outside of the law school, don’t drop it. If you
in which your time and attention are scarce,
It’s easy to compare yourself with the other
work out regularly, still do. If you like to read,
valuable resources. Don’t waste them.
students in your section (you have the same
and still want to like to read, read outside
classes at the same times, hang out at the
books. Make time for the things you enjoy,
Warn Your Friends. If you’re the kind of per-
same places, and so on) but it’s a mistake to
even if it means skimping on some “required”
son who has a cell phone full of numbers and
compare yourself to anyone else too closely.
reading, or (gasp) missing a class.
minutes, you’re going to want to let people
Play your own game. Pay attention to the
know that you’re going away for a while. Do
study habits and schedule-managing behavior
“My time management tip is to not go to
this as positively as possible. You are going to
of the people around you - learn from them
class,” said Matt George, a rising 3L at Michi-
have your nose buried in a book and your cell
- but don’t get too caught up in the battle-
gan Law. “That way you get all the free time
phone won’t go over so well in the library - to
of-who-works-hardest. Absorb the material
you want! And you can study at your leisure.”
say nothing of the new friends you’re going
at your own pace, manage your social and
to make and see on a daily basis. Tell your
scholastic life in a way that makes you feel
Sarah Rosenberg, a rising 2L at New York
friends it’s not quantity, but quality. Find new
comfortable, and you’ll get the results you
University College of Law, has more re-
ways to communicate that take up less time
want. Don’t look over your shoulder so much
sponsible advice. “Use a planner, and share
and give you the most bang for your buck.
you lose sight of where you’re going or how
outlines with your friends,” she said. “It’s
Start a blog. Send out mass e-mails with how
to get there. Its advice that’s obvious to the
cheesy, but it works. Also, drink lots of caf-
you’re doing. But don’t forget to call your
point of being rhetorical, but it’s also very
feine.”
mother, still. She misses you.
easy to forget.
“I just make sure I have enough time blocked
Get Help. Most of you in law school are
And Finally: It’s Going to be Okay. Law
for everything,” said Brian Jaye, a rising 3L
smarties who’ve been tutors but never been
school isn’t easy, but thousands of people do
at The University of Detroit Law School. “And
tutored. You used to be the master; guess
it each year. Most of them make it through
I still make sure I go to the gym and go out
what, Obi-Wan, now you’re the student. Don’t
with sanity intact. Don’t take it too seriously.
drinking. I feel comfortable studying for 12
waste five hours re-reading your Contracts
You may be spending a frightening amount
hours then going out for a few more hours…
assignments in an attempt to master the
of time in the library… but it’s not that bad.
but maybe I’m crazy.”
material. Most schools offer it at little or no
Right?
cost. Just do it. Feel no shame in that game. He’s not. But he has a good point. Which is:
Trust us. We know. Contracts is hard! And your pride is another one of those things you
When You Work, Actually Do Work. It’s important to follow the old gym axiom “When
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don’t have time for anymore.