The summer before law school is here and things are about to get real.
The next three years will be filled with late nights, a lack of free time and a lot of stress. The summer before law school is your last taste of freedom, so take advantage of it.
Here are a few things we recommend you do the summer before your hectic 1L year begins.
Do Some Summer Reading
Take this time to do some fun reading or read a few books to help prepare you for law school. There’s a lot of reading in law school, so much that some law students forget what it’s like to read for fun.
This summer is also a good time to try enhancing your reading level and preparing for the heavy load of reading ahead. And, don’t forget to read your first-day reading assignment. There most likely will be cold-calling on your first day, and you’ll want to be prepared.
Spend Time with Friends and Family
You’re about to lose a big chunk of your social life, so soak it in while you can. As you’ve probably figured out, law school is extremely time consuming and can have an effect on your personal relationships.
Being able to prioritize your relationships will help when it comes to efficient time management. Make sure to let everyone know that you may not have as much time to spend with them as you had before, and not to take it personally.
Check out our article Relationship Advice from Law Preview (Yes, Really) for more advice on this subject.
Go on a Vacation (or Staycation)
This is your last free summer before law school. Sigh! Go on a road trip with friends, travel to another country, take a cruise or just plan an amazing staycation. Whatever you do, enjoy your free time and have some fun. You’re about to begin a very stressful journey.
You won’t have this much spare time for a while, especially depending on the internships you land next summer. It’s important to remember to have fun when you can.
Start Building Healthy Habits
I know we’ve mentioned this in a few different posts, but it’s important. Staying mentally and physically healthy is the first step to a positive law school experience. Try to build healthy habits like working out, meditating and eating healthy before starting law school. Creating positive habits helps release endorphins and relieve stress.
We recommend finding a group with similar interests — a running group, yoga group, etc. This will help keep you accountable and help you make friends with similar priorities.
Check out our article The 4 Healthy Habits of Successful Law Students for more advice on this subject.
Get Situated
Now let’s talk about the stressful stuff. First thing’s first, make sure you’ve fulfilled all of your law school requirements. This includes sending in your deposit, transcripts and any other information they’ve requested. Make sure you have all of the supplies you need to start law school. Here’s our checklist.
Are you moving for law school? Plan to move at least 3-4 weeks before classes start to scope out a quiet study spot, join a gym and get to know your campus.
And lastly, get a copy of your class schedule and reading assignments. These may not be ready until 1-2 weeks before classes start. It’s extremely important to have your first day reading done before class.
Sign Up for a Summer Prep Course
Yeah, I know you probably saw this one coming. Preparing for law school could mean the difference between being at the top of the class and failing your 1L year.
At Law Preview, our goal is to prepare each of our students to conquer law school. Our 6-Day Course covers everything from core 1L material to exam taking strategies in a live, lecture format. Don’t just take our word for it, check out these testimonials to see what our alumni have to say about us.
