A *Good* Day in the Life of a 1L
When I was applying to law school, I was obsessed with watching videos and reading blogs on what a day in law school was like. Most of them started with the person waking up at around 7am, doing a workout, eating a healthy breakfast, and then jumping into their schoolwork for the day. I remember thinking, “I guess that makes sense. They’re in law school, so it obviously requires lot of work and commitment to a routine”. But hearing the same story from multiple law students made me nervous — it made me wonder whether every law student had to commit to that kind of schedule in order to be successful. So for today’s blog, I wanted to share a somewhat fun day in law school to prove that it is absolutely possible to have a balanced lifestyle as a law student.
Wednesday, November 10, 2021:
7:00am — I wake up to my alarm. I told myself that I would get up a bit early so that I could shower and eat before my 9am class. But I changed my mind and hit snooze until 8:45am.
8:45am — Jump out of bed and b-line to the shower. Quick showers are a fair price to pay for sleeping in.
9:00am — Grab some cereal and a banana while my professor gets her thoughts together before starting the lecture. I am grateful for this because it prevents me from having to simultaneously type and eat.
12:00pm — Class ends, and I decide to go for a walk. I walk to Coffee Exchange (the best coffee place in Windsor) to pick up a cappuccino. Of course, the lemon tarts catch my eye, so I pick up one of those as well.
12:30pm — I come home and get my property books out. I have a test tomorrow, so I spend some time organizing my notes and reviewing the key concepts. I usually don’t have any music on when I’m studying, but sometimes I need to boost my mood. Today was one of those days. I threw on some Jack Johnson and kept grinding.
4:00pm — My friend and I have a facetime review session for property. The first 20 minutes are spent telling each other what we’ve been up to over the past couple of days while ranting about how stressed we are. Then we get into the actual work. We ask each other questions and clarify some concepts, along with having the odd side conversation here and there.
6:30pm — I get a text from my friend telling me that they need an extra player for hockey tonight — yay! At the start of the year, you would not catch me doing anything social the night before an assignment or quiz. But I feel confident and prepared for this quiz, so I give myself permission to go. I make some dinner — couscous and veggies.
7:00pm — While I’m eating dinner, I watch an episode of Big Mouth. I need a few good laughs throughout my day.
7:30pm — I spend some time reviewing my notes once more before my quiz tomorrow. Jack Johnson is still playing in the background.
8:30pm — I make a schedule for tomorrow. I find that I am far less stressed in the morning if I make a plan for what my day will look like the night before.
9:00pm — My friend picks me up and we drive over to the arena! Playing hockey allows me to forget about law school for at least an hour or two. This is incredible for my mental health because I find that even when I am going to dinner with friends or at a party, school is always in the back of my mind. But when I’m at hockey, school doesn’t even cross my mind once. Finding an activity that gives you this kind of mental break is essential in law school.
11:00pm — I arrive back at home, chug a glass of water, and take a nice hot shower before bed.
11:30pm — Bedtime!
I would be lying if I said that I could live each day like this. Most days I wake up fairly early and spend virtually the entire day at my desk. But every few days, I give myself the chance to have an easier day. I think that it is important for all current and future law students to know that you can do well in law school while also taking the time to relax and enjoy life. This doesn’t only mean having easier days like the one I just shared, but it can also mean taking entire days off. Personally, I enjoy working really hard during the week so I can sometimes have an entire weekend off to do things with my friends or partner. I truly believe that taking the time to go apple picking for the day with friends, taking a ski trip up north for the day, or spending a weekend away with family is all possible. If you manage your time well during the days you have allotted to studying, then you can have a healthy balance between school and maintaining a social life.
