First Impressions of 1L
As of Friday, September 10th, 1Ls across the country officially completed their first week of law school. Like many of these students, I moved away from home, met what felt like 200 people, attended my first law classes, completed most of my readings, spent way too much money on social gatherings, and assembled lots of Ikea furniture. For all the 1Ls experiencing the start of first year with me, the future 1Ls, and upper years/graduates who want to reminisce, here are some of my post-week one reflections:
1. It was surreal.
For many students, attending law school has been their dream for a long time. The work we put into achieving good grades, a competitive LSAT score, and a unique personal statement was intense. Perhaps more significant is the amount of time we spent manifesting our future in the legal profession — imagining ourselves as a character on Suits, dreaming of advocating for others in a courtroom, and envisioning ourselves perfectly answering a cold call in class. After this week, these imaginings actually felt attainable. We now have the opportunity to take part in initiatives like Pro Bono Canada, legal aid clinics, and other experiential opportunities which were previously unavailable to us as non-law students.
I also found that the more juvenile pleasures were equally important for me this week — purchasing my first law textbooks (one student in my class described them as “sexy”, and I have to agree with him), buying a Windsor law sweater, and attending my first law student party. The emotions and experiences of this week were surreal. There is no better word to describe it.
2. The stress is starting to hit.
The first few days were fun — people wanted to go out for meals together and hang out at night. I planned to do my readings on the weekend because that was an acceptable thing to do in syllabus week throughout undergrad. As the weekend approached and I began looking at the reading list, I quickly realized that I would not be able to push off readings in the same way I had during my undergrad. My Saturday and Sunday involved hours and hours of reading, with the occasional “are you as overwhelmed as I am?” text exchange between me and my newly found friends. As stressful as it is at the moment, everyone’s mutual stress has been somewhat comforting.
3. New city, new vibe.
Moving to a new place and not knowing anyone in my class has been both exciting and nerve-wracking. It was exciting because I have begun to explore a new campus, restaurants, bars, and walking routes; and nerve-wracking because I have felt very unsure about how the city and the people would differ from where I did my undergrad (I went to Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario). It sounds silly, but I wasn’t sure what to wear when meeting people for the first time. I wasn’t sure if I should wear something professional since law is a professional program or whether should I feel comfortable wearing a typical “going out at Queen’s outfit” because that’s what I’m used to and we’re going to a bar.
I also wasn’t sure how competitive people would be. I was worried that my new peers would want to compare their impressive resumes or LSAT scores, potentially causing me to experience imposter syndrome. Maybe I’ve just been particularly lucky with my cohort, but I am very happy to say that my concerns never really came to fruition. I wore what I was used to because I felt comfortable doing so, and my classmates and I bonded over our mutual fears of cold calling and experiencing imposter syndrome. People were far more grounded and humbler than I imagined they would be. I like to think that this is largely a testament to the types of students Windsor law attracts, but nonetheless, I was pleasantly surprised.
All in all, my first week was pretty great. I met some amazingly passionate and kind people, attended interesting classes, and took the time to begin exploring the city of Windsor. If this past week has been any kind of indication of the next three years, I am confident that my experience will be challenging, enjoyable, and tremendously rewarding.
