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Incoming 1L's: 3 Ways to Prepare This Summer

By Betty Wang, JD on July 03, 2013 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

For those of you preparing to enter the daunting world of law school this coming fall, you should take advantage of this summer. First off, give yourself a part on the back -- you've worked hard on those personal statements, getting all your applications in, that dreaded LSAT, and (hopefully) have gained admission into the school of your choice.

Before that, though, antsy one, yes you can start preparing for your career as a law student now. But, on top of preparing for actual school itself, there are other factors that you may not have considered. Here are three useful tips for what you can do this summer:

1. Take care of all logistics.

Once school starts, and quite literally, on the first day, you'll be thrown into law school work. This means that all other matters should have been taken care of beforehand so you don't have to stress about them, in addition to school. Have your affairs in order, basically. Make sure that you've found a place to live, have secured a non-crazy roommate, that your car is tuned up and won't break down on you in the middle of the semester, that you have your budget thought-out for the school season when you may (read: won't) have time to work. If you want to start off the school year with a new laptop, make sure you're familiar with its functions, how to use it, and order it well ahead of time.

2. Do your research - know what to expect.

There is nothing more disorienting than unexpected surprise after surprise, especially in law school. In order for things to run as smoothly as possible, you should know what to expect. The Internet is a goldmine of information, and there's nothing law students like to do more than complain, (oops -- we mean inform others!) about their law school experiences. You can also reach out to a 2L or 3L (but, whatever you do, avoid the graduated 3Ls who are bar-studying, please), through your school's network, or maybe a Facebook forum, or on LinkedIn, and see if they're willing to meet you for coffee (or email) to prepare you for your law school experience.

3. Relax. Really.

After all has been said and done, though, relaxing is still key this summer. If you haven't, yet, find a way to just be you -- or take a nice trip somewhere or just a day get-away. Having all your ducks in a row for law school is important, but ultimately ensuring that you'll fully rested and charged is even more crucial. You won't have a free summer in a while, what with summer work expected of you the next couple of summers, and the gloom-and-doom of bar-study which will happen the summer after law school. Live it up, now, while you still can.

Lastly, congratulations! Your life is going to change, very soon.

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