My name is Regina Curran, and I'm 3L. Before coming to Roger Williams I received my BA in Sociology from Texas A&M University. I am originally from both Texas and Oklahoma. I took a short time off after undergrad to work odd jobs, but ultimately knew I was headed for law school. Having...
It’s true, I do hate them. It started in kindergarten and to this day I still refuse to eat them out of protest. What does this have to do with law school you might ask? Nothing. Truly. But my friends have been bugging me to update my blog and it got me to thinking about my lack of focus right now. As a 3L I feel like I’m being pulled in a hundred different directions. I’ve got school (of course), the job I work, the job I’m hoping to find, obligations to friends and family, and school. I did say school twice, I because that’s where it should be. Despite being in my last year there is still so much to be done, not to mention the bar.
As part of my job I work with undergraduate students and often ask them to create action plans for their success. I think it might be time for me to take a bit of my own advice. So here’s a little checklist for me and maybe some thoughts for your 3rd year (feel free to hold me accountable to this):
- Finish resume (both for legal jobs and higher ed jobs)
- Start my bar application (get driving, credit, tax records among other things)
- Clean my apt (it helps to focus when your life is in order)
- READ for class!
- Get to work on paper for mediation
- Work on paper for graduation requirement
- Call friends and family (they keep you grounded and sane)
- Don’t forget to eat breakfast
- Start outlines for finals
- READ for class! (Again, its important enough to say twice)
- Keep up with job listings
- Work on cover letters
- Have some fun
Those are the big things, I think. Some big because they will directly impact my future success. Some big because they are important to life/school/work balance. Its important to have an action plan or list for law school. It can seem big and overwhelming and out of control at times, but its not. Plenty of people have done it and plenty have succeeded. I’ve noticed over the last few years that some of the most successful law students are the ones with the most demands on their time (kids, spouses, jobs). There are certainly a lot of reasons for this, but ultimately it helps me to know that it can all be done and done successfully. If you’re getting ready to apply for law school I wish you luck with the process and perhaps your senior year of college if that’s where you’re at. Try an action plan, it helps subdue the senioritis, just a little.