Reducing Stress Whilst Studying Law

From Lawstudent.tv 15/02/14:

It’s true, your first-year of law school will be stressful, very stressful.  From managing all of your assigned reading to preparing for three finals in the same week, time management is key. 

So, how does lawstudent.tv suggest student combat that stress?

Log your hours.  Your first-year of law school will instill some odd new characteristics into you.  One of which is this feeling of guilt you’ll get when you’re not studying.  It feels like you’re not doing enough.  I found a simple way of combating this problem—logging your hours.  So you’ve spent four hours in the library today.  Log those hours.  You spent two hours studying before bed.  Log those hours.  Then at the end of the week, look back at what you’ve accomplished. 

Actually, that’s quite a good idea (and one which, refreshingly, isn’t face-slappingly obvious). It also has the useful side effect of getting students comfortable with recording their time – something which is essential in legal practice. BTW - do LPC providers still require students to ‘run’ a pretend case and record their hours and the usual rigmarole that goes with handling a matter (such as writing up attendance notes, closing matters and the like)? I doubt it.

Make a checklist.  Checklists are a wonderful thing.  You simply keep a running list of the things you must accomplish throughout the week.  As those things are completed, you check them off.  I’ve even heard that the act of “checking something off” produces a chemical reaction in the brain inspiring happiness and calm. 

Depressingly trite. It’s a to-do list in other words. As for the chemical reaction hoojamaflip, what absolute bollocks. To do lists are good – just don’t let’s pretend they’re a panacea to anything.

Keep up with friends […].  Sometimes it helps to get away from a legal environment.  Often times the people you communicate with while attending law school are exclusively law students. [Kind of figures, doesn’t it?]  When you’re not talking about your classes, they are.  Your mind needs a break from school.

As suggestions go, it’s hardly left field. But the point is a good one: all students need some down time.

Workout, often.  Working out is one of the best ways to reduce stress during law school

It’s one way, granted. Staying fit is important, you don’t have to head down the gym and put yourself through the pain of a punishing routine to achieve it. It’s far more important to eat and sleep well, have a regular, balanced routine and try to enjoy the course.

Easy peasey. Who said that studying law was difficult?