keep learning

A professor at my school, who’s sole job is to make sure students succeed, made this list and I thought I’d share.

Treat law school like a job, then have a life. Make a schedule and plan to study for at least 8 hours a day (this includes classes).

Prepare for exams, not for class. Who cares if you look stupid in class?

Read ALL of the assigned material.

“Brief cases”, whether it is a traditional brief or book briefing, and know where the case fits into the big picture.

Ask questions. Don’t hesitate. Again, who cares if you look stupid in class?

During class listen carefully to what the professor says, especially if they’re standing in front of their notes. Don’t worry about what your classmates say unless the professor says its good or repeats it.

Review class notes everyday.

Use study groups, especially for practice exams.

Make your own outlines. You can use upperclassmen’s outlines as a guide.

I’ve seen a couple of the reblogs talk about how this doesn’t address triaging when you fall behind, or preparing for classes that you have participation marks in, which are both fair points, but I think both of those can and do fit into the general theme of what’s being talked about here (especially when you take into consideration that this advice was given by a professor talking to students in an attempt to motivate them to succeed). 

1) Treat law school like a job, then have a life. 

Maybe 8 hours a day doesn’t work for you. Maybe you’re the type who instead of spending 40 hours a week on law school over 5 days likes to spend 10 hours a day on law school for 4 days. Or you want to spread it out and spend 6 hours a day for 7 days. 

Just like a job, sometimes you work overtime, and sometimes you take holidays off. But if you don’t treat law school with the respect of a job (even a job you hate) you are going to fall more than just behind. 

2) Prepare for exams, not for class. 

I think part of this comes down to know the materials for exams. Have a general knowledge of what you’re going to talk about in class. Even if you have seminar classes where you’re expected to participate, you aren’t expected to know the material yourself, perfectly, the first time around. Like, jesus, if I could do that what the hell am I paying all this money for a professor? 

3) Read ALL of the assigned materials. 

This is probably the one we all fail at. This is probably the one we all triage. I’ll be honest - I never fucking read for classes where I had an amazing professor who explained everything to me. I still bought the book (except for that one time in 3L…) and I still referenced it in my exams. But if I had one of those shitty professors who went all over the map with their lectures, damn right I was reading everything. 

4) “Brief” all cases. 

This has nothing to do with when you do this, only that you should do it. Brief them for your outlines for 100% finals. Brief them before class for participation classes/seminars. But for the love of god make yourself a little case cheat sheet. Nobody cases how you do it (IRAC, CIRAC, or some other unholy acronym), but future-you will thank you. 

5) Ask Questions. 

I don’t think anyone’s arguing with this. 

6) Listen to what your professor says. 

They are paid for this shit. They are marking your exams. If they say something twice, bold that shit in your notes. 

7) Review class notes everyday

This is a strength of understanding thing. Good students do this. Lazy students (aka me) don’t. I would have absolutely have spent less time outlining for finals and studying had I done more work during the beginning of the semester, by reviewing my notes regularly. 

8) Use study groups. Especially for practice exams. 

Listen, you don’t have to be a weekly “everybody bring muffins” study group, but having friends in law school is a good thing. Got a shitload of reading to do for an open book exam? Split that shit between four people and create a reading study group. Everybody briefs ¼ of the book. Done. 

Practice exams and your group of friends are a godsend. You go through and you issue spot. You talk about relevant cases. You talk about what the professor has highlighted about those cases. These, honestly, were some of the best study experiences I had. 

 9) Make your own outlines 

For the love of god do this. No one’s brain works quite the same. Make an outline that works as a point of reference for you 

The worst grades some of my smartest friends got were from classes where they just said “screw it, I’m using this person’s outline instead” 

10) Start outlining early 

Also great advice. Because you’re making your own, it takes time. In semesters where I had 5 finals, I was starting to outline in the end of October. Why? Because it gave me the time to do it at a steady pace and make outlines the way I liked them to look. 

Look, the reality is, sometimes you aim to do this, and you don’t always hit the mark. Sometimes you have classes or commitments that demand different things from you. But for our 1L and 2L lawblr brethren (3Ls don’t count because we all know you’re set in your ways!) these can be great starting points to commit yourself to better law-school oriented study habits 

It’s not ‘polyester’ it’s plastic

It’s not ‘vegan leather’ it’s plastic

Its not ‘faux fur’ it’s plastic

Plastic is a pollutant and causes far more damage to the environment both now and in the future than leather or wool.

one: pay attention to the music you’re relating to. sometimes it’s a clear indicator that something is wrong. other times, it’s an indicator that something is very, very right. when the latter happens, pay extra close attention.

two: true control is subtle, not obsessive. you may not even know that you have it when you do. people who are in control do not question it. they just are.

three: never pass up the opportunity to stick the tips of your fingers out the window of a moving car. feel the wind carry you to the sound of your favorite songs. this is a reminder that you’re alive.

four: thoughts don’t have to mean anything. you can just let them be there.

five: notice when you’re struggling and allow yourself some leeway when you do. however, learn the difference between giving yourself leeway and enabling your struggle. 

six: you cannot build self-love from a foundation of self-hatred. first, work toward self-acceptance. love will follow.

seven: do not love others simply because they love you back. do not expend your love on people who won’t love you back. 

eight: don’t forget to stop and look around. take a moment a day to stop doing and just be. the mindfulness hype isn’t overrated. there’s a reason for it.

nine: setting limits and saying no will not end any relationship worth keeping. 

ten: friendships built on moments of competitive misery are not healthy. if you find that you’re having the urge to constantly showcase your misery around someone, take that as a red flag. sadness is not a competition you want to win.

eleven: recovery is not about being happy. some days you will feel bored and flat. but these days are still better than those you built around destroying yourself. these days are still victories. recovery is about being alive.

twelve: when you’ve built an identity around being sad, the concept of happiness may scare you. giving that sadness up will strip you of most everything and leave you feeling empty. embrace this emptiness and fill it up with exploration. you’ll find that it’s worth it.

I am here to tell you all, unequivocally, that everyone else thinks you’re fucking insane

The magic number for most lawyers if 5 years. If you survive into your fifth year of practice, lots of doors and opportunities are open to you. Most people attribute this to the level of experience you attain. But the reality is that at five years, burnout culls most of your competition. They have worked themselves too long and too hard that their bodies have started a violent coup in an attempt to get them to slow the fuck down.

You know who doesn’t get burnout? Lawyers who work 8 - 6. Lawyers who leave early on Fridays to go pick up their kids from school. Lawyers who leave their cell phones on the other side of the house at dinner time so they can be present with their families. Lawyers who understand that for every minute of family time they sacrificed last week for the file that hit the fan, they owe their family two minutes of uninterrupted attention. 

- @lawschoolruinedme

Mate I could quote the entire frickin’ post but please, read this. 

Again.

Study tips made easy

bullet journals aren’t for everyone

you don’t need a fancy bujo spread every week to be a studyblr

you can use a normal planner and still be a studyblr

you can use cheap bic pens and still be a studyblr

you can never buy a muji pen or mildliner and still be a studyblr

you can have a computer that isn’t a macbook and still be a studyblr? like what is this apple worshipping cult?

you can type all your notes and still be a studyblr

you don’t have to take honors/ap/ib classes to be a studyblr

you don’t have to go to a 4 year college to be a studyblr

nontraditional students are beautiful and valid and you are working so damn hard

1. People and relationships that undermine and hurt you.

2. Negative and critical self-talk.

3. A cluttered and disorganized life and working space.

4. Procrastinating and always running late.

5. Pressure to conform and fit in with the crowd.

1. start studying a week before every quiz/test. seriously.

2. watch youtube videos/ted talks on the topics you are learning about.

3. get lots of sleep! sleep helps you process the day’s events, including what you learned.

4. write out your notes. it’s proven that handwritten notes help you learn better than typed out notes.

5. don’t just read what your professor gives you. find academic journals, books, etc. that correspond with your subjects.

6. read the news! especially in the social sciences/humanities, connecting concepts with current events helps you understand and process more easily.

7. exercise! this doesn’t have to be going on runs or lifting weights, it could even just be going for a 20 minute walk. just get your blood pumping, it’ll help you focus.

8. study at your desk. it may be tempting to study in bed, but your brain connects your bed with sleep, so you’ll get tired more quickly.

9. reviewing notes doesn’t have to be something you sit down and do for an hour. skim through them and test your memory while eating breakfast!

10. expand your study time throughout the day to avoid burnout. for example, rather than studying for 5 hours straight, study for an hour here and there in between your activities.

11. make your notes organized and easy to read, but not distracting. bright colors and flashy notes may seem better, but can sometimes distract from the purpose of the notes.

12. use apps such as quizlet. this way, you can go through definitions while waiting in lines or walking to class.

13. it’s more important to know concepts rather than facts. for example, you should be able to take what you know and apply it to different situations, not just the situation the textbook gives you.

14. just because the professor doesn’t require you to read textbook, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. it helps explain concepts in a different way than your professor, and a lot of times hearing two different explanations for the same concept helps you understand it.

15. read in advance. read the textbook before your professor begins going over the chapter, so when he/she does, you can easily follow what they are saying.

16. do any extra credit work that comes your way. even if you don’t need the extra boost now, you might later.

17. go to class!! if you always skip class and show up at office hours completely lost on the concepts, they’ll laugh in your face. they’ll take you 100x more seriously if you show up.

18. however, if you are sick, take a day off. it’s more beneficial to you in the long run. 

19. learn how to say “no”. if you have an 8 am the next day, don’t stay out until midnight with your friends. 

i just went through the lovely and vaguely nerve-wracking process of emailing all of my professors for the semester about my name and pronouns. i figured that, because i made a template a while ago for this (as it’s my third year at this school), i would share it with you all in case you need it! :) 

Hello, [professor’s name],

My name is [name] and I’m emailing you today because I will be in your class, [class name], for the upcoming semester. My birth name, which is [birth name], will be the one that is on your attendance sheet. However, because I identify as [gender identity], I use [name] instead. I would really like for you to use [name] instead of [birth name], as I feel that it better fits my gender identity.

I also use [specific pronouns] as my pronouns, instead of she/hers or he/his. If you need any help with understanding how to use those pronouns instead of the she/hers or he/his, please let me know, as I would be more than happy to explain it more in-depth.

((or, if you use she/hers instead of he/his or he/his instead of she/hers, feel free to articulate that instead! x ))

[OPTIONAL] If those pronouns prove to be difficult for you, I would also be okay with using [specific pronouns] as auxiliary pronouns. Again, if you need any help with understanding how to use those pronouns, I would be happy to explain further.

Thank you very much, and I look forward to class with you!

[name]

The reality is that most of our understandings of history revolve around what men were doing. But by paying attention to the other half of humanity our understanding of history can be radically altered.

For example, with Jewish emigration out of the Third Reich it is just kind of assumed that it was a decision made by a man, and the rest of his family just followed him out of danger. But that is completely inaccurate. Women, constrained to the private social sphere to varying extents, were the first to notice the rise in social anti-Semitism in the beginning of Hitler’s rule. They were the ones to notice their friends pulling away and their social networks coming apart. They were the first to sense the danger.

German Jewish men tended to work in industries which were historically heavily Jewish, thus keeping them from directly experiencing this “social death.” These women would warn their husbands and urge them to begin the emigration process, and often their husbands would overlook or undervalue their concerns (“you’re just being hysterical” etc). After the Nuremberg Laws were passed, and after even more so after Kristallnacht, it fell to women to free their husbands from concentration camps, to run businesses, and to wade through the emigration process.

The fact that the Nazis initially focused their efforts on Jewish men meant that it fell to Jewish women to take charge of the family and plan their escape. In one case, a woman had her husband freed from a camp (to do so, she had to present emigration papers which were not easy to procure), and casually informed him that she had arranged their transport to Shanghai. Her husband—so traumatized from the camp—made no argument. Just by looking at what women were doing, our understanding of this era of Jewish history is changed.

I have read an article arguing that the Renaissance only existed for men, and that women did not undergo this cultural change. The writings of female loyalists in the American Revolutionary period add much needed nuance to our understanding of this period. The character of Jewish liberalism in the first half of the twentieth century is a direct result of the education and socialization of Jewish women. I can give you more examples, but I think you get the point.

So, you wanna understand history? Then you gotta remember the ladies (and not just the privileged ones).

There was one woman who begged her husband for months to leave Germany. When he refused to listen to her, she refused to get into bed with him at night, instead kneeling down in front of him and begging him to listen to her, or if he wouldn’t listen to her, to at least tell her who he would listen to. He gave her the name of a close, trusted male friend. She went and found that friend, convinced him of the need to get the hell out of Europe, and then brought him home. Thankfully, her husband finally saw sense and moved their family to Palestine.

Another woman had a bit more control over her own situation (she was a lawyer). She had read Mein Kampf  when it was first published and saw the writing on the wall. She asked her husband to leave Europe, but he didn’t want to leave his (very good) job and told her that he had faith in his countrymen not to allow an evil man to have his way. She sent their children to a boarding school in England, but stayed in Germany by her husband’s side. Once it was clear that if they stayed in Germany they were going to die, he fled to France but was quickly captured and killed. His wife, however, joined the French Resistance and was active for over a year before being captured and sent to Auschwitz.

(This is probably my favorite of these stories) The third story is about a young woman who saved her fiance and his father after Kristallnacht. She was at home when the soldiers came, but her fiance was working late in his shop. Worried for him, she snuck out (in the middle of all the chaos) to make sure he was alright. She found him cowering (quite understandably) in the back of his shop and then dragged him out, hoping to escape the violence. Unfortunately, they were stopped and he, along with hundreds of other men, was taken to a concentration camp. She was eventually told that she would have to go to the camp in person to free him, and so she did. Unfortunately, the only way she could get there was on a bus that was filled with SS men; she spent the entire trip smiling and flirting with them so that they would never suspect that she wasn’t supposed to be there. When she got to the camp, she convinced whoever was in charge to release her fiance. She then took him to another camp and managed to get her father-in-law to be released. Her father-in-law was a rabbi, so she grabbed a couple or witnesses and made him perform their marriage ceremony right then and there so that it would be easier for her to get her now-husband out of the country, which she did withing a few months. This woman was so bad ass that not only was her story passed around resistance circles, even the SS men told it to each other and honoured her courage. 

The moral of these stories is that men tend to trust their governments to take care of them because they always have; women know that our governments will screw us over because they always have. 

do your research before reading the book, it’s always a good idea to look up the author and when the book was written and published. by looking that up, you can learn about the historical context of the book and get a deeper understanding of the plot, characters, and the author’s purpose behind reading the book.

read the intro and summary of the book before beginning if there’s an introduction to the book, be sure to read that for any relevant information that may help you analyze the book. find a summary of the book online to prepare yourself for a good reading. i know, i know, it feels like a bit of a letdown if you know the ending beforehand, but without it, you may get caught up in the plot and lose the important thematic details of the book. it’ll allow you to read the book with an open mind.

figure out what you need to do do you have a list of vocabulary for the book? find out each definition. do you need to analyze a character? get a sheet of paper and get ready to take notes on the characters. do you need to write about the theme? get post-it notes and mark the quotes that you think are relevant to the plot. either way, just be prepared for what you have to do with the book.

don’t highlight; write oftentimes, people will simply highlight pretty much anything in the book. i’m not a huge fan of the highlighting - annotating method because you may want to sell the book later on or reread it without bombarding your eyes with bright color. the highlighter ink may even bleed to the other side of the paper. i think that it just ruins the reading experience and future potential. it also encourages passive reading. instead, use sticky notes or sticky tabs to write down notes and place them in the book. keep a piece of paper by your side to take note of every character’s name and important plot points. using a color key with sticky notes may be helpful as well. if you must, i would suggest underlining with a pencil so that you can erase it after you’re done with the whole process.

take copious notes write down the words that you don’t know in the story and look them up. write down characters and their changes over the course of the book. write down times / settings when they show up. write down important quotes and passages + page numbers. write down every single thought that you have about the book because it may become relevant later on.

make a summary of the chapter after you finish one i personally like doing the summaries on index cards and then put them in order after i finish the entire book. i can then look through them to see the plot progression and character growth over the course of the story without hunting through the book or my notes.

wait until you finish the entire paragraph / passage before writing notes if you stop halfway, you may miss important information that’s revealed at the end of the passage. besides, you may develop new thoughts after reading the entire passage / paragraph.

look for literary devices you know, your metaphors, allusions, similes, personifications, etc etc etc. it’s good to be familiar with literary devices because they will often give an insight to the story and frequently become relevant to questions on the test / writing things. here’s a good site on literary devices.

This post is very different from what I normally write and share on this blog but I thought that I more personal/diary-esque approach would work well sharing my thoughts and anxieties before starting graduate school. So if you’re interested please consider reading further!

August 5th

I have to go to bed early to make sure I get enough sleep for work tomorrow but what I do instead is think about how I’m started to feel anxious about grad school. When I found out that I got accepted I was as ecstatic as Serena Williams winning Australia Open while being pregnant with her daughter… And up until this month, August seemed far away and the idea of me going to grad school didn’t feel real. Now, I have less than 20 days before I have to move and instead of sleeping I thought of sharing my worries and anxiety about the future upcoming months. Currently I’m most anxious about it finally starting to feel real, me having to pack (fun fact, although I love traveling I hate packing) and moving to a new place not knowing what will happen. I had very similar anxiety and worries about studying abroad in South Korea and I survived it and came out to be a stronger and better person but still… I worry

August 9th

Today I woke up less anxious because I managed to talk with my friend who is currently going into her 2nd year of graduate school and lives in the same city where I will be moving to! Because she has already gone through this experience she’s been providing me with useful advice about the application process and moving from one country to another and adjusting to life in grad school! I feel a lot more calm because I already have a couple of friends living there, so at leas I will not be alone! Also, I payed my tuition fees yesterday and received my official declaration of enrolment this morning, so guess what was the first thing I did? Yes, I updated my education section on LinkedIn… I’ve been waiting since the end of February to do this!!!!! I’m also crossing off a big item on my summer bucket list, which is to go water cycling on the river in town with my friend! I’ve never done and it’s been popular for the last couple of years during the summer season, so I felt peer pressure to do it too before I leave! 

August 15th

It’s a new week and I already accomplished a lot! Stress is decreasing, which is nice! I’m currently busy with work, as I only have 3 days of work left! It’s exciting and I’m already losing the motivation to go to work, so I feel like this chapter is also closing at the perfect time! This has happened more than once this year! I’m completely moving on from my life in undergrad and my first year after finishing university, which I think is very healthy, as I really wouldn’t want to be the person who is still hung up on the good ‘ol college days… I promised myself to start packing this week, I also hung out with my family when we visited the botanical gardens and sorted out my insurance card! Progress is being made and I feel a lot better than I did when I started writing these entries.

August 16th

I’m so excited because I only have one day of work left on Sunday! I just came back from dinner with one of my professors and a mentor, which was lovely! We chatted about my future classes and what I’m looking forward to the most about moving to Amsterdam! I’m currently drinking tea, instead of packing! So I should get going, but I’m excited! 

August 24th

I moved a couple of days ago! Today’s day 2 of me being here and everything feels weird. Unfamiliar. It’s bad because it makes me feel insecure but also good because this insecurity will help me get out of my comfort zone! I’m excited to explore the city of Amsterdam today with my friends! Yes, I already made friends! Everyone has been extremely kind and nice to me here, which is good but even though I shopped at IKEA for two hours yesterday to buy stuff for my room it still doesn’t feel like home. I’m waiting to settle in and feel comfortable with my surroundings! 

Here are some photos of me exploring Amsterdam so far:

How I Take Textbook Notes Digitally 

Gather supplies 

Locate the chapter summary

Use the Google Docs app to voice type 

Open Google Docs on a browser to reformat the document

Add vocab words and highlighted sentences that were in the chapter

Include charts/diagrams/images that help you understand the concepts

aka things a med student wishes people had told her about periods beforehand.

you might get your period when you’re 10 or when you’re 16, and that’s a-okay. my cousin got her period when she was 9 (yikes) and i got mine when i was 14. don’t stress it out.

if you’re older and still haven’t had your period, you should go to your obgyn doctor at least to know if everything is okay.

having your first period doesn’t mean your genital organs are fully developed and mature. most of the times, it takes about 2 years from your first period to start ovulating mature eggs.

however, if you’re sexually active, use protection. don’t use this fact as an excuse.

also, unless your period is super duper regular and never late, BEING ON YOUR PERIOD DOESN’T MEAN YOU WON’T GET PREGNANT. for women with irregular (or semi-irregular) periods, the chances of menstruating while ovulating are higher than normal, so have safe sex, kiddos.

during the first two years, your period is very irregular and may skip for months! conversely, you might menstruate twice a month or more. one time i was off my period for 6 months. it is not a problem.

if it keeps happening for much longer than two years though, you should see your doctor.

plus, you should keep in mind that stress usually delays your period. however, though it is not common, for some people, it may induce it.

the blood can have different colors, depending on which day you’re in. it can be slightly pink, bright red or dark brown.

if you’re off of your period and still spot your underwear with brown blood, there’s no problem with you - it’s just residual blood from your period that dried out in your body.

you should use tampons only during the days when you bleed the most. if you use them during the first or the last days of your period, it will hurt you the whole time since the vagina is not wet enough, and it will irritate the walls of your vaginal canal.

also, please let’s demystify that periods don’t flow when you’re under water. that is not true and you shouldn’t risk yourself to go to a pool without a tampon on.

your underwear will turn white as time passes. that’s because the vaginal discharge that happens during your menstrual cycle is so acid that it discolors the underwear.

fun fact: vaginal discharge is acid to kill and prevent bacteria and fungi from developing and entering your body. the color and consistency of vaginal discharge can say a lot about your vaginal health, so you should check it once in a while.

cravings are a body mechanism that prevents you from passing out. the loss of blood (plus all the hormones) leads to lower sugar and energy resources on your blood, so eating sugar or fat rich foods allows your body to function properly without needing to turn “the switch off”.

if you have symptoms that are not usual in other people, go to your obgyn doctor! even if everyone keeps telling you it’s normal, it might actually be a problem and only you can tell if it is okay or not.

if you have excruciating uterine pain to the point you can’t even walk/focus/talk/barely fuction, THAT IS NOT NORMAL. it’s usual to feel pain, but not like that - and, most of the times, these symptoms are overlooked! go. see. your. doctor. please.

if you feel this kind of pain, it can be a sign of a much bigger problem, like endometriosis, PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) or other hormonal problems, and if you don’t treat these in time, you can become infertile.

if you feel pain on weird body parts besides the uterus, breasts and head, DON’T IGNORE IT. i’ve been told my whole life that feeling intestinal pain was normal, but guess what? IT IS NOT. don’t ignore it.

i had symptoms since i was 14 and my parents always told me it was normal and that everyone had it. i can tell you for sure that most people don’t have it. i insisted every time to go see a doctor, and at 18 years of age i found out i had intestinal endometriosis.

every time i have my period, i either have diarrhea or constipation, and anal bleeding. i also feel excruciating anal pain - it’s hard to describe, but it kinda feels like someone is pulling my intestines out of me through my stomach. it’s sudden and it lasts for about half a minute, during which i’m unable to walk, sit, get up, move or shrink myself.

if you have any of these symptoms, please, please, go see your doctor.

also, anal bleeding may not be obvious. if you notice your feces getting darker during your period, then you’re probably bleeding through your intestines/anus or have other type of health condition.

this is not really study related, but i believe this is useful information for every young person with a vagina. this is what i’ve learned throughout the 4 years of being “a woman” + what i’ve learned in class. unfortunately, sex education classes don’t teach most of this stuff, which leads to a lot of mystification and misinformation, so this is my attempt on trying to spread the truth about periods.

feel free to reblog and add more information to this post, and if you have any question, send me an ask!

also, since i’m still a studyblr, here’s some useful tips on how to study on your period: [binasblr’s post] ; [psytudying’s post] ; [caffeinatedconfidence’s post]