MST

hi anon! i feel your pain! i don’t recommend paying for a barbri course (you’re gonna need that $$$) but here are some things I wish I knew the meaning of before I went in - (others, please feel free to add your recommendations) 

OUTLINING - most law school courses are based on one exam only, and many allow you to bring in an “outline” of notes - even if the exam isn’t open-note, prepping the outline was always a helpful studying exercise for me. In 1L I was so late in outlining because i didn’t know wtf it meant. https://lawpreview.barbri.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-outlining/ here is an example of an outline https://lawpreview.barbri.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-outlining/  -----also key - old outlines are GREAT starting points for figuring out how to make your outline, but I recommend making your own and not simply copying them. making the outline is what helped me study (for others, reading the outline helps as well) 

LAW REVIEW - if you want a biglaw job law review is important. other employers may also look at law review. I didn’t join law review because i didn’t know wtf it was. i still don’t regret it - but it’s still better to know all of your options: https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-law-review-2154872

TORTS - wtf is a mf tort??? i did not know this before my first day of torts. a tort is a claim of injury or harm (a personal injury claim following a car accident is an example) 

TEXTBOOKS - you will want to outline in them, so i don’t recommend renting if you, like me, like to highlight. but don’t buy from your bookstore. find a used one here if you can and sell it back at the end of the year: https://www.bookfinder.com/textbooks/

FEDERALIST SOCIETY AKA FED SOC/FED SOCKS - don’t join them they’re a rabid group of slick-back haired K-JD babies with banker daddies who say “all lives matter”, etc. they will advertise like they are not this. they all are, do not be fooled. sneak into the meeting, steal the free food, run out like you’re winning mouse trap. 

WHERE DO I FIND PEOPLE LIKE ME?!?!?! - this is not related to academics, but I found it SO HARD to relate to the general law school population because many of them are very wealthy kids with lawyer parents who are disconnected from your reality. The public interest groups sometimes have some nice radicals. If you’re a POC join one of the clubs for POC right away. I found 2-3 good friends in law school and it was a struggle, but it was so worth it to have someone around who could understand you (and you them). 

as far as law school prep goes, I guess it couldn’t hurt to look at a few old outlines from the courses you’ll be taking (crim law, property, torts, etc.). If you google something like torts 1/i outline .pdf you’ll find some to skim.