Understanding Law School Stress and Pressure and How I Cope

Law school finals are quickly approaching, and the stress is quickly rising. For those of you that don’t know, law school is graded on a bell curve, with the final test being the only indicator of your grade. My school does mostly closed book exams. So, for every test, you have to cram 14 weeks’ worth of legal material and cases into your brain and be able to synthesize and analyze that material onto a sheet of paper or computer screen during a 4-hour time frame.

Clearly there are a lot of valid reasons to be stressed.

 

It is hard for an anyone who has never gone to law school to understand the stress and pressure us law students are under. In my opinion, an unhealthy amount of stress and pressure. Law school exams are really a test of how well students can work under a period of earth crushing pressure.

 

Sadly, during this time I am not the happiest of persons. Normally, I am a very happy and positive person, but law school brings me down. Don’t get me wrong: they’re great parts to law school; fun learning material, seeing my friends, interning, cool lectures, etc. But not the stress and pressure that comes with it.

Everyone handles stress differently. Personally, I get really quiet, and I get very tense in my neck and shoulders. And sometimes I forget to eat. Unfortunately, during that time I have a tendency to snap at friends and family as there is nothing else, I can focus on or think about but the stressor.

 

How I deal with stress: I like to take walks, workout, play on my phone, plan things out and get organized. I also prioritize and get focused on what the real task at hand is: succeeding on my finals.

 

Law school exams are unkind so please keep us law students in mind these next couple of weeks and if we snap at you, or aren’t the nicest, we’re sorry. Please bear with us. It will be over soon.

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