I am so tired - physically and mentally.
Yesterday morning I couldn't remember any of the cases I'd briefed the night before.
I'm worried I'm not learning anything because I never have a chance to go back over anything I've read to study it. It all just seems like a struggle to get as much out of the cases as possible to write briefs and then pray I don't get called on.
I'm completely exhausted.
I know this is normal 1L experience, but could someone tell when (like what day number) it gets better. If I just knew when that day was, I could hang on by my fingernails until then.
I have about six cases to brief now. Hopefully I'll make it to bed before 1am.
*sigh*
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7 comments:
I think it was about a month in before I stopped feeling so tired and overwhelmed. Allow yourself the transition time, and remember everyone is feeling something similar.
Ah, here is your problem: you're thinking about the FUTURE. Just focus on the new few days and after that, the next few days from then. It's way to stressful to think how it will all get done. It either will or won't (but it probably will). The first weekend after your first big legal writing exercise is usually a great time to sleep in and watch a movie in bed. Then it all goes to hell again. But like I said, don't think about it! Just focus on tomorrow.
YEah, what they said. And also, sometimes, if not most times, it's okay to learn only as much as you need for the next class. You'll be amazed at how well you can synthesize the material at the end of the semester.
btw, it's nice to see another 30-something in Law School...
I agree about it being nice to see a fellow 30-something in school.
I think that people are wrong in thinking they need to know every case cold in order to do well. You'll find your rhythm soon, and you'll learn how much time YOU need to spend to get the knowledge that YOU need from the cases .... and I'm willing to bet that with your maturity and life experience under your belt, it's going to be less than several of your classmates.
You're gonna do great.
The point of the first semester of law school is to get you to question whether or not you really want to do it. The briefs, the text, the professors, everything is just an adjustment phase.
Briefing can be a pain, but it's not that bad (here's the facts, here's the issue, here's the rule, here's how the court ruled, and here's why the court ruled that way). the big keys are to get the rule of law and spot the issues. After that, find a way to apply it to a slightly different fact pattern and you're in good shape.
Like Cella Bella said, focus on the next few days. Store what you have for future reference.
I'd say after three or four weeks, you can recognize what about a case is important and what isn't. Then everything gets a lot easier, because so much of what's in those casebooks is just chaff, and once you learn to recognize it, you don't have to worry about learning it.
And listen to Cella: live one day at a time.
Briefing by itself isn't hard. Teasing the main point and black letter law from some convoluted opinion - that takes effort (to concentrate).
Besides, new routines takes a while to get used to but it will come together by the end of one month (like what Trevor said).
You'll do fine though. :)
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