This week we welcome back guest writer Shirlene Armstrong to talk about keeping up your momentum during second semester of law school.

Do you remember the start of the school year or even the start of law school? When you were bright-eyed and bushy-tailed? When you were excited for what this school year would bring you? When you were looking forward to the next steps of your legal journey? Ah, those were the days, right? Now you are a seasoned law student, hardened to the outside world and just chugging away to the end of the school year. It is the law school slump. The time of year when the end of the semester seems so far away, but you are already burnt out. I get it, I have been there too.

Law school is a stressful and difficult time. There are so many cases to read, activities to be a part of, and classes to attend. You fall into a pattern of just trying to make it until Friday (trust me, that doesn’t end with law school either) But there is a reason you went to law school, and you once had joy and excitement about being a law student. Allow me to give you some mindful reminders and tips on how to keep yourself going and help you fall in love with law school again!

Why Did You Go To Law School?

Sometimes the best cure to feeling burned out is reminding yourself why you started this process in the first place. While you have been focused on the day-to-day grind, you have probably forgotten where you are heading. This is what law school can do – trap you in a bubble of classes, casebooks, and assignments. In this daily pattern, you forget about the end-goal, the reason you went to law school. Reflecting back and reminding yourself of where you came from, where you are going, and the whole motivation behind this crazy journey is a great way to get out of your slump. You will help light your passion for law school once again and push through to the end of the semester!

Positive Affirmations

Another great way to get over your slump is to work on coming up with some positive affirmations. It is possible you are feeling a little down or lacking confidence. Or maybe you are just overwhelmed and need a second to breathe.

Try this: go home and look at yourself in the mirror. Study yourself and evaluate how you are doing. Then repeat (out loud) some affirmations to yourself based on what you feel you need. You can try telling yourself that you are a good student, that you work hard for what you have, and you will accomplish your goals. Or you could tell yourself that you are a good person and have many friends and loved ones who care about you. These affirmations can help boost your morale and give yourself a more positive attitude. This, in turn, will allow you to focus on law school and being successful!

Discover Something New

It is possible that you are bored with the same old “grind” of law school. Maybe you feel like you are in an old black and white show and need to add some color to your life. This is a perfect time to discover something new. Maybe it will be a new club or activity. Maybe it will be something new in your law school that you haven’t seen before. Maybe it just means hanging with a different study group. Whatever it is, sometimes making a new discovery brings more life, color, and fun into the same old routine.

It is Okay To Take Time For Yourself

Sometimes, even if you love something so much, you need to take a break or have some space. It is perfectly okay to do this with law school as well. And you should not feel guilty about taking a break or a vacation during law school. If you do nothing but work hard and study, you will get completely burned out. You will not want to study, your grades may suffer, and you won’t feel engaged or fulfilled. So take time for yourself and do what makes you happy. Or take a mental health day and catch-up on your sleep. Your health is important and you will thank yourself later!

You Can Get Over This Slump!

You are an overstressed, overworked law student. You are tired and in need of a break. You are in the middle of your slump. However, you will be able to combat this slump and push through to the end of law school. It can be difficult to see this when you are in the middle of it all, but law school does not last forever. You will make it through and graduate, just like many before you. This stressful time of your life will pass and you will be successful. Have a great rest of the school year!


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