Authored by: Chris Drew
As another school year is set to begin, I think back to the first few weeks right before I started law school. I am not your traditional law student, but instead I was a 40-something full time paralegal who decided that I wanted to finally pursue my dream of being a lawyer.
So, what better way to pursue it then by working full time and going to school at night for the next four years? Night school was familiar to me, as I previously pursued both my master’s degree and my paralegal studies at night while working full time. However, I knew law school would be a different animal. So, as I got my schedule, got my books situated and connected with my mentor, I realized that I would have some additional hurdles. For one, my mentor was a day student who had gone to law school straight out of the college. I had not been in college for 20 years. His experience of balancing class schedule and life was going to be vastly different than my journey.
Therefore, I began to ask questions, all of the questions, whether they were mine or others and then started to connect with my fellow evening students. We were all going to be in the same boat for the next 3-5 years and we knew that no one would understand our unique experience. How does one balance work commitments, family commitments and studying for finals? Well, we were going to figure it out.
I entered orientation (ours was via zoom at the time due to Covid) crossing my fingers and hoping I would not be the oldest person. Turns out I was not – I was the third oldest. This is something that still creeps into my mind as I enter each new class, but a bit of nervousness never hurt anyone, right? Our cohort is an average age of 32 and it is blend of many different personalities and experiences. One thing we have in common is that we all are working full time. It was our great unifier and continues to be as we have dealt with class load and work trips and weddings and even studying with a newborn.
So here are some tips for those who are apprehensive about entering a room full of strangers and wondering how I am going to survive this evening program.
Ask Questions
You are there for yourself and as such you must be your own advocate. There are no silly questions, and your classmates likely will appreciate someone asking, rather than no one asking. Take advantage of your professors’ office hours. They are available for a reason, even if it is just to go in with a few questions about the assignment you just finished. Your writing is likely going to be tailored to what that specific professor wants, so why not ask the question about expectations ahead of time. However, make sure that your questions are on topic during class, and you come prepared to office hours. Nothing is worse than time wasted.
Take the opportunity to connect with other evening students, specifically the ones who have made it through that first year of balancing it all. They will be some of the best resources on how to successfully navigate the law school atmosphere, long night classes, and handling the balancing act required to make it.
Find Your Niche and Use Your Knowledge/Experience
Many organizations have expanded their access so that evening students can be involved. This was something that several of us at my school made great strides to ensure. There is something to the saying that we always wanted to be in the room where it happened. So, if there is a group on campus, reach out. Sometimes organizations do not even think that if they change their meeting time, there is an entire group of people that will be able to attend and be involved.
However, without someone piping up, there would be no change. All it takes is one person in the room to make changes.
If there is no organization on campus that you meet your interests, then start one. You never know who also might be interested. Now, we all are busy with school, work, life etc. but sometimes that extra outlet provides connections, untapped networking, and an outlet where you can talk with fellow classmates who have the same interests, but you might not have had a chance to cross paths with previously.
The best part of being an evening student is that we have more time to invest in the different organizations. Also, most of us have been part of organizations and led teams or boards. Our experience is something that we bring to the table and can help different groups grow in ways they may not have ever known.
Find the Best Way to Study that Works for You
During my orientation, they gave me an excel sheet and said, “Use this to schedule out your semester”. Now I am a fan of Excel, but I also knew that my life that included work, school, sleep, and life would not fit within the confines of any excel spreadsheet. So, I used it as a framework to develop my schedule, but I knew I could not just use that template only. As an evening student, I did not know what waited for me at work each week. I had very honest conversations with my coworkers and bosses so the expectations for everyone involved was laid out at the beginning of each semester. Then, I used the class syllabus to figure out what was due for each class and when it was due. I also started figuring out when I “should” start working on specific assignments. The first semester was definitely challenging and for evening students, the dreaded 1L lasts beyond just the first two semesters.
Your plan should be what works best for you. I was not a big study group type, but some of my classmates have found great success with it. Studying at coffee shops or in the library can give some variety that can break up the monotony of work and home.
Finally, Give Yourself Grace and Find Time for Self-Care
Grace and Self-Care are two important tenets someone told me before I started, and I continue to tell all of my mentees.
First Grace – you will not always understand the material. You will encounter topics or chapters or entire courses that are just not your cup of tea. Also, none of your classmates will understand everything. Concentrate on your own work and give yourself grace when it takes you longer to grasp something. Know that it will click and until it does – Survive and Advance!
Second Self-Care – this could come in different forms – it could be allowing yourself a night from studying and work for some binge watching or scheduling time with friends who can take your mind off things, or it could be taking a well needed nap. You will need time to decompress and think about things that are not related to work and law school. You will find your stride, but you may have to go through some rough days, weeks and months to find it.
I am always excited to see the new crop of evening students and feel encouraged by them, especially when they want to make the new generation of students’ lives a bit easier with their knowledge and experience.
We all must pay it forward because no one will understand what it is like to go balance everything except for other evening students.
About the Author
Christine “Chris” Drew is a 3L in the evening program at University of Illinois – Chicago Law school and will be graduating in May 2025. For the last 12 years, she has been a paralegal, first starting in criminal defense and plaintiff firms in the loop and for the last 7 years has been working for a civil defense firm. She hopes to combine her Master’s in Public Service Management from Depaul University with her previous work experience in the corporate and political arena and her legal experience to develop policy and legislation to address concerns facing her community.