I will be serving as an orientation ambassador at my law school for the second year in a row.  In this volunteer role, I assist in orientation activities and serve as a mentor to incoming students who are beginning law school.  I felt compelled to do this job as a way to give back for all of the great friend-mentors I was lucky enough to have during my first year of law school.  Beginning the process is a jumbled mix of emotions: excitement; fear; apprehension; intimidation; and hope.  That last one changes as your first semester unfolds.  You hope you won't get called on; you hope you can get through your reading; you hope no one will figure out how scared you are to be there.  But over time, the hopes change: I hope he asks me about that case; I hope I get into that class; I hope I get that job.  And this is why the numbers above are so important when beginning your process.  Do not walk into your first day worrying about how you'll get though 3 years of law school, sit for a bar exam, and find a great job.  That is not your concern right now.  It will come up sooner than you expect, but it should not be on your docket right now.  Focus on 1, 5, and 14.  Get yourself through that first day (1).  Get yourself through that first week. (5)  And then, the third will come more easily than you expected: your first semester, roughly 14 weeks. 

Law school is a marathon, not a sprint, so you have to pace yourself or you could end up with an "injury", exhaustion, or perhaps even completely sidelined.  And at some point in the process, you might decide you don't want to even be a runner anymore.  That is ok too, and there will be many in your class who make that decision.  But for now, just worry about moving through those first three milestones. You can do it.  I know you can.  I often say that I wish I could transplant my brain in others so they could view my experiences in the past two years.  It has been a rollercoaster, but I would not change anything (ok, I would have started those outlines sooner...).  Sometimes, it does not matter how much reassurance you receive because there is always a "what if".  What if they made a mistake in admitting me?  What if I get called on and totally make a fool of myself?  What if I sleep through my 8am torts class twice in one week?  I can tell you that I have had the most absurd "what ifs" cross my mind, and I will admit that more than one of them actually came true.  But it all turns out ok in the end.  I am still here.  I am still happy.  And as I think about next month when I walk into Capital University Law School for my last first day of school, I feel a pang of something.  Excitement?  Fear?  Apprehension?  Intimidation?  Sure, but definitely hope.  I hope that I have a great year.  I hope that I can make the most of the time I have left.  And I know that if you are half as organized/diligent/focused/motivated as I have been, you will work through this with flying colors.  I wish you all the best in starting your law school journey. Mary Nienaber Foster 3L, Capital University Law School NWLSO National Communications Coordinator mailto:nienaber-foster@ms-jd.org">nienaber-foster@ms-jd.org