1● 5 ● 14: Numbers for Starting Law School

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.