Loving the Law: Handling Stress During Law School

That first semester in law school may be the most difficult time you will ever face in life. Trying to get used to the huge workload, the unusual classes, and the new environment is always hard on students, and the prospect that you're stuck here for the next three years doesn't help.

Talk to Older Students

One of the best things you can do for yourself is talk to older students. Get their opinions and advice on classes, teachers, and stress. They have been where you are and can be an important fountain of wisdom when the going gets tough.

Ask For Help

Never be afraid to ask for help in law school. If you are facing problems in your classes or have personal issues that are affecting your performance, go ahead and ask for help. Waiting until it's too late is a mistake that too many students make due to pride.

Be Realistic

Remember that unless you really want to specialize in some areas or work for certain sections of the government, you don't need to be the top person in your class. In fact, all you really have to do is graduate, though it would be ideal to be in the top fifty percent of your class.

Study with Friends

Study groups are a fun source of amusement in law school. Since you really have to keep studying as much as possible, you can always take a short break by studying with friends. Take a picnic or snacks and groups can get together to study and have some fun before the big test.

Find a Great Internship

When it comes to finding your internship or externship, be sure that you find something that truly interests you. After all your hard work in classes, you deserve to do something that you enjoy. Start early and find something that really fits in with your career goals and dreams. What to Remember

When you're stressed out in law school, particularly during your first year, remember these things:

Talk to Older Students

You can ask for help.

Be realistic.

Study with friends.

Find a great internship.

Amber Smith is a feature writer for CareersandEducation.com. Review more of her work and read about using a Career learning center and explore her thoughts on online degree programs and online colleges.

Michigan Law Schools - How to Find & Get Into a Great Law School in Michigan

There are six great law schools in the State of Michigan. These include the Ave Maria School of Law in Ann Arbor, the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in Detroit, the University of Michigan Law School in Ann Arbor, the Michigan State University College of Law in East Lansing, the Thomas M. Cooley School of Law in Lansing, and Wayne State University Law School in Detroit.

Of course, not all Michigan law schools are alike, and in choosing a Michigan law school - as you would with any school - you should make sure that you are making the correct choice for YOU. Unfortunately, far to many prospective law students fall into the trap of letting magazines and artificial law school rankings make the choice for them. If you were to do that, you might focus on the University of Michigan Law School, which admittedly enjoys an outstanding national reputation, to the exclusion of several other excellent law schools in Michigan or elsewhere.

One of the things I try and emphasize to students trying to select a law school is that you get a very similar education no matter where you go. The "elite" schools will never admit that, but its true. Moreover, having been a practicing lawyer now for almost 10 years, I assure you that where you went to law school will very quickly become virtually meaningless to your employers and colleagues. I've known great lawyers and terrible lawyers who went to great schools - and I've known great lawyers and terrible lawyers who went to no-name night schools.

Therefore, if you've decided you want to go to law school in Michigan, you should carefully analyze which of the excellent choices will be the best law school for you. If your aim to get a high-paying job in Manhattan immediately after graduation, the University of Michigan Law School is probably a place you should target. On the other hand, if you're looking to set up a local practice on of the smaller local schools may be your best choice.

Although the substance of what you will learn is largely the same at every school, the environment is definitely not. That's why, if you've decided you want to go to a Michigan Law School, you should visit every school you're considering to get a feel for the campus and physical surroundings. You should also speak with some students to see what they have to say about the atmosphere. Some law schools are definitely more friendly that others.

No two Michigan law schools are created alike, just as no two law students are created alike. Finding a good match should be your top priority. You're going to spend three years of your life and tens of thousands of dollars - regardless of which Michigan law school you select - and you should do everything possible to make sure its not a miserable investment.

When I was choosing which law school to attend I spent hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars researching and in many cases visiting the eleven schools that made my final list. In the end, I didn't choose the highest ranked or most prestigious school I got into, but I did choose the best law school for me. And I made the right choice.

This is just one of the many topics I discuss in my ebook Covert Tactics for Getting Into the Law School of Your Choice and in the Covert Tactics Law School Newsletter, both of which are available at my website.

This article may be freely reprinted or distributed in its entirety in any ezine, newsletter, blog or website. The author's name, bio and website links must remain intact and be included with every reproduction.

H. Jefferson, Jr. is an expert on on law school admission, having applied to and been admitted by 11 of the top law schools in the United States. To learn more about the the techniques and strategies you can use to get into the law school of your choice, visit http://www.coverttactics.com