Three Tips For A Better Second Semester Of Law School

Three Tips For A Better Second Semester Of Law School

Many students find themselves beginning their second semester of law school with a lower GPA than they hoped to achieve. If you find yourself in that same situation, remember that everyone learns from their first semester in law school. In this post, we give three tips that can help almost any student have a better second semester of law school!

Three Tips For A Better Second Semester Of Law School

1. The First Semester Is In The Past

No matter how ugly your first semester of law school was, it’s behind you now!  Don’t get so caught up in what you should’ve done in your first semester that it distracts you from moving forward. Instead of focusing on how the first semester made you feel, direct your attention to the upcoming second semester. Those things you wish you had done differently, incorporate them into your study plan for this semester! Your second semester of the academic year needs to be met with confidence, vigor, and assurance. You can’t fully invest your time and energy into something if you are too focused on what happened previously!

 2. Learn From The First Semester

As Rafiki from The Lion King says, “The past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it.” Rafiki tells this to Simba at a time when Simba feels lost and confused about his future. Many students finishing up their first semester of law school can often feel lost and confused when deciding the next steps to take after a rough first semester.

In terms of your academic career in law school, take a look back at your first semester. What went wrong? For example, did you ignore the readings or start outlining too late? Did you miss class or fail to follow up on subject material you didn’t understand? Whatever the reasoning, looking back on a poor first semester can help you better prepare for your second semester. You can identify weak points in performance and come up with a plan of attack heading into the next semester focused and confident!

3. Utilize Resources To Improve Performance

Law schools have many resources designed to help you succeed. Professors, the law library, office hours, tutoring services, classmates, supplements…the list goes on and on. Taking advantage of these resources can be crucial to improving performance heading into your second semester of law school. If you find yourself stumbling out of a rough first semester, don’t hesitate to take advantage of these resources. Think of it this way – if nobody needed these resources, they wouldn’t exist. You’ll be surprised at the large impact simply reaching out for academic help can make going into your second semester.

• Seeking Success in Law School?

  • Benefit from personalized one-on-one tutoring by our seasoned law school tutors.
  • Explore our NEW and highly acclaimed law school study aids, available for a free trial.