As the year is winding down and finals time is fast approaching, it is very easy to get so lost in the pressure and stress of wanting to do well on final exams that we forget to take care of ourselves. Now, I’ve found this to be a common theme amongst my fellow law students, and it is completely understandable. We spend weeks on top of weeks reading, outlining, and studying, with the goal of doing exceptionally well on the final exam. We’re working towards achieving large goals and fulfilling dreams of graduating from our respective institutions and having a large impact on our communities. However, with such large goals, some things can get overlooked, such as getting rest, communicating with friends and family, and putting our mental health first.

Statistics show that the stress rate among law students is 96%. The rate of depression among law students after one semester is 27%, after two semesters is 34%, and after three years is 40%. In the state of North Carolina, 37% of lawyers suffer from depression and 11% suffer from suicide ideation. Although mental health awareness month has passed, it is still very important that we continue to take care of ourselves. I know it is easier said than done to take time for yourself in law school. You may think this post is a little too optimistic or that it has a fairy tale sense of time. However, I’m going to give you a few tips on how to take care of yourself during finals.

Set Cutoff Times

When studying for finals, it is very easy to get overwhelmed or to try to tackle everything all at once. One tip I would give is to make a study schedule for yourself to break up topics for your courses and space out when you review them. At the same time, you have to set cutoff times for yourself. Maybe you won’t review anything past 9 p.m. during the week, or you set a date in which you’re finished reviewing for a particular class. Whichever works better for you, that’s a practice you should adopt. You can go into sensory overload trying to tackle all the information without good, spaced repetition. Spacing things out and knowing when it is time to stop reviewing will make the exam prep seem less stressful.

Rest Is Not A Reward, But A Necessity

This is probably the most important tip. There comes a time where we all think we can’t stop looking over outlines or rewatching videos until we get every single thing down. However, if you’re not getting adequate rest, then you’re not going to retain the necessary information to do well on your exams. There’s no reward in suffering. If you feel you need a small nap, or things will make more sense after a good night’s rest, then take that time.

Give Yourself Grace

When you started law school, no one said you had to be an expert at every single bar-tested course. It’s a large and somewhat unreasonable expectation. So when you’re preparing for your finals, you have to remember that you’re not an expert. You’re going to do your absolute best in preparing for these exams, that’s a given. But remember that the exam is just a measure of your knowledge on a particular day, from a set number of questions. It is not the end-all, be-all of your law school knowledge, and it is not a measure of all of your capabilities. Once the exam is out of your hands, release it. There’s nothing you can do about it after it’s done.

Remember To Treat Yourself

When it’s all said and done, you’ve worked hard this entire semester. You’ve done the late nights and the early mornings and the weekend study group sessions when you probably wanted to be home binging a Netflix show or phoning a friend from home to catch up. All that hard work will pay off, and when you finish that exam, remember to be good to yourself. Go get that sweet treat, watch that show that you’re episodes behind on, pick up that hobby you had to let go of because school got busy, and call your family because I am sure they miss you dearly. Do the things that bring you joy. You’re deserving of the rewards and life’s simple pleasures outside of law school.

As I said before, all of this is easier said than done when you’re working hard. But you deserve to put yourself first and indulge in the joys life has to offer outside of the classroom. You are doing amazing. Don’t give up. Keep pushing, but be good to yourself every step of the way.

December 8, 2021/by NCBA YLD