Holdings Information
How to be sort of happy in law school / Kathryne M. Young.
Bibliographic Record Display
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Title:How to be sort of happy in law school / Kathryne M. Young.
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Variant Title:How to be happy in law school
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Author/Creator:Young, Kathryne M., author.
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Published/Created:Stanford, California : Stanford University Press, [2018]
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Holdings
Holdings Record Display
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Location:LAW LIBRARY learning commons (level 2)Where is this?
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Call Number: KF287 .Y68 2018
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Number of Items:1
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Status:Available
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Location:LAW LIBRARY learning commons (level 2)Where is this?
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Library of Congress Subjects:Law students--United States--Psychology.
Law schools--United States--Sociological aspects.
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Description:xv, 290 pages ; 23 cm
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Notes:Includes bibliographical references and index.
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ISBN:9780804799768 (paperback ; alkaline paper)
0804799768 (paperback ; alkaline paper)
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Contents:Machine generated contents note: 1. You Are Not Alone
Let's acknowledge that law school kind of sucks
It is normal to feel like the workload is impossible
You are not the crazy one
You are not the only one who feels out of place
2. You Are Good Enough to Be Here
primer on impostor syndrome
You have never worked so hard to be average
Self-sufficiency is a myth
3. Why Are You Here?
Contemplate your reasons for going to law school
Remember the passions that brought you here
You are being trained as a technician, not an inventor
What we talk about when we talk about happiness
relationship between flow and happiness
4. Understanding the Storm
Law school changes people (and so does life)
subject matter may not be what you expected
Law school is not a PhD program
Your interests may change
JDs lead people in many directions
5. Should You Drop Out?
You are allowed to leave
Reasons to stay and reasons to leave
Advice from alumni
Can you afford to drop out?
What happens to people who drop out of law school?
Taking a year (or a semester) off
Some final thoughts about dropping out
6. Don't Just Follow the Crowd
This is your life
Recognize risk aversion
You don't have to do everything
Even if you have the luxury of OCI, you still don't have to participate
Law review may not be worth it
Take a stand
7. Identity Matters
Remember where you came from
Gender and sex(ism)
Race, racism, and racial identity
White people
Social class and cultural capital
Sexual orientation and gender nonconformity
Political beliefs
Other aspects of identity
Your identities and other people's identities
8. Law School State of Mind
Know what constitutes true disaster
Lest you forget, this stuff is hard
Paying attention: Law school mindfulness
Build your wings
9. Art of Alleviating Stress
Think small
Schedule time to do things that are not law school
Seek new ways to alleviate stress
Kill your Internet connection for a few hours every day
Beware of stealth time vacuums
It is okay to watch stupid television sometimes
"Waste" part of your summer
Get a dog. Or a plant. Or a hamster.
Read some poetry or look at some art
Hold fast to your creativity (a note to artists,writers, musicians, and actors)
10. Finances and Physicalities
Don't spend money in stupid ways
Don't save money in stupid ways
Don't let your body wither on the vine
Sleep deprivation is the law student's kryptonite
Dine well
Live somewhere that maximizes your happiness and minimizes your stress
Choose effective study spaces
11. Mental Well-Being
Law students' mental health
Obstacles to mental well-being
Mental well-being and the legal profession
Anxiety
Depression
Suicidal and nonsuicidal self-harm
Exogenous shocks
Alcohol use and abuse
Prescription drugs and illegal drugs
What makes drug or alcohol use a problem?
Therapy is worth trying
What to do if you are worried about someone
Resources
12. Peers
Law school can be socially stressful
Some law students are assholes (sorry)
Find your people
Look for connections in unlikely places
Get to know advanced law students and recent alumni
Disengage when necessary
Be a good citizen
Commit microinclusions
13. Professors and Law School Administrators
Some professors are lousy; don't let them demoralize you
Get to know a few professors you like
Don't worry too much about whether professors like you
Go to office hours for help with class
Ask your professors about other things, too
Don't forget the law librarians
law school administration can be helpful
14. Relationships (Mostly) Outside of Law School
People who don't get it
Rely on your family
Rely on your friends outside of law school
Your romantic life
15. Choosing Courses
Take professors, not courses
Don't worry (too much) about bar courses
Do a clinic
Choose classes that will teach you the skills you will use in practice
Take a class outside the law school
16. Surviving (Thriving?) in Class
Go to class if it is even a little bit useful
Stand up for your beliefs, ideas, and questions
Cold calls
Strategies for dealing with cold calling
Give yourself a break during class if you need to
Stay offline (and maybe even off your computer) in class
Learn to focus, and practice often
Never give up on a class
17. Reading and Outlining
Reading will take a really long time
How to cope when you don't finish your reading
Revisit the material after class
Read to understand concepts, not to defend yourself against Socratic assault
Read commercial outlines and hornbooks...selectively
Use and build on past outlines, but make your own
Outline even as a 2L or 3L
Study groups are not required
How to form a study group
Develop your own study methods and stick with them if they seem to work
18. Exams and Grades
At the end of the day, you are being tested on rule application
Learn what constitutes a good answer
Look at past/practice tests and answers; anticipate test questions
Don't reread cases before an exam
Spend equal time on material from the last few class sessions
Do not, even for a fleeting moment, think about cheating
Prepare for exams in nonacademic ways, not just academic ones
Sitting down with your exam
Understand what grades really mean
Work to improve, even though the system is not set up for that
19. Designing Your Post-Law School Life
Landing your first job may require patience
If you have the luxury of choice, choose an interesting first job
word on BigLaw
Think flexibly and creatively
What makes lawyers happy?
You get to decide what your life looks like after law school.