Work Life Balance
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Necessary Study Supplies for Bar Exam
Right before my 3L year ended, my comparative law class went to dinner with our professors (you know, the one course with a cancelled trip to Chile that still made us write a paper #stillbitter). Anyway, dinner was lovely, but I remember that one professor made it a point to tell me I was about to embark on the worst summer of my life while I studied for the bar. She wasn’t right, but she wasn’t wrong either. However, instead of scaring all of those that are starting bar prep, I come with better information–necessary bar exam supplies to help you get the most out of your studies. Obviously, you…
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Quarterly Report: Student Loan Repayment Plans
We’re back again with another post on money! While we celebrate everyone graduating from college and law school, another sore topic is paying back loans. Today our “in-house” accountant gives us some info on payment plans, and other important financial info to keep in mind before our grace period ends and we suddenly find ourselves unable to reduce or pay back our debt. More likely than not, you’ll be graduating from law school with student loans from law school and possibly even from your undergrad program. And if you’re like most people, you’ve probably thought about what happens after graduation, but instead decide that you’ll deal with the loans when…
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Things to Know Before the Bar
I always thought it was so unfair how short lived the celebration for law school graduation was since I had to start my bar prep course the Monday after my graduation weekend. It’s like, can I please have a second to take in this accomplishment? Instead, we jump right into Bar studying and what will likely be known as one of the most stressful periods of your life. Yay! The reality is that the Bar shouldn’t be as intimidating as it is. If you’ve taken essay courses in law school then you know what to expect from the exam. But there is so much riding on this exam that the…
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The Importance of Self-Reflection
There is so much to look forward to when an academic year ends—especially if it ends with your graduation. It’s just such a happy and exciting time! In the midst of all the excitement it’s easy to get overwhelmed and forget to really step back and appreciate your big accomplishment. Taking time to self-reflect on all the good you accomplished (and the dips along the way) is the best stepping stone for your next phase in life—whether that phase be a new school year in the fall, or starting your career. I really encourage new grads to take a moment after the celebrations have quieted down and really review all…
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Must Have Items for International Flights.
So can I just say that not doing a study abroad while I was in school is one of my big educational regrets? I kept putting it off in college and then finally planned to do a short trip to Chile my 3L year. Sadly, that was the year the earthquake hit and we had to cancel the trip. I graduated law school still never having gone further than trips to visit family in Mexico or Panama. Since then I’ve been able to travel enough to make up for missing my study abroad experience (though I’m still bitter that the professors made us write a paper after canceling the trip.…
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Simple Sun Protection for Latinas
When I entered my late twenties I became super vigilant about skin care–steps I’d normally skip in the past (like washing off my makeup) suddenly became very necessary. This new devotion was definitely fueled by my long term plan to stay looking young for as long as I can. However, the more I read up on skin care, the more I realized how proactive I needed to start being about sun protection. This is a topic that is sometimes ignored by Latinas because there is a myth that we’re not as affected by the sun. One reason for our lack of awareness is due to the fact that many studies seem…
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The Road Map for Creating Legal Change
There’s a poem I stumbled upon a few years ago called, I am the Lawyer that describes the values attorneys uphold and the virtue we strive for; my favorite line is: I am the conservative of the past, the liberal of the present, and the radical of the future. That line is so striking to me because it is so true (and btw this was written at least 50 years ago, so the ideals the author attaches to those terms aren’t as politicized as they are now, imo). Rather, what I think the author meant was that attorneys push for progress, but also uphold the law, which creates a dichotomy…
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Fading Acne Scars and Spots
About two years ago, I suddenly started dealing with massive acne issues. Ok, I’m exaggerating, but I cruised past my teens and most of my twenties with hardly any issues with acne so imagine my surprise (and horror) when I started dealing with continuous breakouts. It just was a new problem with which I had little experience. Apparently, as we age we may continue (or start) to fight bouts of acne because of the different hormone fluctuations. It also doesn’t help that we have the added stress of an often hectic lawyer lifestyle that increases our chances of acne breakouts. It’s a really vicious cycle. For those working on their…
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Replace This with That: stress reduction while studying for finals
Ok so, I know that it’s easy to push the importance of healthy habits when I’m not in the middle of a stress storm. I totally get that in the heat of the moment most people will be inclined to pick what makes them feel good right now–I know that was almost always my default behavior. During school, I opted to eat whatever junk food I wanted because I was so miserable studying that a little treat like soda was, I thought, well deserved. Except–the treat became a daily habit and that was not good for my body or mind. My last year of law school I decided to give…
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Goal Digger–celebrating accomplishments (and fave links)
Recently, I was reading a book that advised how a good way to keep your goals in track throughout the year: break the year up in thirds so that you can really stop to assess, analyze, and celebrate what you’ve done in the past few months, and then make a plan of action for the next period of time. I think I’m going to try that to see if how that helps me accomplish some goals. How are you doing so far with your goalkeeping for the year? I’m sure for many one big goal is getting accomplished–finishing law school! For those finishing up this month–muchas, pero muchas felicidades! And…