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How to Study for the Bar
So–I wrote this post a million years ago in a different forum but thought I’d share here rather than create new material on how to study for the bar since this was written when the Bar was still fresh in my mind. For those that have started your bar prep course, you’ve likely found that you don’t remember much from 1L year and aren’t scoring very high on the tests and essays. That is completely normal. It takes a while to remember the basics, but what happens is that everyone starts to freak out and then it’s hard to handle the stress. So first, regardless of how you’re doing on…
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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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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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Spring Forward: Favorite Links
How is this the last Friday of the month?! Isn’t that so cliché to say? But it’s true! March is always a favorite of mine because it’s my Bday month-Aries in the house! And I’m totally the kind that milks my birthday for all it’s worth even though I’m an adult. I mean, why not? How else am I going to get Sephora money? Anyway, aside from my bday celebration, March was great! We talked about: Violence against women Gave try-out tips for trial teams and moot court Discussed building your executive presence Our fave nail polishes for spring. Here are some interesting articles we found around the internet…
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Easing into Fitness.
When I started my first job out of law school, I suddenly realized I had so much time on my hands. Yes, I worked 9 to 5, but it was steady work with weekends free. Completely different than law school, where I had an unpredictable schedule of classes, studying, meetings, etc.; plus, I didn’t have to block off huge chunks of my time to commit to studying for finals. Life after law school felt so much more unrestricted-it was great! However, I quickly realized that if I wasn’t careful, then I would be wasting hours watching t.v. and eating mindlessly. Instead, I decided that I finally was going to commit…
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Quick and Healthy Breakfast Options
I’m one of those odd people that don’t really enjoy breakfast food. I know–I’m a freak. I just have more of a salt tooth than sweet and most American style breakfasts are so heavy on the sweet. Also, around the time I turned 16 I stopped eating breakfast (and hello, all of Freshman year in high school I stopped eating lunch–I was the epitome of healthy eating). I eventually starting eating lunch and dinner, but never got back on track with eating breakfast. I was a two-meal-a-day (plus snacks) person for the majority of my life. It wasn’t until law school graduation, when I started seriously reviewing my unhealthy eating…
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Re-Gaining Momentum: How to Keep the Winter Blues at Bay
When I started at my first job post-law school it was a week from Thanksgiving. By the time January and February rolled around, I was still so immersed in learning new material, getting accustomed to my work’s culture, and just being thrilled to have a job that everything went smoothly. Imagine my surprise, when a year later, I started feeling a sense of ennui and lack of motivation. I think most people experience a type of post-holiday funk or a mild case of the winter blues. Once the shine of being a working attorney wears off, the reality is that we’re working long hours and often aren’t home until it’s…
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Bend Don’t Break: Yoga
There are obviously cycles during school and work when things are very busy. I remember that in my last semester of law school I didn’t have a free Saturday until the end of March. That meant I was going full steam for 6 days a week and then having to do all my readings on Sunday. It was intense and stressful, which lead to stress-eating. But really, I was stress-eating from the moment orientation started. During law school, I gained probably around 40 pounds. It was not good; not just for my self-esteem, but for my actual health. Diabetes and heart disease run in my family–like in many Latino families,…
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Some is Better than None
Everyone is super busy right now. Exams, new jobs, end of the year wind-downs, the holidays, family–the list goes on and on! It’s so easy for our health to take a backseat when there seems to be so many more pressing issues. But it’s so important that we take on the attitude that our health isn’t something that can be compromised. I struggle with this mindset everyday. It’s so easy to just buy lunch, instead of packing something healthy; to sleep in, instead of getting up early to exercise. But I also know that the more I put off my health, the harder I’m making it for myself because the…
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Easy and Healthy Snacks for Stressful Times
For people that knew me in law school, they may laugh that I’m about to encourage people to eat healthy during law school finals. I would laugh too. Not only did I tend to not snack healthy during school, but I wasn’t eating healthy–period. So, I totally understand how during this time in school, you’re more likely to say, “screw it,” and go to bed instead of packing a healthy lunch for the next day. Or more likely, say, “screw it,” and eat the free pizza that the bar prep course/student organization is offering instead of staying cooped up at the library. But it’s not just easy to eat poorly…