If you could give one piece of advice to an incoming 1L,....

[racheles05]

I'm all about avoiding study groups for the most part. Don't believe the hype! If you are comfortable in a study group, go for it, but don't feel like it's required.

[dft]

RE: study groups

the vast majority of the stuff can be done more efficiently on your own. i like meeting in groups once in a blue moon for a couple reasons: (1) it forces me to sit down and get some work done, (2) it's a different way of learning and it changes things up a bit so that it doesnt get so boring doing everything on my own, and (3) it helps to see someone else's view on things.

it's good to get away from stuff for awhile, especially towards exam time. it also helps you to gauge your classmates' knowledge. it's tough studying on your own and not knowing whether everyone else knows more than you or not. when you meet up with a study group, you may find that you know more than they do. this has the effect of increasing your confidence a lot. (at least that's what ive found.)

im not advocating using study groups -- i use them very little. but i think they can be helpful if used sparingly.

[tamika]

what would it be?

Don't do drugs!

At my school there's Adderall everywhere. I would say 1/3 of the people I know are prescribed large amounts of XR (extended release) adderall. Mostly it is friends with Rx's giving it to other friends but I know there is a substantial sales market in the school. I would say that 2/3 of the student body has tried it for studying, while maybe half use it for papers and exams pretty regularly. People say it helps them study and focus for long periods of time. Unfortunately like most people with Rx's, they are not ADHD in the slightest. They simply use it for studying. It really is sick that doctors hand the stuff out like M&M's while the pharmaceutical industry laughs all the way to the bank.

Anyways the moral of the story is ... Are you a weaker person for relying on stimulants to study in law school? Maybe. But then, how are you going to be able to function when you work for "the man" at some biglaw sweatshop billing 2100 hours when Addys won't work anymore (tolerance develops pretty soon)? On cocaine?! I mean think about it ...  Imagine a huge building full of sweaty, speeding, aggressive, crack-head attorneys who are grinding themselves to the bone. I can't think of much worse!

[marista]

At my school there's Adderall everywhere. I would say 1/3 of the people I know are prescribed large amounts of XR (extended release) adderall. Mostly it is friends with Rx's giving it to other friends but I know there is a substantial sales market in the school. I would say that 2/3 of the student body has tried it for studying, while maybe half use it for papers and exams pretty regularly. People say it helps them study and focus for long periods of time. Unfortunately like most people with Rx's, they are not ADHD in the slightest. They simply use it for studying. It really is sick that doctors hand the stuff out like M&M's while the pharmaceutical industry laughs all the way to the bank.

Anyways the moral of the story is ... Are you a weaker person for relying on stimulants to study in law school? Maybe. But then, how are you going to be able to function when you work for "the man" at some biglaw sweatshop billing 2100 hours when Addys won't work anymore (tolerance develops pretty soon)? On cocaine?! I mean think about it ...  Imagine a huge building full of sweaty, speeding, aggressive, crack-head attorneys who are grinding themselves to the bone. I can't think of much worse!

I've heard some students augment the effect of the amphetamines ... absorption and effects of amphetamines are dependent on the pH of the stomach and the urine. An alkaline agent such as Baking Soda (dissolved in water) increases the absorption of amphetamines in the stomach, and baking soda in higher doses makes the urine alkaline, greatly slowing the elimination and thus prolonging the duration and effects of amphetamines (although taking baking soda for this effect is supposed to be pretty bad for your health -- your body constantly tries to find a pH equilibrium, in both the stomach and especially in the blood which is neutral in pH, except with severe dehydration or serious health problems.) Acidic agents/food/drinks such as certain fruit juices decrease the duration and effect of amphetamines (thus it is better to drink water with Adderall/Dexedrine instead of fruit juice or Colas.) Ritalin, on the other hand, is unaffected by these acid/alkaline food and drink restrictions but unlike amphetamines, its absorption is greatly reduced when there is food in the stomach. It extent of absorption differs radically in different people, between 30 - 70% is absorbed. Amphetamines taken on a full stomach are absorbed to the same extent but the time to peak blood level is increased, so the effects won't feel as 'powerful'.

Some students use another trick to use to boost the effect of the amphetamines: they drink their own urine so that they'll recycle the amount of amphetamine that is excreted unchanged in the urine -- under normal conditions, about 30% of amphetamine is excreted unchanged in the urine but this excretion is highly variable and is dependent on urinary pH. When the urinary pH is acidic (pH 5.5 to 6.0), elimination is predominantly by urinary excretion with approximately 60% of a dose of amphetamine being excreted unchanged by the kidney within 48 hours. When the urinary pH is alkaline (pH 7.5 to 8.0), elimination is predominantly by deamination (less than 7% excreted unchanged in the urine); the half-life ranging from 16 to 31 hours. Well, 60% is not bad at all, I think, although well below the 80% rate for Ephedrine -- in normal subjects 70-80% of Ephedrine is eliminated unchanged in the urine within 48 hours!

[T. Durden]

i do the reading

i go to most classes though skip the ones that are base reiterations of the reading

i don't go to study groups - i haven't purchased a single supplement

my grades are good

last semester everyone told me that i was going to fail for not participating in study group or buying some ridiculous 800 page "supplement" - well they were wrong, i was right and i beat "everyone" (within my circle of friends) in grades fall sem 1L year

advice: do what works for you. at this point you should have a relatively good idea. 

[veganchick]

I know this is in reference to a much earlier post - but I, too, LOVED the reference to "drinking unicorn giggles"  !!!!!!     Too cute!

[mmom]

I know this is in reference to a much earlier post - but I, too, LOVED the reference to "drinking unicorn giggles"  !!!!!!     Too cute!

Married and responsible, by now!

[veganchick]

just noticed you're beautiful picture  !!!

[brandilein]

1. sleep as much as you can now
2. Spend time with your family and friends
3. Do something you love everyday until orientation
4. read a book you actually want to read.
5. Be prepared to dedicate your life to this you have to make sacrifices so make sure everyone understands that you are in lawschool.
6. enjoy it dont fear it.
7. study efficently not crazy there is a difference in understanding teh law and being able to apply it.
8. do hypos do hypos do hypos you have to know how to write the exam or all the studying in the world wont get you a C+.
HAVE FUN

[Jalum]

Some students use another trick to use to boost the effect of the amphetamines: they drink their own urine so that they'll recycle the amount of amphetamine that is excreted unchanged in the urine

You know...after reading all the helpful guides about whether or not law school is right for me, I never really felt like I "clicked" with any of them.  But now that I know it's full of people who drink their own piss, I'm sure I'll fit right in.

Bottoms up.

J