October 2024
With the fall semester slowly coming to an end, I realize that I have a long journey ahead. When I started law school in June 2024, I wasn’t sure what to expect. At that time, I was living in New Jersey and working as a paralegal in a law firm in New York. However, the faculty at Seattle U ensured that my experience was seamless. Once I moved to Seattle, I was excited to be on campus. The transition from working full-time to becoming a student full-time has not been easy. As a full-time employee, I would complete my responsibilities from 9 to 5 and have time for my hobbies. Now as a full-time student, I barely have time for my hobbies and I’m going to sleep around 3 a.m. Needless to say, I am somewhat enjoying my law school experience. Personally, I think I’m not enjoying law school like my classmates because I’m not taking the classes I’m passionate about. However, I like seeing my progression from the beginning of the semester to the midpoint of the semester. I find it cool that I can understand criminal cases on TikTok or Instagram better now that I'm in law school.
Even though I barely know what’s going on in some of my classes, I’m not worried because I’m not the only one that feels this way. The nice part about law school is that everyone is feeling the same thing. We are all trying to figure out how to tailor our study methods, have a social life, and prioritize self-care. To be honest, I’m ready for the semester to end so I can travel and catch up on sleep.
As I reflect on my law school journey thus far, I hope to have leadership roles and responsibilities in the future. Currently, I’m not very active in student organizations because I want to focus on my studies. By having more leadership roles, I can continue to build my professional network and meet new people. Right now, I’m trying to survive the fall semester. Stay tuned!
December 2024
I can hardly believe it’s the end of the semester already. It feels like just yesterday I was sitting in orientation, nervously meeting my new classmates. Back then, we were all strangers, awkwardly sizing each other up—some of us keeping to ourselves, others already forming their tight-knit groups. Now, here we are, on the brink of finals, and the transition from strangers to study partners has been nothing short of surreal.
Fall semester was a whirlwind. Five classes, each with its own set of challenges and demands. Four of them, in particular, were equally intense. There were days when I genuinely wondered how I was going to keep up with reading over eight cases a night, briefing them, and piecing together my outlines, all while trying to grasp interconnected concepts that build on one another. Missing one concept made it even harder to stay on track. To say it was overwhelming would be an understatement. And then there were the cold calls. At first, I dreaded them with every fiber of my being. I’d break out in a cold sweat every time the professor’s eyes scanned the room and landed on me. But somewhere along the way, I started to get used to it, even though I still hated it. It's funny how something so terrifying becomes a little less terrifying after you've faced it enough times.
Despite the intensity, I can honestly say I enjoyed all of my professors. They’re brilliant, yes, but they also bring a kind of humor and engagement that I didn’t expect. Their ability to make even the most complex legal concepts feel accessible—and occasionally hilarious—made the long nights of studying feel a little more bearable. This semester has been the first time in my academic life that I’ve felt sad to see it end. There’s something about the energy of the classroom, the push to keep learning and improving, that has made it so special.
Looking back on the semester, I’m proud of how far my classmates and I have come. At the beginning of the term, we were complete novices when it came to subjects like torts, civil procedure, and contracts. Now, we’re familiar with the basic concepts, we know how to structure a legal brief, and we’re starting to develop our own voices as future attorneys. There’s something incredibly satisfying about realizing how much we’ve learned in such a short time.
Next semester is going to be interesting. Our section is merging with another, which means a whole new set of faces, a new dynamic. We’ve gotten so used to each other’s quirks and study habits that the thought of mixing things up feels a little strange. I’m not going to lie—I’ll miss my classmates, even the ones who always ask the most outlandish hypothetical questions in class. I’ve grown to appreciate their enthusiasm, only because it adds a little extra unpredictability to the day.
Law school is tough. There’s no denying that. But it’s also totally doable. The keys are leaning on your support system, finding strategies to manage stress, and if you believe in God, asking for the strength to keep pushing through. I’ve done the work this semester, and while I’m nervous about finals, I know that I’ve given it my all. I trust that with focus, determination, and a little divine help, I can finish strong.
Once finals are over, I’m looking forward to some time away and much-needed rest. I’ll be heading back to New Jersey to spend Christmas with my mom, then treating myself to a well-deserved vacation in Indonesia. It feels like the perfect way to recharge before diving into another semester of law school madness.
Two semesters down, five more to go. Let’s do this.
