The Five Most Common Worries About Your 1L Year

Finding out that you were accepted into law school was probably one of the most exciting days of your life and now that you are a law student, there are plenty more milestones ahead, and many common worries blended in with the excitement. Law school exams, internships, the state-mandated exams, passing the bar, being sworn in to practice and your first trial are just a few events that you have to look forward to.

Law school has a reputation for being extremely rigorous, especially for first-year law students, and with good reason. There is a lot of knowledge to absorb, and you must be extremely motivated as a student to succeed. Don’t let anyone tell you that it is impossible for you to pull this off. You not only can pull it off, but you can truly enjoy the process. The rewards are enormous and include being a member of a very noble and highly respected profession,  having the opportunity to improve lives as a zealous advocate for others and making a positive impact on your community.

So, what are most 1L’s worried about when they begin this great journey?

1. The weight of the coursework—undeniably, law school requires you to think differently than you have throughout your undergraduate education. While the course loads are heavy, they are manageable at California Desert Trial Academy College of Law. Because you have been  motivated to get this far, chances are you will dive into your studies with enthusiasm and work hard to stay ahead of the reading assignment and studying. There is always an adjustment period as you conform to a much more independent style of learning and strengthening your critical thinking skills.
2. Being graded on that curve—if you are doing your absolute best in your first year, you should not be too concerned about the curve. Although you may experience some harsh and humbling failures at first, remember that you are there to learn and law school and bar grading is vastly different than undergraduate grading.  It may be daunting to be graded against other students, but you will quickly get used to the system.
3. Measuring up to other students—it always helps to remember that you are ‘one of those other students’ to someone else who is worrying just as much as you are. CDTA is dedicated to be a positive learning environment and our students are hardworking, friendly and collaborative.  Lifelong friendships will be formed and you will find your classmates rally around you should you need to be pulled up at any point.
4. Lack of social life—depending on how much free time you had before law school, you may suddenly find yourself extremely restricted in terms of social activities. There is always a way, however, to squeeze in a few moments or hours to touch base with family and see friends—even if that may be in a law related event. Remember that missing out on some events during law school will pale in comparison to what you gain when you become a confident trial attorney.
5. Fear of Failing the FYLSE (Baby Bar) – all CDTA students are required to take and pass the California State Bar’s First Year Law Student’s Exam. You will be supremely qualified to pass this exam the summer after your first year of law school. All CDTA students are provided with the Fleming’s Fundamentals of Law Writing Workshop and Baby Bar Review Course, all 1L classes utilize practice exams mimicking the Baby Bar, all CDTA midterm and final exams are exact replicas of the FYLSE, down to using the same software! By the time you sit for the Baby Bar, you will feel as if you have sat for the exam many times, because you have!

Are you interested in becoming a trial attorney? Our mission at CDTA College of Law is to educate, train, and develop extraordinary legal advocates. Your legal education will be comprised of bar-tested academic subjects, skills training, and values reinforcement. Upon completion of your 4-year course of study you will be fully qualified to take and pass the California Bar examination. Call us today at (760) 342-0900 or find out more online here.