{"id":22933,"date":"2017-08-31T16:59:29","date_gmt":"2017-08-31T20:59:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hlrecord.org\/?p=22933"},"modified":"2017-08-31T16:59:29","modified_gmt":"2017-08-31T20:59:29","slug":"be-yourself-its-what-got-you-here","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hlrecord.org\/be-yourself-its-what-got-you-here\/","title":{"rendered":"Be Yourself \u2013 It&#8217;s What Got You Here"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"m_-8679223200874774731gmail-p1\"><b>1. Breathe<span class=\"m_-8679223200874774731gmail-Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"m_-8679223200874774731gmail-p2\">You\u2019ve just been accepted into one of the top law schools in the country. Chances are, you\u2019re feeling a whirlwind of emotions \u2014 from disbelief to excitement and anxiety. My emotions were all over the place!<span class=\"m_-8679223200874774731gmail-Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"m_-8679223200874774731gmail-p2\">I know that it can be overwhelming and even (yes, I\u2019ll be the first to admit) quite intimidating. You\u2019re entering a student body, largely comprised of \u2014<span class=\"m_-8679223200874774731gmail-Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>wait for it \u2014<span class=\"m_-8679223200874774731gmail-Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>people who are just like you! Whereas you\u2019ve created quite an impressive admissions profile and are used to excelling and being at the top of your class,<span class=\"m_-8679223200874774731gmail-Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>now you\u2019re in a section of 80 individuals who\u2019ve been acclimated to similarly diligent academic performances.<span class=\"m_-8679223200874774731gmail-Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"m_-8679223200874774731gmail-p2\"><!--more--><\/p>\n<p class=\"m_-8679223200874774731gmail-p2\">Just take a second and\u00a0<i>breathe<\/i>. Don\u2019t let intimidation silence you. Don\u2019t be afraid to speak up in class or at social gatherings. Don\u2019t be afraid to be yourself!<span class=\"m_-8679223200874774731gmail-Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"m_-8679223200874774731gmail-p2\">A truly productive learning environment requires a diverse student body to facilitate meaningful dialogue. You matter. Your voice matters. You\u2019re here for a reason. Just breathe.<span class=\"m_-8679223200874774731gmail-Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"m_-8679223200874774731gmail-p1\"><b>2. Don\u2019t overdo the orgs!<span class=\"m_-8679223200874774731gmail-Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"m_-8679223200874774731gmail-p2\">Ahh the activities fair! What will you find walking into Milstein East on a\u00a0<span class=\"aBn\" tabindex=\"0\" data-term=\"goog_750109809\"><span class=\"aQJ\">Thursday<\/span><\/span>\u00a0night? Spoiler alert: all your fellow 1L compadres will be walking around in their crisply ironed suits, collecting pamphlets from just about every table with visions of how irresistible their resume will look at the end of 1L.<span class=\"m_-8679223200874774731gmail-Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"m_-8679223200874774731gmail-p2\">STOP. IN. YOUR. TRACKS! 1L is already difficult enough without the stress of subciting for that journal that you want your name on. (Yes, subciting. You will not be writing. You will be subciting,\u00a0<i>i.e.<\/i>, proofreading footnotes.)<\/p>\n<p class=\"m_-8679223200874774731gmail-p2\">In addition to adjusting to a rigorous study regimen and reading probably more than you\u2019ve ever read in your life (including all of your past lives cumulatively, LOL) \u2014<span class=\"m_-8679223200874774731gmail-Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>you\u2019re now generally adjusting to the \u201claw school culture.\u201d Though some organizations will help forge important relationships and community for you \u2014<span class=\"m_-8679223200874774731gmail-Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>you must focus on learning how to be a successful law student (exam taker) at first, rather than overexerting yourself with social demands. Join a reading group \u2014<span class=\"m_-8679223200874774731gmail-Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>and become best friends with Langdell. Kidding! (Not kidding.)<\/p>\n<p class=\"m_-8679223200874774731gmail-p1\"><b>3. You can (and probably should) find a community outside of your section.<span class=\"m_-8679223200874774731gmail-Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"m_-8679223200874774731gmail-p2\">Repeat after me. \u201cHefty budget allocations will not control my ability to make friends.\u201d Ok. Now repeat it again.<span class=\"m_-8679223200874774731gmail-Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"m_-8679223200874774731gmail-p2\">Every year each section is given a significant budget for social events. While it is great to make long-lasting connections with your sectionmates, don\u2019t limit your communicating to only those who are in your section. The world is big and grand outside of your section and outside of Cambridge Common. Explore it.<span class=\"m_-8679223200874774731gmail-Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"m_-8679223200874774731gmail-p1\"><b>4. What is in a name? Don\u2019t lose yourself<span class=\"m_-8679223200874774731gmail-Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"m_-8679223200874774731gmail-p2\">\u201cHi, my name is Jane Doe and I go to Harvard Law\u201d \u2014<span class=\"m_-8679223200874774731gmail-Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>said who, ever? You are Harvard, but Harvard is not you. Therefore, Harvard should not be your opener. Harvard needed your diverse intellect and background to enhance its student body. Harvard needed\u00a0<i>you<\/i>\u00a0(cause you\u2019re awesome, duh!) So, try not to lose yourself in the pretention. Be yourself, that\u2019s what got you here!<\/p>\n<p class=\"m_-8679223200874774731gmail-p1\"><b>5. These next three years will be the best years of your life.<span class=\"m_-8679223200874774731gmail-Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"m_-8679223200874774731gmail-p2\">All sarcasm and joking aside \u2014<span class=\"m_-8679223200874774731gmail-Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>law school really will be be best years of your life. But only if you let it be.<span class=\"m_-8679223200874774731gmail-Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"m_-8679223200874774731gmail-p2\">You must make the best of this time, because if you let yourself \u2014<span class=\"m_-8679223200874774731gmail-Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>you will grow tremendously in all capacities. Harvard has outstandingly aided my professional and academic development. The growth that I\u2019ve experienced here is unfathomable. From learning the importance of sociopolitical involvement, to being exposed to communal opportunities that I may otherwise have not had the socioeconomic resources to access. And I still cannot believe that I am on my last year; I feel as though I\u2019ve got so much more learning to do! The time really does fly,<span class=\"m_-8679223200874774731gmail-Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>so make the best of your time. You are going to do and be great.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>1. Breathe\u00a0 You\u2019ve just been accepted into one of the top law schools in the country. Chances are, you\u2019re feeling a whirlwind of emotions \u2014 from disbelief to excitement and anxiety. My emotions were all over the place!\u00a0 I know that it can be overwhelming and even (yes, I\u2019ll be the first to admit) quite [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":117,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[349],"tags":[436],"class_list":{"0":"post-22933","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-features","7":"tag-dear-1ls"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v14.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow\" \/>\n<meta name=\"googlebot\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"bingbot\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/hlrecord.org\/be-yourself-its-what-got-you-here\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Be Yourself \u2013 It&#039;s What Got You Here - The Harvard Law Record\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"1. Breathe\u00a0 You\u2019ve just been accepted into one of the top law schools in the country. Chances are, you\u2019re feeling a whirlwind of emotions \u2014 from disbelief to excitement and anxiety. 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