Congratulations, you've been accepted...now what?

You're in! You've received your congratulatory email, letter, or phone call, and you've paid your first deposit. For many, you've achieved a life-long goal of attending law school. But now, you have to wait until August for school to start. So what should you do in the mean time?

My first suggestion: relax. Really, just relax. Law school is incredibly stressful and demanding, and you probably won't have an opportunity to relax again for the next 3 years. If you have always wanted to travel somewhere, then travel there. If you enjoy reading, then read a book (although keep the content light...you'll be reading plenty of dense material in law school). Exercise. This is deceptively important. The stress and demands of law school wears your body down, and you need to be in shape to handle it. Do both cardio and weight lifting. Maybe sign up for a race if you're into that.

I picked up a small part-time job the summer before law school. I wanted to put away a little money before I started (more posts to come on the financial aspect of law school). I wouldn't suggest against getting a part-time job if you would like to. But again, keep it light.

If you can, get in touch with your future peers. Law schools generally set up a FaceBook page or something along those lines for students to meet each other. Do that, it will help make the transition that much easier. A tool to succeeding in law school is having friends. Go ahead and start making friends.

Finally, read Getting to Maybe (GTM) by Richard Fischl and Jeremy Paul. This is a fantastic resource that teaches you how to excel on law school exams. Law school exams are completely different from college exams, and this book will teach you how to succeed at a law school exam. If you have time, read GTM multiple times. It's that helpful. I would also suggest The Complete Law School Companion by Jeff Deaver, which explains how to excel not just on law school exams but on the bar and the LSAT. I haven't used this book as heavily as I've used GTM, but it's been a solid resource for me.

There you have it. If you get nothing else from this post, I want you to understand how important it is to relax and read GTM. Both of these are exceptionally important to you excelling in law school.

Also, if enough interest in generated I might do a couple posts on simply getting into law school. I would go offer the different aspects of the application (personal statement, recommendations, etc.) and offer my advice. If this is something you all would like to see, comment below or shoot me an email at succeedinlawschool@gmail.com. Also, be sure to follow me on Twitter @topofyourclass. Thanks, and I'll be back tomorrow!

Introduction

I am currently a 1L at a t14 law school. I am at the top of my class. And I'm here to tell you how to excel in law school.

First off, I'll give you a little background on myself. I attended a large public university in North Carolina. I went into college planning on going to law school, and not just any law school. I wanted to go to one of the best law school in the country. But after the first year, I was afraid I wasn't going to be able to attain that dream. Like many new college students fresh out of high school, I struggled mightily my first year. I barely attained a 3.0 GPA. Most students quickly recover from this first year and go on to post much better grades. But not me. Instead, I went on to post more 3.0s, and in one semester even posted a sub-3.0. I realized that I had one shot at making it into a t14 law school, and that was the LSAT.

I spend one and a half years studying for the LSAT, and on test day was more than ready. I condfidently marked my answer and attained a 178. Although an extreme splitter with a low GPA and a high LSAT, I still had a shot at making it to a top school.

My application process went about as expected. Denied and waitlisted from my reaches, accepted at my matches, and accepted with scholarship money at my safeties. I ended up picking one of the match schools, and couldn't be happier with my choice.

I prepared the summer before law school, knowing that I couldn't pull low grades in law school. With the current job markets for lawyers, a low GPA = no job. Using some of the tips and tricks that I'll tell you about in this blog, I attained a 4.0 GPA my first semester and was top of my class, a striking success given my previous GPAs.

As a 1L, I realize that I don't have much experience to back up my claims of knowing how to succeed in law school. So take it as you will. All I will say is that it has worked for me, it has worked for others, and I would be willing to bet that it will work for you.

Want to be top of your class? Welcome.