One of the best pieces of advice I got in law school is to march to the beat of your own drum; in other words, pay little heed to what others are doing and focus on yourself. This has been invaluable in retaining my sanity and mental health.

Law school is designed to urge people to compare themselves to others. The unhealthy truth is that law school can be a breeding ground for comparative anxiety. Being graded on a curve means students are pitted against each other, because your own individual grade is adjusted based on how well (or not) your classmates have done. The uncertainty of job prospects also often incites fear in students; there is no guarantee that one’s actions will ultimately culminate into a result proportional to the effort put in. In this sort of environment, protecting your mental health requires a mindful effort, and the best way to do this is to tune out the noise and balance life to your needs.

Take the second semester of 1L year for example. The second semester is often the most tumultuous time for students. The highs of the whirlwind that is 1L first semester have calmed down, and students more or less know where they stand against the curve. 1L second semester at BC Law introduces an additional experiential class, in addition to the second part of legal writing and three doctrinal classes. This semester is also when recruitment efforts ramp up, and reading for classes is no longer your main concern. After classes, students often find themselves going to networking events. After networking events, students email the attorneys they met to try and establish a deeper connection. Throughout it all, students are scrambling to apply to whatever job postings are available on SAGE that they hadn’t already applied to during winter break. It’s not uncommon for 1Ls to come back to school feeling like they weren’t actually able to enjoy their break because they were busy applying for jobs. Resumes are being edited, interview skills are being evaluated, and somehow 1Ls find themselves in a busier position than they were in their first semester, and have to balance trying to be up-to-date on readings while navigating their careers. In other words, it’s a lot!

Of course, commiseration is fun–and even encouraged–in these trying times. However, because of everything going on, it’s very easy to fall into the trap of thinking there is something out there you are missing. Comparison is the thief of joy; students who are doing all they can often feel inadequate that they aren’t doing what their peers are. During my 1L year, I sacrificed readings for other things I deemed more important, such as networking and having a good time; Quimbee was my savior. At times, I definitely felt a bit inadequate because I couldn’t follow cases as well as others seemed to in class, but ultimately I don’t regret the sacrifices I made. And for most of us, sacrifices in certain aspects of our lives are necessary to achieve our goals, whether that be reading time, social/personal life, or networking. But the beauty of this is that no one really knows what they’re doing! That’s why there is little sense in trying to play catch-up to others; we’re all just stumbling in the dark and hoping we land somewhere we want to land in.

This extends beyond 1L year, too. Law students are more prone to anxiety than other folks, and I’ve definitely seen people worry that they’re not doing enough their 2L year–or that they’re doing too much. People on journals, mock trial, and E-boards lament the fact that they signed on, while people who opted not to involve themselves with these extracurriculars worry that they should have done more. And this may be a blanket statement, but I guarantee that most people have experienced some iota of these emotions at one point. Law students, being as risk-averse as we are, tend to think the grass is greener on the other side. We constantly try to see what factors are within our control and what ducks we can get in a row to maximize whatever potential we are going towards. 

But the fact of the matter is, everyone is headed down a separate path in life, and what works for person A may not necessarily work for person B. In a field where comparisons are rampant and anxieties run high, it’s more important than ever to protect yourself from all the noise around you–and do things at your own pace. In other words, march to the beat of your own drum.

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Seung Hye “Shang” Yang is a third-year student at BC Law. Contact her at yangben@bc.edu.