Dear College Seniors,

Congratulations! The finish line is in sight, you’ve picked up your cap and gown, you’ve probably scheduled or already taken your graduation photos, and all that’s left between you and summer is a bunch of finals. Now, If you’re anything like me, the second you got into BC, the greatest law school on Earth, you were pretty much done with undergrad. At least mentally.

I mean, think about it. As you stand right now, many of you have been going to school non-stop for the past 17 years (and probably even a couple summers here or there, too). You’re tired, and rightly so. You’ve done what you need to do, and likely, your GPA for graduation has already been calculated. What is it going to hurt if you just skate through finals and do the bare minimum?

Well, as it turns out, potentially a lot.

See, you don’t know it now, but as you start looking for jobs for after your 1L summer, the only information those employers are going to have about you is a resume and your first semester grades. For a lot of people, the first semester is a rough transition and your grades on those first three exams may not send the message you’d like. For this reason, many (if not most) employers want to see your undergraduate transcript, too. In fact, they often even ask students who have taken several years off in between undergrad and law school for their college transcript.

While the kind of job you get your 1L summer won’t make or break your legal career, how embarrassing would it be for prospective employers to see some…well, not-so-great grades for your final semester of college, especially when you have the power and ability to do well?

So you owe it to yourself push through, stay strong, and perform on your exams/final papers/final projects to the best of your ability. In the words of one of my favorite actresses, end your final weeks not with a fizzle, but with a bang.

Your future 1L self will thank you.

Good luck! We can’t wait to see you this fall!
Charlene

I’m what I like to call a 1.5L (first year, second semester). Check out my posts every week about things I wish I knew as an incoming 1L so you’ll actually know them when you get here. My inbox is always open so you can comment on here, or shoot me an email at ochogo@bc.edu.