As I entered into the thick of finals, I found myself in the usual funk of the season. Whether it be the long hours studying, the unfortunate act of flipping through class notes only to find illegible scribbles, or the jealousy rising in me as I see people pass my window enjoying their afternoons–I cannot help but feel a bit grumpy about what I (and all other law students) are going through at the moment.

On top of the usual irritability, I am painfully aware that this is my fifth time heading into finals. As a 3L, I have found myself dragging my feet more this time around. I have admittedly become a bit more impatient with tough concepts, lackluster in my study habits, and generous with my study breaks.

It was within one of these study breaks that I found myself browsing through the BC Law Magazine website and found this article highlighting Professor Bloom’s famous Ugly Sweater Contest.

Beyond chuckling at the images of Prof. Bloom and the class showing off their goofy sweaters, I felt a rush of nostalgia. I had completely forgotten about my own section’s Ugly Sweater Contest two years ago. Cooped up in a Civil Procedure review session, I remember laughing at both the fashion choices of my classmates and Professor Bloom’s zany commentary along the way. It was such a pleasant (and needed) break from stressing over what would be my first ever law school exam–a lighter moment to share with the people that had filled my life over the semester and who were going through the same taxing time.

Thinking back to that first finals season made me slow down for a second and reevaluate my recent funk. I realized how fortunate I was to have professors and an administration that cared about their students’ wellbeing in the midst of finals. I also took a second to cherish my 1L section mates, many of whom I have been able to reconnect with this semester after being remote for so long, and who have always made studying for exams way less painful. This exam period is another small reminder that my time in law school is coming to an end, and that I should cherish these moments while I am still here.

Don’t get me wrong, I am still exasperatedly flipping through materials, constantly fighting off the urge to take an overly-lengthy study break, and scratching my head at my own nonsensical notes. But now I am doing so with a renewed sense of gratitude, a shifted perspective, and a little less grumpiness.

Good luck on exams, everyone!

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Devon Sanders is a third-year student and president of the Impact blog. Contact her at sanderdd@bc.edu.