A BC Law Bucket List — Five Things You Should Do Before Graduating

As the days get longer and the weather gets warmer, it’s a sure sign that the school year is rapidly coming to an end. Graduation is nearing, and part of me feels like I’ve been at Boston College forever by now, but another part feels like three years have passed by with a blink. As I reflect on what is likely (definitely) my last year ever as a student, there are some experiences that I’m grateful to have had, but also some opportunities that I wish I hadn’t let slip by. If you have more than four weeks left in your time at BC Law, here’s a list of things I did that I would recommend to anyone, along with some things I wish I did when I had the chance.

Find Your People or Activity

When I started law school, I told myself that I couldn’t sign up for a million extracurriculars and be as over-extended as I was in undergrad. But, that didn’t stop me from finding something that I liked and signing up for it anyway. Whether you join an affinity group, a club, or some other extracurricular, you’ll meet people who share your interests, and you’ll undoubtedly feel more connected to the law school community.

Apply for a Clinic

In my opinion, if there’s one way to silence any imposter syndrome you may be experiencing in law school, it’s by joining a clinic. No matter how well I was doing in my classes, I didn’t truly feel like a lawyer until I spent a semester working with clients in one of BC’s clinics. Although you’ll get real-world experience in your summer internships, and you can always extern during the school year, clinic students typically are lead-counsel for their clients, meaning you do far more than the research projects or observations that you may do in other places. It really is some of the most invaluable experience you can gain as a student, and it’ll also be reassuring to see that you really are ready to do this work.

Support the BC Eagles

As a law student on BC’s Newton campus, you may sometimes feel less connected to what’s going on in Chestnut Hill, but that doesn’t mean you’re any less of an Eagle than the undergrads! In the fall, the law school student body will typically organize a tailgate or two before BC football games, but you can also seek out any sport you like. I attended a BC hockey game a few years ago, before they made their run to the Frozen Four in the NCAA tournament this year. The Eagles were playing my UMass Minutemen at the time, so I was a neutral fan in the stands, but it was a good break from the books and an excuse to visit the beautiful main campus.

Take a “Just for Fun” Class

There are only so many classes you can take in the two years of law school when you have the freedom to select your schedule, so it can be tempting to fill up your time with classes that are either tailored to your future area of practice or geared toward bar passage. But there are also so many interesting seminars and experiential classes offered at BC Law that you should try to take advantage of at least one or two. After all, you probably won’t be seeking further education after law school, and there are few other opportunities in life to satisfy a niche curiosity or explore an odd interest in the kind of depth that you can in a class. Register for a random course that speaks to you, take it pass-fail if you want, and have some fun with it.

Let Loose With Your Peers

From the annual ski trip and Barrister’s Ball to softball games and bar reviews, there are plenty of ways to spend time with your law school friends outside of, well, law school. No one will understand the law school experience more than people who are experiencing it with you, so it’s important to have people who can both commiserate with you and support you along the way. It’s one thing to bond with people in your classes, but you’ll have way more fun at these social events.


Tess Halpern is a third-year student and president of the Impact blog. Contact her at halperte@bc.edu.

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