“They” really do. Maybe it’s the adrenaline rush of 1L that shields you from the 2L crash– but crash you may, come 2L.

Heading into your 2L year, the freedom to choose your schedule is both initially exciting and slightly intimidating. But an abundance of choice in your academic calendar may lead you to oversubscribe to all the offerings of law school after a rigid 1L year hand-picked for optimal doctrinal standardization. Now, there is the expectation that you remember everything you learned during 1L because you are allegedly fluent in legalese, right?

The second year of law school can be just as pivotal as your 1L year, despite the lack of handholding us second-years experienced just a few months ago. We are the leaders of campus organizations, we are the staff writers on Law Review, we are student attorneys in clinics and externships, and every other extracurricular in between. You must balance your schedule to meet graduation and job requirements, while taking classes that interest you or align with your chosen career (hopefully your interests and career requirements are not mutually exclusive). You are still applying to jobs–because no, not everyone participates in OCI, and no, OCI does not work out for everyone who does.

For most of us, we are now in our 18th year of school (an 18th grader!). That’s a LOT of time spent studying, reading, writing, and stressing. And that is the case if you only completed a 4-year undergraduate degree (one of the many prerequisites that got you to law school). You may even be a 20th, 22nd, or who knows, a 25th grader. Two more years of school can feel like a slog to the finish line when you’ve been entrenched in the world of academia this long, especially after 1L really came to play.

Okay, my grievances have been aired. I promise I will end this on the lighter side, so my fellow 2Ls and future 2Ls do not finish this short read on a sour note before returning to their books.

Maybe part of what you start to feel during 2L is a modicum of what it feels like to be a lawyer. HOLD ON. I am not about to perpetuate the notion that in order to be a “real” lawyer you need to feel burnt out and worked to death. Bear with me!

This year is different because you are truly becoming a lawyer. You may have had a 1L summer experience where you felt like a lawyer for the first time. Where abstract concepts from doctrinal lessons came into focus. You may serve real-life clients this year in a clinic or externship. You may be writing more legal documents than ever before. You may be in trial practice standing before a jury and reciting an opening statement.

In many ways, the fundamental aspects of being a lawyer are coming together during 2L year, which can challenge you in unique ways. However, this experience can be immensely rewarding and exciting.

You know what a cold call is and how to handle it–ironically, because this year is likely the least amount of cold calling you’ve experienced in law school thus far. You are watching your peers distinguish themselves through classes tailored to their interests. Among your friends are budding transactional attorneys, litigators, or future policy writers.

As unexpectedly challenging as 2L can be, it’s a time of growth and opportunity. Lean into the chaos of new legal challenges, your variable schedule, and real-world legal experiences.

But do not forget to pause and appreciate all you have done to become a 2L in law school. Law school is only 3 years, and as former law students will tell you, it goes by fast. This may be the last time you are a student surrounded by accomplished scholars and peers who challenge you to broaden your worldview. You are becoming the lawyer you envisioned you would be, the one you wrote about becoming in your law school personal statement. And in your deepest moments of 2L burn out, remember that during 3L you will be bored to death :).

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Haley Cole is a second-year student at BC Law. Contact her at colehc@bc.edu.