By January of 1L year, the idea of a “New Year’s resolution” feels ambitious at best and slightly delusional at worst. After surviving fall finals and learning, the hard way, what doesn’t work, I’m setting a few resolutions for second semester. Nothing revolutionary, just realistic enough that I might actually end up doing them.

1. Outline (or some form of “big picture” note-taking) weekly, even when it’s ugly.
Last semester, everyone kept telling me that post-class prep matters more than pre-class perfection. They were right. So I’m officially letting go of my dreams of a perfectly organized, color-coded outline. This semester, I’m aiming for something functional. If it makes sense to me and exists before April, it’s a win.

Ironically, my least “pretty” outline last semester, Contracts, ended up being one of my strongest classes. Correlation isn’t causation, of course, but it has made me a little superstitious.

2. Do practice questions before I feel ready.
Fall semester taught me that feeling “ready” isn’t a prerequisite for learning. Struggling through practice problems early is uncomfortable, but apparently that’s the point. When I don’t understand a topic, I’m going to try working through practice questions sooner instead of frantically flipping through E&E books the week before finals.

3. Go to office hours with one question.
Not a full agenda. Not a performance. Just one genuine question. I didn’t do this enough last semester, and it turns out professors are incredibly helpful when you stop trying to sound impressive and start trying to understand.

4. Stop treating cold calls like a referendum on my intelligence.
Sometimes you know the case. Sometimes you don’t. Either way, class continues, and no one remembers by the next day. I’m choosing preparation over panic. (Although, you might still see me panic.)

5. Protect one non-law-school habit.
One. Not a full wellness overhaul. Just something that reminds me I existed before casebooks, whether that’s a workout, a walk outside, a phone call home, or reading something with zero footnotes. 

Early last semester, it was watching The Summer I Turned Pretty every Wednesday night. I’m currently accepting new show recommendations, so email me if you have any.

6. Pack a lunch more often (or at all, really).

I love the paninis at Stu but, especially as a K-JD, my savings account cannot afford it. Although, if you do see me in line at Legal Grounds, don’t remind me I said this, okay? I’m also open to recipe suggestions, because let’s be real, creativity in the kitchen is not my strong suit. 

7. Compare less, reflect more.
There will always be someone who read faster, outlined earlier, or sounds more confident on a cold call. You might even be that person for someone else. This semester, I’m focusing on progress and holding myself accountable, not comparison.

In the end, I don’t expect these resolutions to make the second semester of law school easy, but I’m hoping they make it a little more manageable. And honestly, that feels like a pretty solid goal for a 1L, right?

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Bella Calise is a first-year student at BC Law. Contact her at calisei@bc.edu.