As you may have heard already, “Law school is different.” The language used, the skills needed, the teaching method used, the amount of time spent studying, and the testing styles are all very different from anything you experienced in your prior academic studies. Law school is really like traveling to another country and immersing yourself in the language and culture without any preparation. Briefly addressed below are a few frequently asked questions to give you an idea about what you can expect at law school and what you can do this summer to prepare.

What is “Academic Support”? The Academic Support program helps all students develop the skills necessary to succeed in law school – skills that were not necessary in prior academic studies. Think of it more as “Skills Support.” We offer workshops, one-on-one counseling, tutoring, and books in the lending library.

How is Law School Different? Law school is so different in language and structure that the skills you used to succeed in college need to be adjusted.

Is there any time for fun? Of course! There are many social events here at the law school and you will have many opportunities to bond with your friends and future colleagues. Make sure that you do that. While the workload is considerably greater in law school, you will have personal time to relax, hang out with your new classmates, and explore beautiful Ithaca, as long as you use proper time management. You have to come up with a schedule that works for you. Some students sleep 8 hours a night, go to class and study for 12 hours a day, and have 4 hours per day to themselves. Most students also designate one large chunk of time on the weekends for decompressing (Friday night or Sunday morning, for example.) You may find that a different schedule works better for you, but one piece of advice is: never skimp on sleep. You can tell which students skimp on sleep by exam time, and they are usually the ones who burn out.

If you have any questions at all, please contact us. We are happy to help.

Chenay Weyble
Director of Academic Support & Lecturer of Law

Dean of Students Suite
126F Hughes Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853-4901
607-255-0146
cbw75@cornell.edu