Law School Essentials
Last week, I spent a ton of time on or near campus.
That’s probably not unusual for a typical law student, but I prefer to be home when I’m not in class. During this particular week, I had a ton of “To Dos” to accomplish between weekend trips and so I traveled between HLS and Harvard Square about fifteen times in four days.*
*That’s roughly a half mile distance or a ten minute walk.
By the time I made it back to my apartment on Thursday, I had only one thought –
“Why the HECK is my bag so heavy and WHAT can I get rid of?!”
After a period of introspection, I kept the following 10 things (literally or figuratively) and left the rest at home. They are the Must-Needs of my life during 3L!
AIRPODS
I wear these literally everywhere; riding the bus, walking on campus, while I’m studying or working out…you name it, they’re in my ears. But I’m only pumping out tunes or podcasts about 50% of the time. The other 50% is dedicated to blocking out sounds and/or other (usually human) distractions. Nothing gives off a “I’m in the zone, please don’t bother me” vibe like a pair of wireless headphones!
And I promise this is not an Apple ad, but the Airpods just work so dang well. Vibe-wise and music-wise.
2. LAPTOP
In the early days of law school, I tried very hard not to rely on my laptop. Some professors simply don’t allow them in class, and I REALLY wanted to handwrite my notes before creating an electronic outline for final exams. Fast forward two years and…yea, we’re over that.
For me personally, the best way to (1) understand class material and (2) connect the dots during finals is actually to use notes from previous students, then supplement them with my own comments and observations. Cheating the system? Maybe, a bit. But actually learning the material? Far better than blind faith in handwritten notes that I never (literally never) revisited.
3. SNACKS
There is nothing more unpredictable than a day at Harvard Law School, and I can’t count the number of times I’ve had to skip lunch. if I don’t have snacks to ease that pain…it’s a very, very long day.
4. A RELIABLE BAG
My #1 Gal!!! I have the most FANTASTIC black leather bag for my final year of law school (I bought it thinking ahead to my JAG days and then figured, no need for a backpack with this baby sitting around!) I’m a huge fan of cavernous spaces with pockets for smaller items – as this list reveals, I have quite a few of those. With thick shoulder handles, one large and two small inner pockets, a small zipped outer pocket, and a zip top to contain the mess, it’s the perfect bag for law school.
5. MORNING COFFEE
Okay, this one doesn’t actually go in the bag. But it’s on the list of Essential items nonetheless! I’ve done a pretty good job of brewing coffee at home this year and can usually finish it before I l even leave the apartment. But on the longer days (like last week!) I supplement the morning brew with a nice little afternoon latte.
6. CHAPSTICK
There are few things I hate more than chapped lips w/ no remedy during a long day. Very few. It’s on par with the misery of having no snacks!
7. HARD COPY BOOKS & READINGS
Despite my aversion to handwritten notes, I ALWAYS prefer physical readings to an electronic version. I do like highlighting certain points to revisit them later, or writing questions in the margins as I’m going along. Luckily, HLS has a great printing center and professors often give us booklets of printed material for class. This semester, I only have one textbook for three classes; the rest is supplemented by HLS Copy Center materials. Even the textbook class assigns supplemental readings!
Hard copies obviously don’t help the Heavy Bag situation, but they definitely increase the amount of material I’m able to absorb and retain.
8. VARIOUS FORMS OF ID
Military ID for free bus rides, driver’s license to drive (infrequent), school ID to get into the Harvard buildings…I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have at least one minor heart attack about losing one of the above each and every day. But I use the mil and school IDs several times each day and would be in serious trouble without them!
9. CELL PHONE
Identification aside, if I could leave the house with only one thing, it’s probably my phone. I use it as my personal calendar, note pad, reminder center, deejay, pocket watch, bus schedule aficionado…by the end of the day, my poor phone is deader than me.
10. THE ACCESSORIES
Namely the following: a mini mascara, claw hair clip, and small gold hoop earrings (plus sunglasses if I’m really on my game). If these things aren’t already on my head when I walk out the door, they’re certainly in my bag! I’m convinced they’re all anyone needs to look put together at a moment’s notice (delusional? Possibly, but don’t ruin it) and so I try to never leave the house without them.
In the end, when I cleaned out my bag, I tossed a lot of receipts, several random papers, about a dozen pens, my computer charger, and some other bric-a-brac that I don’t need for day-to-day campus life. I must admit, the bag is still a tad heavy. Maybe it’s time to reevaluate why I’m carrying it around so much, instead of what I’m carrying?
Oh, that’s right. We’re not in Zoomland anymore Toto!
