Law Schools

Hey 1Ls, Super Excited For Thanksgiving Break? I Can Fix That.

Sorry, but you will have to continue to make sacrifices to the law school gods during Thanksgiving.

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I’m definitely NOT about to ruin your life….

Thanksgiving is less than a month away. You have been working very hard, and you are so ready for a break. I mean, you deserve it, right? Wrong. Okay, I’m being a little dramatic. You have certainly earned a break, but you need to think about how your time will be best spent. I can assure you that if you spend your entire break relaxing and none of it working, you will seriously regret it at the end of the semester.  You may have a strong urge to do one or more of the following things. Resist.

What you want to do: Head home

What you should do: Head home, maybe

Before you think about how you will spend your break, you have to figure out where you will spend it. The most important factor in whether Thanksgiving break sets you up for success or stress is location. When you think about it, Thanksgiving break is usually four days long (since I know you wouldn’t dream of taking any additional time off…). If going home means taking two full days of travel, you may want to reconsider.  

I am well aware that this is the most Scroogey piece of advice I could possibly give, and I hate to tell you not to spend the holiday with your family. However, the more time you spend traveling, the less time you have for both fun and work. To put it another way, do you want to spend six hours on a plane to sit around for two days doing work in your room alone? Maybe you do. Just be sure to make an informed decision.

What you want to do: Forget that law school exists completely

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What you should be doing: Get caught up and then get ahead

It should not be a surprise that I am going to explain why you must do law school work over Thanksgiving break. Do you remember those cases that you skipped reading and were going to “get back to,” the practice questions you never have time for, and the outlines you keep meaning to finish? This break is the perfect time for you do all those things. Not to mention, you probably have reading to complete for your classes the week after Thanksgiving. Now also seems like a good time to point out that finals will start about three weeks, or even sooner, after Thanksgiving break ends.  

Have I successfully elevated your blood pressure a little? Good. Fortunately, I have a couple of tips to make getting a handle on all of this a little less painful.

  1. Set goals. Figure out exactly what you want/need to have completed by the end of break. Take stock of your entire semester, and figure out what you need to do to be successful on your final exams.
  2. Work like crazy before you leave. In order to maximize your time during break, get as much done before you leave, and, if applicable, during your commute home.
  3. Plan when you will do the rest. See what you have left to do, and plan out exactly when you will get it done. If you write it down and set aside time, you are much more likely to get it done.

What you want to do: Get blackout drunk with your high school friends on Thanksgiving Eve

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What you should be doing: Take meaningful breaks

Finally, we arrive at the part where I tell you that you can actually have some fun! You’re welcome. I truly believe that taking time to rest, relax, and recharge is crucial to your law school success, and you absolutely should do that during the break.

This may be your first trip home this semester, and your family and friends are, hopefully, really excited to see you — that is, if you haven’t gone all “I’m a law student now” on them yet. They may have even been texting you about all the fun stuff they planned. Just remember, you don’t have to do “all the things.” It is okay to be protective of your time and choose the things that will truly make you feel like you’ve actually had some time off.

For what it is worth, I practiced what I preach. I spent my entire 1L Thanksgiving break holed up in my bedroom alone, watching a Cake Boss (is that show still even on?) marathon, and outlining for contracts. I ate a cold plate of Thanksgiving leftovers (thanks mom) while sitting on my bed, through tears, at like 10 p.m. Extreme, I know. I am not suggesting that you follow this plan. As I mentioned above, breaks are important, and you should take them. It is merely a reminder, albeit a slightly depressing one, that you will have to continue to make sacrifices to the law school gods during Thanksgiving. But, it is worth it. Trust me, “December you” will love “November you” for it.

Kerriann Stout is a millennial law school professor and founder of Vinco (a bar exam coaching company) who is generationally trapped between her students and colleagues. Kerriann has helped hundreds of students survive law school and the bar exam with less stress and more confidence. She lives, works, and writes in the northeast. You can reach her by email at info@vincoprep.com.

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