Dear 2L: Combatting 2L Burnout
Dear 2L,
If you feel “burnt out” & “unmotivated” right now, I am so sorry. I’ve been there, and I know how hard it is.
I hope the below thoughts will help. I’ll keep reading and thinking about ways to help feel engaged again.
1️⃣ You’re not alone.
They call it a “2L slump” for a reason. 1L forced on you 9 solid months of prolonged, unnatural stress. What followed was hardly a 3-month “summer break,” either. There was the write-on, your first “legal” job, OCI, and whatever else you may have had going on personally.
None of you needs to justify being sapped. These dog days of August call for lazy beach naps, not school, IMO. (Your past year exhausts me just to think about.)
Try to take care of you. A tonic for most things is a healthy routine: regular sleep, eating well, and exercising. If you get into a routine, your body and mind will begin to replenish themselves.
The world will start to seem less daunting, and, hopefully, you’ll just feel better physically. That should improve your mood and boost confidence. That can jumpstart action.
2️⃣ You have time to get a job for next summer.
Everything I’ve read from former 2Ls tells me there is ZERO reason to “freak out” if you weren’t in the small group who snagged a job by OCI or otherwise.
Jobs get posted consistently throughout the 2L school year, and many 3Ls say they did not get theirs until the spring. I will continue to monitor what I’m hearing on this front and will help you however I can.
3️⃣ Immerse yourself in activities with others.
There is power in human connection, especially when working together for a common goal. Choose one about which you are passionate. For some, it will be moot court. For others, law-student organizations or law journals. All offer excellent, peer interaction and group spirit.
These types of activities will be what you remember most about your 2L and 3L years.
4️⃣ Maximize clinics and seminars that interest you.
I know there are schools of thought that say you should take bar-topic courses during law school. My take is different. Every “bar” subject I took in 2L/3L was uninteresting to me, and my bar prep course covered them all—just enough for the bar (which was plenty for me).
Especially if you’re unmotivated and burnt out right now, the doctrinal topics tested on the bar will not be your friend.
▫️ Take courses that interest you that involve content you want to learn, rather than need to learn.
▫️ By engaging in content you like, you can start to get into the groove of law school again.
Hands down, clinics and seminars were my favorite and most memorable 2L/3L courses. They also helped me most from a practical perspective for future law-firm-associate assignments.
_______
Lawyers & 3Ls: Please share any motivating words for struggling 2Ls.
Fondly,
💌 Amanda