Tag: #MJConsistencyChallenge

Mara’s Musing: Reflecting On This Past Month

1 Comment

I don’t know know how your July went reader but mine was WILD. I literally committed myself to so many different things. Not only did I decide to participate in the #MJConsistencyChallenge (which was a struggle and a half all on its own), I also signed up for a MF Fitness Pod by @MakingMila (who I talked about the blog recently), also decided on my own that I was going to make it my personal goal to close my apple rings every day by working out EVERY DAY, and to top it off, my law school related demands became even more…demanding haha. This month literally spread me as then as possible…AND THEN SOME.

I think it finally hit me last night as I was trying* to go bed but couldn’t because I had a super intense chest pain. Luckily for me, it was on the right side of my chest otherwise I would have thought I was having a heart attack and the idea of going to an ER during these times would have really had me stressed. I couldn’t sleep until like 5am and then I was woken up by my family being loud at like 8:30am. This would have been fine but I couldn’t go back to sleep and it was the “straw that broke the camel’s back”…it’s me y’all…I’m the camel.

My anxiety was in overdrive and I couldn’t deal. One of my best friend’s called me to ask me if I ever finished my goal setting session. I asked if I could call her and I just start sobbing once we started talking about how I was feeling. I had so many feelings and I knew I wasn’t going to be able to finish my research by today’s deadline and would have to ask for an extension…I felt embarrassed and ashamed. However, my best friend told me there is no reason to be ashamed if you’re having a rough mental health week. She said if I needed an extension because I had a fever it would not be a big deal and this was the same.

I’m so glad I called her and I’m so glad I asked for an extension. I know it sounds like my month was horrible, but it wasn’t! As overwhelmed as I was today and probably the last few weeks, I’m also happy I was able to keep some of my promises to myself this month. I was able to be consistent. I strengthened my blogging muscles and now I can write a blog post in like 15 mins as opposed to the sometimes hour or two it would take me before. We truly love to see it!

My main point of this post was to tell you (as always) to take care of yourself. Learn how to deal with your bad days and extend yourself grace but also have pride in the little things you’re able to accomplish. I’m proud of me and I’m proud of you too!

How did your month go? Let me know in the comments!

3 Tips For Figuring Out What Content To Create

Leave a comment

Prior to the consistency challenge this month (and even during it), I have definitely been going through my own version of writer’s block…an overall creatives block. This often leads to not having much to blog about and having to figure that out and how the hell I was going to post for the rest of the month. I would like to say I somewhat figured it out and decided that I should share this process with all of you, especially my fellow bloggers!

Do a Brain Dump

createherstock-2017-Social-Bonus-Neosha-Gardner-19

The first thing I do when I’m not sure what I want to create is to have a brain dump session. A brain dump session consists of me getting a blank piece of paper, setting a timer (usually for 5 mins or so), and just dumping all of my thought onto the page. The fact that I already know what the purpose for the brain dump is probably helps my mind focus on thinking about content, my assignment, or whatever it is I’m trying to garner creativity from. I feel that 5 mins in the perfect amount of time to force yourself to just get everything out and then figure out what to do with it later. After I brain dump, I sift through the words on the page and see if anything sounds like something I can expand on and usually I have at least 1 or 2 good ideas to run with.

Research What Other People in Your Niche are Creating

createherstock-2018-content-influencer-neosha-gardner-18

I’m not saying that it’s entirely impossible to create never before thought of content or posts or whatever it is you need to create but let’s be real, many things have been talked about before and THAT IS OKAY. As a lifestyle blogger the topics aren’t necessarily what make me unique. What makes me unique is my perspective and experience with a topic. When I’m particularly stumped on what to create or write, I google “lifestyle blog ideas” or whatever topic I’m interested in writing about, whether that be “fitness blog posts”, “law school blog posts”, you get the idea. It’s okay to get inspo from other content creators. If the topic is entirely too specific, be sure to give that person credit and link back to their blog. The same goes for Instagram content as well. Creatives deserve credit, which I’ve made my thoughts on such known on my podcast as well (listen here).

Ask Your Audience What They Want to See

createherstock-2018-content-influencer-neosha-gardner-41

Don’t get me wrong, this may not be the best approach depending on your audience and/or your relationship with them but it doesn’t hurt to try. I remember when I was not entirely new to blogging but also still figuring it out I used to come up with ideas and conduct polls on my Instagram stories to see what kind of content my audience wanted to see. After all, they are going to be the ones reading and/or engaging with it. You might as well see if they have any suggestions for topics they’d like your opinion or help with. Definitely don’t do this one too often or your audience will wonder why the hell are you a content creator if you can’t think of any content. I would say this is good to do once every few months or so. When done properly, it can be extremely help. The reason I even thought to write this blog was due to a suggestion from one of my mutuals on twitter. Thanks Della girl! These are some of the ways that I deal when I can’t for the life of me think of what kind of content I want to create. Usually if I do one or all of these 3 things, I can get out of my creative funk and figure out what it is I want to write about or create. Hopefully these tips can help you if you are having a similar block.

Did I forget a suggestion that has helped you? How do you deal with writer’s block or get out of creative funk? Let me know in the comments below!If you enjoyed this article and found it helpful, please share it on your social media or with a fellow creative!

3 Signs You’re The Toxic Person in Your Life & How To Fix It

Leave a comment

I’m not one of those people who believe in “good vibes only” or only focusing on the positive things in life. Being a constantly positive person is hard and, in my opinion, impossible for most people. As humans we aren’t perfect and there are times when we’re going to have a shitty day and be in a shitty mood. This is fine. However, there is a difference between having a bad day or week and being the toxic person in your life or the lives of others. As someone who has gone through these moments at earlier times in my life, I’ve discovered 3 signs that will tell you if you are the toxic person and how to fix it if you are.

1. You are always angry/in a bad mood and take it out on others

BADMOOOD

As I said earlier, it is perfectly okay to have a bad mood for a day or week. Some people even have bad months depending on what they are going through in life. What’s not okay is constantly being in a bad mood and taking this out on those around us. Nobody wants to be friends with the person who is always angry, never has anything nice to say, and acts like an asshole to most people around them. Even if you disguise it in constant sarcasm, slick comments, passive aggressive behavior, or whatever else, it’s annoying and toxic to others and yourself.

How to fix it: Find out why you are so angry

Unless you suffer from a disorder that makes your emotions not at your own will, most people experience another emotion before anger. Figure out what emotion(s) you’re trying to mask in anger. Are you sad? Are you hurting? Is there a trauma you don’t want to deal with? Ask yourself these questions and similar ones to find out the root of your anger. This is the only way you can address this anger and move on to a life not plagued by it.

2. You’re jealous of others and their accomplishments

a8aa082c83f2bf2bba41647c872f6f86

Being a hater is one of the most toxic things to your well-being. I don’t mean the haters everyone swore they had in high school but a genuine hater who hates to see others do well. A hater is someone who constantly hates on others’ magnificent accomplishments. Do you find yourself getting jealous of strangers or even worse…your “friends?” Do you hear about people’s new promotions at work or their new PR at the gym and find yourself looking for a way to cut them down or “humble them?” If you’re this type of person you’re toxic to yourself and others and people will definitely pick up on it even if you never say anything out loud. They will stop telling you the good things that happen to them because you’ll always be known as somebody who is a hater and has nothing good to say when people share their accomplishments.

How to fix it: Realize you are an adequate being and what is for you won’t pass you by

Many times when we try to dull someone else’s sparkle it’s because we are insecure about our own shine. As people we have insecurities or feelings of inadequacy sometimes. What’s important is that we don’t let these feelings consume us so much that we can’t be happy for the next person. Another reason people become haters is because they want what someone else has. There are very few things that are in such scarcity in the world that you need to covet those who have them. What is meant for you is FOR YOU so long as you take the steps needed to achieve it. Hating on the next person won’t get you any closer to your goals. Aspire to be inspired by those who are we’re you want to be and learn from them instead of wishing them bad.

3. You only call/text your friends to talk about yourself, your problems, or other people

Createherstock A Summer Day Neosha Gardner 29

There is nothing that toxic people are better at than maintaining one-sided friendships that only benefit them. If you’re constantly reaching out to others with no intentions of seeing how they are doing, you might be the toxic friend. I’m using the term friend loosely here. But seriously, if you only think to hit people up when you’re going through some shit, they aren’t your friend…they are your therapist and honestly that’s not fair to them. This isn’t the same thing as a friendship where the energy and effort is mutual and you both help each other through hard times. This is you not checking in with someone unless you need something from them and they are helping you in some way…it’s toxic. If you only reach out to a friend to talk badly about other people that’s toxic as well and not good for either of you. Only equally toxic people want friends who never have anything good to say about others.

How To Fix It: Get a therapist and a journal

One way to make sure you’re not the friend who only keeps in contact to talk about the shit going on in your life is to have someone whose job it is to let you vent to them. Therapy is often looked down upon (especially in communities of color) but if you have this tendency you could probably use someone with the proper skills and knowledge to help you through these times. Another way to master your emotions and feelings is to write about them. I know I say this all the time but it works, okay? Ever since I’ve started journaling I have become better at dealing with my emotions. This can help you too. Also, if you find yourself consistently gossiping about others, you need to figure out what insecurities you are trying to hide by doing so. As I mentioned earlier everyone has insecurities and it’s okay but talking badly about others won’t make anything within ourselves better. Find the problems within yourself and handle them.


I believe that everyone goes through a phase or two where they are the toxic person in their own life as well as the lives of others. What’s important is being able to recognize this and taking the steps needed to check ourselves and deal with our problematic behaviors. The first step is awareness so if any of these signs rang true for you I hope you take my suggestions. Help yourself live a peaceful non-toxic life. You are in charge with how you deal with life so take the steps towards happiness not bitterness.

How do you deal with negative emotions? Let me know in the comments!

Tips For Getting Yourself To Workout Every Day

1 Comment

Ever since Covid-19 struck and gyms closed, my relationship with working out has…not been the best. I post workout trackers every beginning of the month on my Instagram (follow me) and there were some months where I just stopped tracking because I wasn’t working out much like once or twice a week. I tried not to be too hard on myself but after I sprained my ankle in June and barely worked out I knew that something had to change in July. I told myself I would workout EVERY DAY in July. I decided my goal would be to close my exercise ring on my apple watch for the entire month of July.

We are almost done with the second-to-last week of July and I’m happy to report that I’ve stuck to my goal! In sticking with this goal, I’ve learned some things that can maybe help you workout every day if that’s a goal you have!

 

Tip #1: Start Small

Just because you want to workout every day, doesn’t mean that you have to do a super long workout every day. Honestly this month I’ve focused on closing my exercise ring and my goal for that is only 30 minutes a day! Start small and then add longer workouts to your routine if you want!

Tip #2: Create a Workout Schedule and Stick To It

It’s sooooo much easier for me to stick to my workouts on the days that I plan them for a certain time or after I complete a certain task. On the days that I try to wing it…I catch myself having to workout at 11:10pm and that’s just annoying haha. Schedule a time each day and do your best to stick to it. This will make working out every day easier to do.

Tip #3: Tell Someone About Your Goal

I’m going to write more about the importance of having someone to hold you accountable during your fitness journey later but trust me on this one. Not only did I want to keep the promise to myself but I also wanted to make sure I didn’t get called out by the person I shared my goal with. It helps if you actually care about what this person thinks!

I still have 8 days left before the end of the month but I’m confident I will achieve my goal. I might even write about how working out every day this month affected me after this month is over. If that’s something you’d like let me know in the comments!

 

 

6 Self-Reflection Questions To Ask Yourself About Your Health & Wellness

Leave a comment

Anyone who has been following on my Instagram me for a while knows that I’m a huge proponent of maintaining mental, physical, & emotional wellness (I also think spiritual wellness is important but it’s something I don’t really talk about as much on my platforms). I’m a big believer that if you want to work towards or maintain wellness, you have to check-in with yourself and you have to do so regularly. During these wild times in the world, striving for wellness is more important than ever.

30 Day Yoga Challenge

The last few years (when I can be disciplined enough to stay consistent) I check-in with my Instagram followers and ask them some questions on Wednesdays to gauge how their week is going. I love asking them (and myself) these questions in the middle of the week because it allows us to note where we are falling short and do what we need to do to fix it.

Here are the questions:

  1. Have I been getting enough sleep?
  2. Have I been drinking enough water?
  3. Have I been eating balanced meals?
  4. Have I been physically active?
  5. Have I been checking in with my loved ones?
  6. Have I been spending time with myself?

Get in the habit of asking yourself these questions in the middle of the week or whenever you feel like you’re in a funk. Sometimes our bad moods can simply be a reflection of our lack of hydration, nutrition, sleep, activity, interaction, or me-time. If you truly feel down & like these things aren’t enough, be sure to journal and seek professional help for dealing with your emotions.

 

Did you ask yourself these questions? What are your answers? Tell me what steps will you take to implement wellness moving forward in the comments!

7 Must-Follow Law Blogs & Instagram Accounts

1 Comment

Recently I’ve started adding wayyy more law school related content on my Instagram and my blog. I feel like it’s important for me to do this because using my platform to talk about my law school experience can potentially inspire others to apply to law school! Long before I started heavily focusing on adding more law school related content to my bog and Instagram, I read a few different law school blogs and followed many law school Instagram accounts. It’s important to follow quite a few accounts in law school or the legal field because we all offer our own unique perspective on the experiences that come with applying, attending, and graduating law school. Due to the fact that I know how important it is, I will dedicate this post to highlighting some of my favorite law school/legal field related account to follow.

@MusingsofMara

Obviously, I couldn’t start out an Instagram and blog list without mentioning myself! I may be biased but I like would recommend ALL law students to follow me on Instagram because I talk about my law school experience honestly while also encouraged all of my followers, legal field or not, to be mindful about living a well-balanced life. I also talk about my law school experience on my podcast every now and then too! Give me a follow today!

https://legallycomplicated.com/

This blog is written by one of my sorority sisters and was actually one of the first inspirations for me to add more law school content on my blog. She recently graduated law school and I really enjoyed her post about what she learned in law school. I also enjoy following her on twitter (click here). Make sure to check out her blog and her twitter.

@blackgirlsdolaw

This is one of my FAVORITE accounts to follow onInstagram! She constantly uploads helpful content for law Black women law students and has recently been holding virtual events in light of Covid-19. She also has a website with apparel, drinkware, and resources to help with your legal journey. I love how much community impact this page has had. Follow them and also checkout the hashtag #BlackGirlsDoLaw on IG to see what all these Beautiful & Brilliant Black women in the legal field are up to!

@msjdorg

I’ve recently followed this page and I have enjoyed their content so far! They are a non-profit dedicated to the success of women in law school and the legal profession. They also have a community that you can join for different resources directly to your inbox as well as on the website.

https://www.brazenandbrunette.com/

I enjoy this blog so much. She has been writing posts for a long time and has blogs for every stage of the law school experience from high schoolers who have future lawyer dreams to  law school graduates. She separates her content by year at the top of her blog! Her post on follow up e-mails after job applications has been very useful to me in recent times.

@dclawtina

Her feed aesthetic isn’t the only amazing thing about her Instagram account! She also posts non-law related books that she’s reading and shares about her life as a young attorney living in DC (one of the few places I would live if I ever moved from Vegas!) I don’t remember when I started following her but I’m so glad I did!

@leahslegallife

Following her Instagram reminds me of when I was going through my own LSAT journey. She doesn’t just focus on preparing for the LSAT, she also lets us get a glimpse into her life, which are my favorite law related accounts to follow. Recently she held a giveaway for LSAT materials and I thought that was such a great thing to do! Along with managing her studying and Instagram account, she also has a Youtube channelso be sure to check out both!

There soooo many law school blogs and Instagram accounts and I’m sure I’m going to remember others after I post this but that’s okay! I will definitely update this list later or or even make a whole different post with some of favorites later on. Be sure to follow and subscribe all of these accounts, especially yours truly! Hahaha.

Do you have any law related blogs or Instagram accounts you love to follow that I didn’t mention? Leave a comment and let me know so I can check their content out! 

Reflecting on the #MJConsistencyChallenge & My Favorite Posts So Far

1 Comment

The past two weeks I been committed to blogging every weekday as a part of Mattie James #ConsistencyChallenge and let me tell y’all, it has been a CHALLENGE indeed. I knew coming into this it was gOing to be difficult…but I don’t think I was even capable of imagining just how hard it would be. I will say that it is mostly my fault. I’ve been horrible at managing my time the past two weeks. I’ve even been struggling to keep up with work commitments as well and last week I didn’t even touch my planner (which is soooo unlike me). Despite how challenging it has been, I have also learned so much already and I’m excited for the next two weeks of the challenege. I’m still committed to finishing strong and finding a way to balance all of my other commitments as well. While I brainstorm more posts ideas, here are some of my favorites from the last two weeks.

UNCONVENTIONAL TIPS FOR THE LSAT (AND AFFIRMATIONS)

Excerpt: “During my 2-year gap between undergrad and law school, one thing I had really gotten into was the Law of Attraction and all of its subparts like visualization, positive thinking, and affirmations (which I have written about before). I knew that I truly could manifest anything that I wanted if I really believed it, released it, and did the work to make it happen without worrying about. It was the final week before the LSAT and I realized I hadn’t written any affirmations for the test. I had written affirmations for every other life event that I had going on prior to this so it didn’t make sense that I hadn’t made any for the LSAT. They really helped me and have helped other people that I’ve shared them with. I decided to write this blog post with the LSAT affirmations I created for those taking the upcoming July LSAT this Saturday. Read them below!”

(read full post here)

MY FAVORITE HEALTHY-ISH SNACKS

Excerpt: “One of my biggest struggles when losing weight has always been the fact that I love to snack. Snacking isn’t always the problem but snacking on junk food too often definitely doesn’t make for a successful health & fitness journey. One thing I noticed once I started law school back in 2018 was that I am definitely a stress eater. In the last few months I’ve been super stressed and thus my snack attacks have gotten worse. I recently started a new fitness program (which I will blog about more later) and I knew if I wanted to make sure that I didn’t waste my money and was successful, I needed to start eating as healthy as I have in the past. This fact combined with one of my sorority sisters who follows me on Instagram (shoutout to Vanessa!) asking me to blog about my favorite healthy snacks led to me writing this post.”

(read full post here)

A FEW WAYS TO DEAL WITH BEING OVERWHELMED

Excerpt: “I know, writing a to-do lists may sound counterproductive when you’re dealing with being overwhelmed but sometimes it helps me just to write everything down and see it in front of me. Sometimes feeling overwhelm is just a result of me feeling* like I have a lot to do in a short amount time but really I have more time than I realize to do it. Writing things down and and then prioritizing them allows me to feel more in control of how I spend my time, which helps me not feel as overwhelmed.”

(read full post here)

Which of my posts have you enjoyed this month? Have anything else you’d like to see me write about? Let me know in the comments!

Do’s & Don’ts Of Building Self-Confidence

2 Comments

The other day I was trying to generate ideas for posts for my blog (being in a creative funk is rough, I’ve talked about it before on my blog) and I asked my friend “what is something you’d like to know as a twentysomething?” She said “One thing that I think separates you from me is how confident you are, so maybe write tips on how you went about gaining that confidence.” This posed an interesting question because I definitely wasn’t always the confident person and I still struggle depending on the area of life that it is. However, I do think I have been alive long enough to give advice on how to gain a mostly* confident demeanor. That being said, here are some of my tips for building confidence.

DO Find Something You’re Really Good At and Be Proud of It

One way I built confidence in high school was by playing sports. Seeing how far I could push my body gave me an extreme level of confidence in an otherwise typical insecure teenage life. When I went to college and became an adult jr., I was always confident in the fact that I was now naturally an athletic person due to how I grew up playing sports. As I’ve grown into an actual adult and less in shape than my teenage athlete years, I’ve found a new confidence in doing dancing group fitness classes like MIXXEDFIT, Zumba, COMMIT, and others. When I’m in these classes I FEEL LIKE I’M THAT BITCH and nobody can stop me. While I personally love physical fitness as my thing, it doesn’t matter what your hobbies are just pick one thing that you can get really good at be proud of.

DON’T Base Your Confidence On What Other People Think of You

Having self-confidence in a rigid society that defines success in such a narrow way is hard. The truth of the matter is you can be the best looking, intelligent, physically fit, wealthy person and somebody is still going to have some shit to say about you, so don’t worry about what other people think of you. I think I was able to gain confidence when I stopped giving a shit what people think of me. The thing is most people, even the people who always have something to say, are concerned with themselves so they don’t really have to think about you as often as you believe. If you don’t thibk you’re the bomb.com, nobody else will either. Coco Chanel said it best, “I don’t care what you think about me. I don’t think about you at all.”

DO Speak Kindly To Yourself

Yes, I wish I had a flat stomach and had extra inches in my height but I am who I am! Talking badly about the things you “hate” about yourself will not boost your confidence. It’s okay to want to improve things in in your life (whether they be physical, mental, or whatever else) but calling yourself dumb won’t make you any smarter. Saying you hate your back rolls won’t make them disappear and complaining about yourself in general never makes you a better person. While venting is okay, it’s important to be mindful of the way you talk to and about yourself. A good rule of thumb is to not say anything to yourself that you would drop a friend or romantic partner for saying to you.

DON’T Compare Yourself To Others

Just as you could be the best looking, intelligent, physically fit, wealthy person, so can somebody else. The reality of life is that is always going to be somebody better than you at something. On the flip side, you will be better than others at certain things so there really is no need to compare yourself to anyone. I’m in the school of thought that we were all put on this Earth for our own purpose and comparing yourselves to others diminishes your ability to do what you are meant to do! On social media (where most comparisons for us millennials and Gen Z occur) people portray what they want you to see. Most people don’t show their full story, which is their right, so you can’t compare yourself to something that isn’t a true representation. So what if that person landed their dream job at 23. So what if they graduated with a 4.0. So what if they have the life you think you deserve. Everything ain’t for everybody and when you focus on comparing yourself to others you open the door for insecurities and jealously, which is the opposite of confidence! So don’t do it and just FOCUS on yourself. That’s how you become confident in who YOU are!

It’s hard to be 100% confident all the time and there are days when you won’t feel that great about yourself. The key to confidence is to remember no matter what your shortcomings may be, you are still AMAZING and uniquely made.

What’s one thing you’re great at and proud of? Do you have any tips for building self-confidence? Let me know in the comments!

 

3 Must-Have Apps For Your Health & Fitness Journey

2 Comments

I recently talked about how I restarted my health and fitness journey after two months of slacking off. Anyone who has ever fallen off of the fitness wagon knows that getting back on the fitness wagon is even harder the second or third or however many times around. Sometimes It’s even more frustrating because you know you’ve done it before…and you don’t know why this time is so much harder. However, throughout my many times falling on and off the fitness wagon, I’ve stumbled across some apps that are extremely helpful with health and fitness.

I don’t know about you but I’m on my phone most of the time (especially since COVID-19 came around). That being said, it’s always super important for me to make the most of my phone by having apps that help me accomplish my goals. I’ve tried many different fitness apps and I won’t talk about them ALL on this pos, but I will talk about my favorites!

Water Reminder – Daily Tracker

Staying hydrated is a key component of any health and fitness journey! I’m entirely too lazy to link you to any sources so just trust me on this one, okay? I know for me personally, drinking a lot of water throughout the day keeps me from snacking on junky-ish foods that may get in the way of my nutrition goals. I love this app because not only can you set reminders to drink water, but you can also set your own daily intake goals and track your water intake. It’s perfect because I have mine set to remind me every 30 mins and it allows me to at least get 90oz or more a day! We love to see it.

iPhone App | Google Play

MyFitnessPal

Nutrition is more important than working out when it comes to weight loss. As I mentioned last week, you can’t outwork a shitty diet. I personally like MFP because its database is huge due to the fact that many people use it to track their food. I also can usually scan a food that’s not on there and it will pop-up (not always, but most of the time). I especially like it because when I keep super serious on my weight loss journey I count macros and it tells you your macros, something other calorie trackers I’ve used don’t do. I do think you should avoid this one if you have a tendency to become obsessive with food.
iPhone App  | Google Play

Strong Workout Tracker Gym Log

This is my favorite workout tracking app. It allows me to create my own routines and monitor my progress. When I’m not in a trainer specific program, this is what I use to create my own routines. I especially like it because it also has demonstrations for the workout moves in its database for those who are new to working out with weights or body weight movements. It also tracks how many workouts you do and your progress with weights/rep/etc. It’s a great app!

iPhone App| Google Play

Embarking on a health and fitness journey can be scary! This is why I think having apps that can help you out is super important. I’m glad I’ve found some that I like that help me so much. Hopefully they help you too!

Do you have any favorite health and fitness apps? Let me know in the comments!

How I Choose My Law School Classes

Leave a comment

It’s here! It’s finally happening! I’m in my LAST year of law school. Sometimes (actually most times) I still can’t believe it. I remember my first day of law school as if it were yesterday. I actually look at the selfie I took that day to admire how far I’ve come since that day. Not only have I accomplished different goals I set out to accomplish over the years, but my overall confidence in being a law student has grown as well. It’s actually been amazing for me to witness and experience.

One exciting part of law school (for me) is picking my classes. This was the first year that I was confident I was going to get every class that I wanted and not have to be on a waitlist or pick a different class. I’m happy to report that this was true and I got every class that I wanted. This upcoming semester my class schedule will be as follows:

  • Criminal Procedure – Adjudication
  • Civil Rights
  • Advanced Legal Analysis and Writing: Making Law, Writing, & Interpreting Legislation
  • Family Law

I’m super excited as I know all of these classes will be extremely beneficial to my legal education and I’ve interested in majority of the topics. There are many debates about whether or not to take bar classes in your 3L year and while I’ve taken most of the Bar Classes already, I still had a few I could have taken this semester. I chose against it, although sometimes Family Law is on the bar. I decided to write this blog to tell law students how I choose what law school classes I want to take and the different questions I ask myself that go into those decisions.

Do you want to take all bar classes, no bar classes, or a healthy in between?

This one is pretty self-explanatory. If you want to take mostly bar classes than it will be easier for you to decide which classes you want to take as your options will be limited. At my school we are only required to take certain bar classes (Torts, Contracts, Civil Procedure, Legal Writing I, II, II, Property, Criminal Law, Constitutional Law I & II). The rest of the bar classes are offered as electives so we pretty much have free reign. There are pros and cons to taking non-graduation requirement bar classes. One pro to taking a bar class in law school is that you will be familiar with the topic as opposed to seeing it for the first time when you start bar prep two or three months before the bar exam. On the flip side, bar classes can oftentimes be harder than non-bar classes and if you want to raise your GPA, bar classes might not be your best way to do so. As a 2L I took a healthy mix of bar classes and classes that I was interested in and I did pretty well.

What type of law are you interested in or maybe want to learn more about?

I think it very important to not only take classes that may be on the bar but also to take classes that interest you (if they aren’t also bar classes, which they can be). This was very important to me because I came into law school with tunnel vision about practicing Criminal Law. I wanted to make sure to take other law classes not necessarily related to criminal law but still something I was interested in like Resort Hotel Casino Law and Education Reform. Taking these classes allowed me to see if I would ever be open to practicing a different type of law or if it was strictly Criminal Law for me. If you relate to my tunnel vision, I would recommend trying different types of classes.

Which professors have you enjoyed taken classes with in the past and what’s the word around the law school about the others?

Listen! When it comes to law school classes, the professors can often make or break the class. Law school is hard enough without having to deal with difficult professors or professors who mean well but their teaching style just doesn’t suit your learning style. I always try to take classes with professors who I have before because I know what to expect and have grown accustomed to how they teach. This is very important since most law school grades are based off of one exam that the professor is teaching you for.

These are just some of the questions to ask yourself when taking classes as a 3L. Choosing classes is very important in law school and you don’t want to just choose whatever. Make sure you sit and think about it for a good minute before registration day. I may write a post similar to this before the spring semester to help 1Ls choose their elective class. Let me know if that would be helpful.

How do you decide what classes to take? What’s more important: the professors, the time, the subject, or something else? Let me know in the comments.