There is something truly ethereal about the smell of new school supplies—a noisy plastic bag filled to the brim with new notebooks, pens, pencils, highlighters, and sticky notes. You’ll never feel quite as prepared for life as you do after a late-August school supply trip. You can take on the world—or at least, your Criminal Procedure class.
While a lot may have changed about the way law school classes are taught, a few things have stayed the same: the reading is hard, the hours are long, and there can never be enough caffeine. As we pack our bags (or briefcases—if you’re one of those people) here are a few items to remember to help your transition back into the classroom be as smooth as possible.
- Ibuprofen/Advil/Tylenol. This one is non-negotiable, at least for me. In an environment where you can read a page of text four times and still not understand what it meant, its highly likely you’ll get a headache every now and then. Having your pain killer of choice handy in the event of a headache certainly comes in handy—especially when you’ve still got four hours of reading and lectures left that day.
- Caffeine. Not everyone drinks caffeine, but if you’re among the group of us that do,make sure you bring enough with you to keep you going all day. Some people bring travel mugs with tea, some bring energy drinks, some even bring construction-size Stanley thermoses full of black coffee—the opportunities are endless. A helpful piece of advice? While it is easy to pack your morning beverage on the way out the door, it’s a bit more difficult to ensure your caffeine levels stay elevated come 2 or 3pm. Have a plan to ensure you don’t crash in the middle of your Contracts lecture—you don’t get out of having to answer a cold call question just because you’re slumped over like a deflated scarecrow. Plan ahead.
- Headphones. If the watering hole is considered the “social scene” in the animal world, in law school it’s the library—and if you fail to wear headphones while watching a video or listening to music, you will certainly get attacked. Pack a pair of reliable, noise-cancelling headphones; but more importantly: use them.
- Food. A typical day of law school lasts anywhere from 6-10 hours, not including time studying at the library after class. While your school might have a café or cafeteria on site, buying food and snacks from there everyday is likely to add up—and fast. Save yourself a few bucks by packing yourself a breakfast, lunch, and/or snack. An insulated lunchbox (and an extra ice pack) will be your new best friends—thankfully, you can pick both of those up during your school supply shop.
- Charging cords and/or battery packs. There is nothing worse than having your phone die halfway through your Employment Law class while you are attempting to ask your partner what’s for dinner, text your mom, or online shop. I don’t know about you—but I feel naked without it. While you can always ask around for a phone charger, there is no guarantee that (1) anyone will have one or (2) there will even be a free outlet. Cut out the middle man and pack your own charger and battery pack—for both your phone and laptop.
While the homework may be different, the message is the same: pack your bag, we’re headed back to school; and while you may not have to ask permission to use the bathroom, don’t forget to sign the attendance sheet.
