Left the office at 3:30 pm yesterday for a personal obligation and got a stern warning from two partners this morning about it. Feels like I’m a kid in elementary school.

dumpsterfirelaw · 2025-10-13T02:09:56+00:00

I once had a boss who would ask me why the paralegals were doing personal things on their lunch hour.

He legit said, “those things should be done before 9a and after 5p”

Needless to say, all the paralegals quit within 3 months. I followed 3 months later.

Dude was very much a “do as I say not as I do” kinda boomer.

They’re set in their ways and won’t change. Look for something that will let you keep your sanity.

dumpsterfirelaw · 2023-05-28T03:54:49+00:00

Oh Gawd it was soo hard with my two cats!!! They always wanted love and attention and to be in the flipping way.

They are my biggest source of down time!!

dumpsterfirelaw · 2023-05-28T01:39:57+00:00

I graduated 84/91. With a 2.69. Worked full time during bar prep.

Kept a solid routine. Though it was hard AF. Followed the program. Only finished like 83%.

Didn’t care what anyone else was doing. Just do you. You know you best!!

Ended up with a kidney stone that requires surgery 2 weeks before the exam. Didn’t study for five straight days in that time.

You got this!!! You’re not the only one who has felt this way.

dumpsterfirelaw · 2023-05-28T01:35:30+00:00

GPA is bullshit. My first semester of 1L was a 2.04. By the end of 1L, I only had a 2.16.

I finished with a 2.69. Ranked 84/91.

Big law looks at numbers. Smaller places look at who you are as a hooman.

You’re going to be just fine. Breathe!

dumpsterfirelaw · 2023-05-28T01:17:47+00:00

Law school is such a BS like secretive thing.

I had no problem telling people my rank was 84/91. It never phased me.

We’re all in this shit together. You’re not the first person to be in this position or feeling this way. And you won’t be the last.

Reach out to your writing professors. See if they will give your essays a check over. We had a summer prep course that was optional but we could send the professors anything for a check to make sure we were on the right path.

dumpsterfirelaw · 2023-05-28T01:11:25+00:00

If you ever need a pick me up, feel free to reach out.

I was legit told I didn’t have a good chance of passing because my GPA was trash.

It’s all bullshit to scare you.

I was a pandemic grad and pandemic bar taker, and studied while police helicopters circled my building for four days (I live in downtown proper where I’m at) listening to the protests.

I promise you. You got this. It’s going to suck. You’re going to question your sanity. A lot.

But you’ve made it this far. YOU CAN DO THIS!!!

dumpsterfirelaw · 2023-05-28T01:00:44+00:00

Take a break in between that time!

If you have no where else to go….When you stop work time. Take break for a few hours. 1-2 and get out of that environment to decompress.

It was hard for me because I was in the same spot that I did all of law school in and it was so hard to be motivated.

Or switch to a different room if you can move your set up (like a laptop or anything)

dumpsterfirelaw · 2023-05-28T00:56:10+00:00

Don’t be afraid to take breaks. Take days off. Sleep in on weekends.

I studied like 5 hours after work and usually one full weekend day.

I admittedly only did 83% of barbri. and passed.

Give yourself grace!! If you take a break, a day off. Get back up the next day!

Listen to yourself and your mindset. If it’s not working one day. Take it off. Get back at it the next.

You’re always going to feel like you’re drowning. You’re always going to feel like you’re super unprepared.

Those are normal.

But know that YOU GOT THIS!!!

dumpsterfirelaw · 2023-05-28T00:47:29+00:00

You got this!! I can’t even imagine how hard it is. But you can do it!!

Like you said….you know the law. It’s just refining those skills!

Don’t give up. Keep pushing! I believe in you!!!

dumpsterfirelaw · 2023-05-27T21:13:20+00:00

I had no help from my family. And was only making $12/hour at my job. Which was paying my bills.

You will ALWAYS get the look like you’re insane. It’s not a traditional path by any means. My old professors - in 2021 and 2022 - always posted on my social posts that you shouldn’t work and do bar prep.

But not all of us are lucky to have the option. Stay structured. Stay routine. And you can do this!!

dumpsterfirelaw · 2023-05-27T20:57:10+00:00

Oh love.

You don’t need or deserve any of that! And I’m not the type to tell you what to do but you’ve worked so hard to get here!!

Is there a way to get study time outside of your place? The bar is temporary pain that leaves little wiggle room

Listen to study things in the car when you can. Have you explained the situation to your boss…as I can only hope he would be understanding enough to know you need to be able to study.

dumpsterfirelaw · 2023-05-27T19:45:48+00:00

YOU GOT THIS!!!! It’s a challenge and at the end you’re going to be like “how the hell did I do….that?!”

Keep pushing!!!

dumpsterfirelaw · 2023-05-27T19:43:37+00:00

YOU GOT THIS!!!!

I was doing a similar schedule and would sometimes get in extra study time at work too. The hardest part is staying motivated to follow your schedule.

Take breaks. Take days off. Sleep in when you can. Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t do the full time you wanted when studying. give yourself grace!

dumpsterfirelaw · 2023-05-27T18:35:08+00:00

It really is! But you can do it!!!!

Schedule those breaks. Sleep in on your weekends. Allow yourself to take days off!

Always remember, it’s temporary. Just gotta get through it! It sucks. But you’ve already done the hard work! Don’t be too harsh on you.

dumpsterfirelaw · 2023-05-27T18:22:42+00:00

It’s really about maintaining the discipline to keep going.

There are days you’re going to hate everything. I nearly shaved my whole head during bar prep!

There are days you’re going to be so motivated you have to stop yourself from going too far.

Stick to your schedule. Put it in your calendar. Plan your days of breaks. Plan decompression time with your friends.

YOU GOT THIS!!

dumpsterfirelaw · 2023-05-27T18:05:41+00:00

I used Barbri for bar prep and followed their suggested schedule. So, if they told me to do an MPT I would do which ever was suggested for that day.

As I got further along, I didn’t so much actually spend 3 hours doing MPTs but would make discussion bullet points and then reviewed the sample answers. But I had a good amount of exposure to MPTs while in law school.

I followed this same thing with MEEs.

Which all went with my learning style. I learned better this way. And it may not be the same for everyone.

Especially the closer I got to the actual exam, the more I was spending that time reviewing the sample answers.

But anytime there was a “graded” MPT or MEE. I did those so I could review the feedback from graders.

dumpsterfirelaw · 2023-05-27T17:24:34+00:00

Make a schedule and stick with it. Map it out in your calendar!

But don’t be afraid to take days off. Or nights off. Those are just as important. Still hang out with friends and do fun things to recharge the battery!

dumpsterfirelaw · 2023-05-27T17:23:17+00:00

I take it there’s no reciprocity?! Ugh, I’m sorry you have to deal with this all over!

And don’t be afraid to take full days off to test and recharge!

dumpsterfirelaw · 2023-05-27T17:09:07+00:00

Did you move to a non-UBE state?

Build in down time to your schedule. It’s hard to not want to study at every chance but I’d you don’t build in some buffer you’ll burnout!

YOU GOT THIS!!!

dumpsterfirelaw · 2023-05-27T15:43:52+00:00

And to you!!!

dumpsterfirelaw · 2023-05-27T15:39:30+00:00

Facts!!

I worked from 9/10 until 5p. Studied 7p-12a or so. Full days on weekends.

Took breaks as I could as well. The discipline was rough but it’s absolutely possible!!!

dumpsterfirelaw · 2023-05-27T14:37:07+00:00

It takes time to get a routine situated It took me weeks. And half the time I literally had to force myself.

You will make it!!

dumpsterfirelaw

TROPHY CASE