As the school year begins, we have asked some of our 1L students to share their experiences with the LEAP community throughout the year to get a better understanding of what adjusting to law student life is like. Their stories so far take us through some of the initial emotions felt, challenges faced, and victories achieved in the first week of school.
Sim and Vanessa are the first two fellows featured in our “Follow Our Fellows” series. Sim shared: “My first week of law school was eventful and pleasantly surprising. Initially, I felt nervous and had trouble fighting off the imposter syndrome, but throughout the week I felt more and more comfortable. As the week progressed, it confirmed my passion for law and both the students and faculty at UCLA made me feel at home. I found comfort in knowing others felt similar to me and I wasn’t the only one. Near the end of the week I found myself feeling more confident in my abilities and excited for my future in law school. I want to thank LEAP for providing me with the resources to succeed.
Specifically, LEAP’s Pre-L curriculum gave me practice and insight into legal analysis that was applied my first week of school and will continued to be used. I can’t wait to see what the next three years of law school have in store for me.”
When asked how she would describe her first week at law school, Vanessa responded, “I am so grateful to be in this position, as challenging as it has been (and will be), I remind myself why I am here and where I want to be – that is what keeps me going. Law school is no joke, I can honestly say all the advice and opinions I have received have held true – this is a steep learning curve that will be so rewarding once overcome. This week has taught me to celebrate the small achievements, ask a lot of questions and stay true to myself. This week has also proved to me that I know I made the right decision in choosing McGeorge, that I deserve to be here – along with my peers. I am surrounded by amazing professors, administrators, faculty, staff and students who are all driven to make change and help others – all that makes the stressful times that much more bearable.”
Hearing from both Vanessa and Sim, it’s clear that regardless of the challenges law school may present, both students have ended up at programs that are going to support them in changing the legal profession for the better. As Vanessa stated, “1 week down! 89 more to go!”
Look out for the next edition of “Follow Our Fellows” featuring Astrid and Nani in our next post.
