LAW SCHOOL ORIENTATION

If you're here, you're likely a rising 1L nervous about your first day of orientation. Have no fear, I can assure you your fellow classmates are likely in the same position. If you're attending a completely new school, you may be thinking, "who will I talk to?" or "how will I know where to go?" If not, you still may be worrying about what to wear and who you'll be eating lunch with. I'll walk you through what your first exposure to your new school will likely look like, but first...

stop worrying.

I can promise the nerves and stress you may feel now will be something you look back at in a year, a semester, or even a month, and laugh at.

Let me give you a rundown of what your orientation will look like...

1. Introductions

Your school knows you don't all know each other, hence the point of "orienting" yourself prior to classes starting. You'll likely meet some important facult members, Career Office staff, and even a few professors. Most importantly, you'll get your first opportunity to meet your classmates!

2. Rules, rules, and more rules

Orientation is not only a time to get to know the people you'll be spending your next 3 (or 4) years with, it is also a perfect opportunity for your school to let you know the standards you'll be expected to adhere to. Usually there are presentations about your school's Honor Code, how the Career Services Office works (which you can't even get involved with until later in your 1L year... for real, its a rule), and how your student body is governed. Don't think you need to know your Code of Conduct verbatim, you have plenty of time to get the hang of things and no one expects you to memorize everything on Day one.

3. Wellness

Depending on the school, you may find yourself in the middle of a wellness or social panel. For example, my school spent 45 minutes reviewing mental health resources offered by the school and discussed how important it is to remember to breathe during your first year. Your school will likely provide something similar, or possibly discuss your school's organizations and extracurricular activities, both others great ways to give your brain a break during these next three years!

While - of course - every school is different, you can be sure that orientation is not the time when your school will try to stress you out. They wanted you there, and selected you - from many, many applicants - to attend. I can promise that your orientation is not their opportunity to scare you away.

If it helps you get into the mindset, I added a picture of my view from my very first day of orientation. Remember that no one else in that room has been to law school before either, so you're all in the same boat.

Get a good night's sleep, stop researching what you need to do to fit in, and go kill the first day of your legal journey!