Recent law school graduate, studying for bar, constant anxiety . . . HELP!!!?!
Question:
Recent law school graduate, studying for bar, constant anxiety . . . HELP!!!?
I recently graduated from law school and took a job in a state where I really don't want to be, but the job opportunity there was rather stellar. I keep finding myself worrying about my future and other things I am uncertain about, the worry is almost constant. It is driving me crazy and I don't know what to do about it. Please Help me.
Answers:
Been there, done that, feel your pain. The simplest answer I can give you is to relax. There are two problems you're having, studying for the bar and taking a new job, and I'll try to give you some advice on both of them.
Studying for the bar is extremely stressful and the best thing that you can do is to make a plan and schedule for each and every day and stick to it. Every day should have review of some topics, some MBE questions, some flash cards, and reviews (or doing) some essay questions. Study for NO MORE than 6-8 hours a day. DON'T do it. They key is to schedule in time for breaks and relaxation: watch your favorite show, rent a movie every day, go to the gym, swim in the pool, and SLEEP. You cannot cram for this--it needs to be a marathon, not a sprint. Treat studying like your job--do it and then stop doing it.
The bigger and potentially more long term problem is your job offer. There are two components to this: a new job and a new place. Don't worry about the new job. They hired you as an entry-level/first year associate. It won't be a big shock to them when you come in and don't know how to do your job yet. It will take time for you to know how to do it and even longer for you to do it well. They know this.
Secondly, don't worry about the future with your job. Today's legal market is *extremely* mobile. Associates and even partners are constantly switching firms. Private attorneys go into government all the time and vice versa. Law firm employees go in-house. There are constant shifts. Check with your career services office--they'll tell you that attorneys will make an average of SIX job moves during their career. So the opportunity that you've taken is not likely where you'll end up. You don't have to love it. Just get some experience and find someplace you will love. You've already said the offer was stellar, so you know you'll be marketable after this job.
As for the new town, my advice is to look at it like a huge adventure. You get to start over. Make new friends. Meet new people. Find new places to eat. Of course, keep in touch with everyone from your past--that's how you survive your adventure. And hey...if the opportunity is really that great, someone in your old town will be *dying* for you to come back in a couple of years.
Good luck!