Managing your time

Your time = your life. Managing time means taking control of your life. Ideally, in law school, you should strive for a balanced life.  That begins with a recognition that you don’t give up your life when you enter law school – rather, you begin your life – as a lawyer.  

Students need to realize that a 14-credit law class load can be easily balanced, using a one-third,  one-third, one-third formula: the 168 hours of each week can be divided rather neatly into sleep, law, and the rest of life. How does that work? Do the math:     

• 56 hours of sleep (8 hours each night for 7 nights).     
• 56 hours of law (14 in class, 3 times that [42 hours] outside of class).
  
• 56 hours of the rest of life (eating, socializing,  exercising, shopping, and attending to the score of weekly  chores we all have to take care of).
  

If you need more than 42 hours outside of class, borrow a few of the “rest of life” hours. The real question then becomes one of scheduling, and of efficient use of each of the 56 hours of law.  That means control.  Self-control.

Lawyers work on rigid schedules, imposed by client appointments, court hearings, trials,  tax deadlines, and other necessities over which they seldom have control.  In law school, except for about 15 hours of your 168 hours per week, you have nearly total control over your time.  Take control of your time and your life.