In our previous post, we discussed the technology purchasing decisions you will want to make before starting law school. But there is lots of other stuff you need as well. Here is a shopping list to get you started.
Set up your study space: Have you thought about where you are going to study? Do you want a study space at home? If so, you want to get a desk, possibly some bookshelves and a comfortable desk chair. And, don’t forget to think about things like ergonomics. The last thing you need in law school is a repetitive stress injury! Or have you considered a standing desk? They say that sitting is the new smoking (which means law students could be in real trouble!).
School Supplies: Along with technology, you want to make sure you have plenty of other school supplies like notebooks, legal pads, pens, and highlighters (a color variety if you are book briefing). (Note, Alison and Lee are obsessed with Circa notebooks, where you can reorder pages and move things around without creating a mess. I have seen them work really well for law students (Staples has a version too)).
Backpack: Is this sounding like high school yet? You might be shocked to realize that law school, at times, can feel a lot like high school. Law books are incredibly heavy and you need a quality backpack or rolling back to drag everything around (including your laptop).
Lunchbox: We talk a lot about being needing to eat well and stay healthy during law school (because getting sick can really put you behind on your work!). Some schools have great food options, but many do not. If it is hard to eat good food at school, you might want to invest in a lunchbox to take food to school with you. And also think through how many meals you will be eating at school. Sometimes I would eat lunch and dinner on campus without ever going home. Looking at your schedule may make your re-think the size of your lunchboxes.
Shop in Bulk: We’re big fans of shopping in bulk (as long as you have enough space to store stuff). You don’t want to be constantly running out to get life staples like toilet paper and paper towels. So prior to classes starting, think about what you can stock up on to make your life easier. You will be thankful when you are super busy and don’t have to fit in extra runs to the store to get staple items!
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