How I Found Balance as a 1L: Tips for Surviving Your First Year of Law School
Published January 15, 2026
When you first start thinking about going to law school, you’re warned about how busy your first year will be. Some people might tell you that you will spend most of your free time studying, reading, and writing papers. As a second-year law student, I have found that while law school can appear intimidating, the workload is manageable as long as you stay on top of your work and plan ahead. Here are some tips that might be helpful for you to manage your time while in law school!
Time Management Tips That Worked for Me
Take advantage of your free time in between classes. Typically, in your first year of law school, you will have all your classes between 8am and 4pm, Monday through Thursday. Most students have at least an hour break between classes. During my first year, I would usually go to the library and work on readings and assignments during those times, which helped me lighten my workload at night. If I had a night free of schoolwork, I would usually spend the night watching movies or reading a good book. This helps me relax after a long day and takes my mind off any stress.
Arrive early when you can. I have found that getting to school early helped me finish up assignments that were due later in the week. If your first class is at 9:45am, maybe get to campus by 8am or 8:30am and do some work in the library. As a bonus, you will get better parking if you get to campus before 9am.
Treat law school like a job. One of the best pieces of advice I ever received was: “Treat law school like a job and try to work from 8am or 9am until 5pm or 6pm, Monday through Friday.” When I treated law school like a job, I got most of my work done during the week, leaving my weekends mostly free. There were still times when I had to finish work on the weekends, but it was much more manageable than waiting until Friday to start work. First-year students also get Fridays off, so it might be beneficial to plan that free time accordingly so you can get your work done before the weekend. This would leave my weekends open so I could spend time with my friends and family, bond with my classmates, or just relax at home.
Stay organized. If you’re like me and forget when assignments are due, I recommend making a schedule, so you are aware of deadlines. I personally use the sticky notes app on my laptop as well as a planner to stay on top of assignments and due dates. But do what works for you to stay organized! Additionally, if you have some extra time, start working on things that are not yet due. Get ahead so you don’t fall behind. Nothing is worse than forgetting about an assignment and trying to start it the night before it’s due. Try to plan your time so those deadlines don’t sneak up on you!
Minimize distractions while you work. I try to put my phone on silent and leave it in another room, so I don’t get distracted watching TikToks or scrolling on Instagram. I have found that if you keep the distractions to a minimum, you will be a lot more productive. If you tend to get more distracted at home, maybe consider utilizing silent spaces. The 7th Floor of the Law Library is meant to be a silent study area that can be useful to get work done with minimal distractions. The 5th and 6th floors of the Law Library offer group study options, so you can study with friends. Find what works for you, so you can be as productive as possible during the week.
Finally, try not to stress. You might have some late nights reading or finishing up assignments during the weekend. Sometimes, your workload is larger than normal. You might not have every weekend or every night free, but you will still have plenty of time to do the things you love.
When you finish your assignments for the day or week, I recommend taking a few hours to do different activities that take your mind off school. It’s so important to have a life outside of law school. Sometimes it’s hard to find the time, but you can always have at least a few hours a week to do the things you love, even if that’s doing absolutely nothing!
Law School Activities
- Hug an animal. Each semester, the School of Law hosts therapy pups weekly. These dogs bring a lot of joy to campus, so I highly recommend checking it out.
- Do some yoga. Ashley Abbott, Assistant Dean for Financial Counseling and Student Wellness, and Director of Student Life, provides free yoga classes for UB Law students in the Wellness Room throughout the semester.
- Go to a law school event. UB Law offers many events throughout the year to network, meet attorneys around Buffalo, and learn about specific areas of law. Additionally, different clubs offer bar nights and parties to bond with your fellow classmates. A list of all UB Law events can be found here.
- Do a craft. UB Law offers a lot of different wellness and craft events throughout the year to help the students take their minds off of law school.
Remember: your free time is your time. Do what you love. You can choose anything! Remind yourself that your time is important and do something to take care of yourself. While law school may appear to be demanding, you will find ways that work for you to manage your time so you can relax throughout your semesters at UB.
