I stoped Studying for a minute due to work and Covid. It has been a couple of Months. What to do?

toguarnizo

2. I have been studying on and off, but it has been a bit difficult to keep studying consistently. What should I do? Do you all think I should start all over again (I have completed 23 % of the core curriculum) or should I keep moving forward, and review as I go? I am also feeling a bit of self-doubt, mostly because I am currently 27, I was planning on applying for fall 2021 but I do not think that is feasible, which means I will be going into law school at 28-29 in two years or so, and graduating at 32. I know many successful people have done it before (Obama graduate from law school at 30-31) but I can’t help but feel a bit nervous, old, and defeated, also because studying has been so difficult during these times. Any words of advice, encouragement, or strategies for coping and studying are greatly appreciated! Thank you all so much!

Slow is Fast

That happened to me earlier on during the pandemic too. I stopped studying for about 2 months because I was too overwhelmed with the news & shifting norms. I just made myself start small by studying 2-3 hours a day and slowly increased the time over the last few months. Do what you can with what time, dedication, and focus you have.

I don't think it would hurt to review the 23% of CC that you've done already. It'll be a nice refresher.

As far as self-doubt, I've been there. I'm switching careers and was supposed to apply this cycle. My PTs aren't where they needed to be, so I am planning for next year instead. I'll be 32 then, so if all goes to plan, I will not graduate until I am 36 or so. That doesn't deter me. I have a lot of professional experience and I know how to better handle the stresses of law school & life. I know more about what I want out of my degree and where I want to go with it. There are plenty of positives to being an OWL (Older, Wiser, Law Student, as they call them). Everyone is on their own path; you can't compare yourself to others. It might be helpful to write down your reason(s) for wanting to go to law school and put them someplace where you can see them for motivation.

These are some of my strategies:
Whenever I spend too much time dwelling on small details or when I get irritated by minor inconveniences or when I catastrophize about not being as good as my peers or others on the 7Sage Forums and --- oh no -- it means I won't get into a good school... I make myself take a step back. Perfectionism is a form of procrastination. I ask myself whether the thought/small detail matters in the long run and whether it helps me reach my goal. Then I adjust my attitude and actions accordingly.

I generally don't subscribe to the notion of being "too old" to do anything. But when I do catch myself feeling nervous or anxious about my age or being "late" in my process, I remind myself of my favorite quote from Billy Shakes: "Better once than never for never too late." If the path is one you truly want to follow, then it's worth pursuing at any stage of your life.

toguarnizo

@obloome Thank you very much for sharing your experience and strategies with me. It is sometimes so easy to go down the easy yet very detrimental rabbit hole of comparison, self-doubt, and perfectionism. I will try to follow your advice and I will let you know ho it goes. Your message really lifted my spirits and put many things in perspective.

Thank you very much~~

Auntie2020

Personally, I would just continue on.

I think the immediate gratification of seeing your completion percentage increase would help with little wins.

Of course, at the end I would go back to sections that were challenging for me or want to review!

toguarnizo

@Auntie2020 Thank you so much for your feedback. I think I will do a combination of both. I do feel that that the small wins are very important. Thank you!

Auntie2020

You got this