Eleanor Roosevelt stated, "Remember, no one can make you feel inferior without your consent."
Now is the time in the semester when many law students compare themselves to others in their classes and become discouraged.
- Mary got the highest grade on the midterm, and I was below the median.
- Bill aced the trial brief assignment, and mine was covered in comments.
- Annie gave a brilliant answer in class, and I could not even formulate a basic answer.
- Phil was amazing at the oral argument, and I fumbled every question.
And so it goes.
Why do law students make themselves miserable by comparisons?
- They may still be stuck mentally in undergraduate grading where 100% was always the achievable grading standard.
- They may be for the first time in a group of students who are as intelligent as they are – awesome, but scary.
- They may be struggling with how much work is required in law school after years of higher grades for less effort.
- They may base their self-worth on what others think of them instead of doing the best they can do.
Here's the thing to remember. You are you. You can only control yourself. You can only do the best work possible today under today's circumstances.
If today did not produce the results you wanted after doing your best, then let it go. Get up tomorrow and start again. Tomorrow you can implement strategies to improve your academics. You may not yet be where you want to be, but you can improve each day. You can reach your personal best.
Are you unsure how to improve on what you are doing? Visit the academic support professional at your law school and ask for assistance. Talk with your faculty member for help with a confusing topic. Ask a trusted classmate to discuss a case or a practice question with you.
Let's face it: law school is a fish bowl. You spend all day swimming in the same confined space with the same school of fish. It is too easy to focus on how well others are swimming. And, if the fish bowl has a couple of fish doing high dives off the lip of the bowl, it can be intimidating.
But rather than compare yourself to the other fish, practice your own strokes. Find a swim coach. There is still time to see improvement. (Amy Jarmon)
