Preparing for ASP

What should I do leading up to ASP?

PLAN TO PREPARE FOR THE SEMESTER DURING THE WEEKENDS. Be advised – the first semester of law school is like being on a runaway locomotive. Once it starts, you find little time to devote to managing your daily life, so get as settled as you can by early August. Figure out where the grocery store and the nearest hospital are, and then get pictures on your walls if you are a recent transplant – everything will fall in place afterward. If you are already well-settled in the area, catch up on those chores you’ve been putting off that must be done, change the batteries in your smoke alarms, arrange for any medical appointments you might need, and enjoy time with your friends and family.

REST. The first 17 weeks of law school will be among the most exhausting weeks of your life. Relax, sleep as much as you can now, enjoy the fleeting remains of your summer, immerse yourself in your family and loved ones with whom you can reacquaint yourself during the Thanksgiving holiday, enjoy the fresh air, and get yourself into a positive frame of mind so that you will be ready for an amazing educational experience. You will never miss sleep as much when you are in law school!

RESOLVE ANY MATTER that could potentially cause you a crisis. For example, renew your driver’s license if it is to expire soon; update your vehicle registration; change your voter registration or request an absentee ballot; pay outstanding parking tickets, and call your mother or do something special for the person you care for the most – law school will preoccupy your mind like nothing else, and sometimes those close to you feel cut off because your mind is so engaged in your education.

READ – A LOT. Read anything but I generally recommend to my incoming students to avoid law school “how to” books, such as “Succeeding in Law School” or “Expert Learning for Law Students”. Especially avoid any text that purports to teach you to think like a lawyer or claim that you can be trained to think like an expert. Such books may be valuable to you later, but they can cause more damage than good because they purport to give you a formula to follow. Your studies should be a reflection of your own cognitive processing, and ASP is designed to help you understand your best learning strength. Avoid “how to” books so you can begin law school with an open mind.

Read a lot. Read anything – books for leisure or information. Try to read several hundred pages a day – it is the best and most practical preparation for law school. You needn’t read about the law – you’ll do 9 months of that. Read for pleasure, but read, read, read.

What should I expect during the two-week summer ASP?

PREPARE TO DO SEVERAL HOURS OF READING EVERY DAY DURING THE PROTOCOL. The Academic Success Protocol is not a passive-learning endeavor. Each day/evening, you will be expected to read and prepare for class; you will be trying new skills and new learning strategies in the process. This takes time, so please plan accordingly. Your schedule should be focused on school and preparation for Convocation.