I had a good 1L experience. Met a lot of smart, driven and fun people from different walks of life in a very short time. Learned a lot in my classes, from my classmates and about myself. I'm assuming you want to do well, so I think the best piece of advice I can give is to remember why you are there: to get good grades and secure employment. In my opinion, too many 1Ls at some point forget that they're paying tens of thousands of dollars to attend a professional school for that reason. It's important to build good relationships (please go to a pub night or two or three) but it's not a popularity contest or an extra 3 years to party like you're in undergrad. In my experience, succeeding in law school requires you to cultivate a routine and headspace that will allow you to succeed and stay happy and relaxed while doing it. Socialize, yes, but eat well, sleep well, exercise, take some time for yourself and always get through your allotted readings for the day (or at least catch up quickly). Sometimes this will mean you have to turn down one or two invites to go out, distance yourself from classmates that pose distractions or are negative, and so on. So when faced with an invite to go out for a second night in a row or grab dinner for several more hours after class, remember why you are attending a professional school for tens of thousands of dollars. I also think that you should aim to network with lawyers early. Don't wait until OCI to start talking with people who are practicing at firms and in fields you may be interested in, who have been in your shoes and who will no doubt have experiences and tips to share with you 🙂        

Have you looked at this?   

Have to echo the above: stop exploring largely irrelevant tangents and get your LSAT done and applications in.  You will get a very good idea of what it takes to be a lawyer by going to law school (some aspects of it, at least).  If you don't like it, leave after first year.  Entering law school does not commit you to completing three years.

Hello there! I am wondering if anyone can offer advice, discuss their experience, share what they had learned in their first year of law school, and share what you wish you knew going in?

As some who has hired LAs and paralegals in the recent past, this is very good advice. E.g., I had an excellent paralegal for less than 12 months because she ended up going to law school. She was just starting to get the hang of her job and take ownership of work when she left. I don't think I would make that same decision again. I'd be looking to hire ppl who want to be LAs/paralegals. 

I don’t have an answer but this is something that should matter in the grand scheme of things. I know someone that graduated law school 10 years ago, still has their line of credit and has been dumb enough to not establish an emergency fund. If they get let go from their firm, they are effectively fucked.  If you can find any way to minimize your debt, do it. Prioritize your private debt in contrast to government student loans.  I think that our law schools need to be more proactive in having a mandatory session on finances in orientation. We no longer have rock bottom interest rates and financial instability will impact your ability to practice as a lawyer. I think in at least one province you have to report if you have filed a consumer proposal and will be marked with a restriction on practice.  I commend you for thinking about this now instead of afterwards. I am trying to pay off my line of credit that I have used before I am done law because it stresses me out that much. Applying for bursaries and scholarships as much as I can.   

I think that sometimes people answer questions without knowing what they are talking about. CIPP/C holds some weight. I have been told as much by lawyers practicing in privacy law. It demonstrates knowledge, and indicates a commitment to the practice area.  Unlike a course based certificate, CIPP/C you have to pass a knowledge based exam. It’s not something that someone can accomplish in a weekend to pad their resume.    I can’t speak for the other certificates. The CSC is stupidly easy I hear (well that was many years ago I heard that so things might have changed). If you are not interested in securities work it may be pointless but otherwise the privacy stuff is relevant to everywhere you work unless you have a privacy officer that takes care of it all (but still good to know). A lot of privacy law work is breach management/reporting. Older has a monthly privacy call if you are interested in this and it’s quite good.