How I Overcame Failure in Law School (after failing 8 classes)

Law school is not easy at all. It can feel challenging both personally and academically.

My law school journey had more challenges along the way because I had failed 8 classes. I felt that there was no bouncing back from it.

However, if there was one thing I learned from this experience was that you can always bounce back from failure, especially in law school. In my last semester, I ended up getting 3 HD’s (equivalent to A’s). Who says you can’t bounce back?

Now, I’ll share with you a few things that helped me overcome failures, improve my grades, and eventually make my way to becoming a lawyer.

1 – Remember what failure is not

When I failed my first class, I immediately acted like it was the end of the world and went into a valley of self-pity.

It took me a while to learn that any failure is not going to be final in law school unless you decide to give up.

Failure also does not define you as a person. It is so important to detach your worth from your grades (regardless of what they are) because they do not 100% reflect how good a worker you are or a lawyer you’ll be.

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RELATED: Seeing the Bigger Picture of Failure

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2 – Address those failures and make improvements accordingly

It’s easy to get upset about the failure and not do anything about it. However, the way to bounce back from the failure is to do something about it.

So, what you need to do if you get a failure in law school is address those failures by reflecting on what caused that failure and what you can do to improve.

There are multiple study tips that you can try to see if they can help improve your grades. But you don’t know what you need to work on if you don’t address those failures.

3 – Get support

Both academically and personally.

Failures can be discouraging, and sometimes it helps to speak with someone trusted to get through it.

On the academic end, you have your professors, unit convenors, and teachers who are expected to help you.

For example, if you come across something you don’t understand, address it immediately instead of 2 weeks before the exam.

That’s why I’m all for doing your readings and lectures before your classes, because if there is something you don’t understand, you can take the opportunity to ask your teachers during or after class.

You don’t have to seek their help every week, but it is nice to have a rapport with them. And it doesn’t have to be lengthy discussions as well; it can even just be a brief clarification of a concept you’re confused about or something you came across in class.

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RELATED: 5 Tips for Starting Law School

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4 – Stopped comparing myself

Comparing myself was my biggest struggle.

The ones I started law school with were graduating way ahead of me, while I still had to stay back because there were classes I had to repeat and classes to make up for my failures.

However, once I stopped comparing myself during my law school journey, I began to focus solely on myself and doing well in law school.

One thing that helped was simply romanticising my university life, the cafe study sessions, meeting friends, and just being on campus in general. As a lawyer now, I’m so glad I embraced those moments, considering now I’m always behind my desk 9 to 5.

How you stop comparing yourself to others may be different but the earlier you stop doing so, the more focus and energy you can give towards yourself.

To Wrap Up

Overall, these are the things that helped me overcome failure in law school:

1. Remembering what failure is not
2. Address those failures and make improvements accordingly
3. Get help
4. Stop comparing myself

It’s not an easy journey bouncing back from failures. I’ll admit there were times when it felt so difficult that the easier option was to give up altogether.

However, looking back at it, I learned my biggest lessons through failures more than my successes. I feel like learning from them the right way made me stronger in the process.

If you are currently discouraged with your failed grades or just grades you’re not proud of in general, remember that your failures do not define you, and it’s about how you bounce back.

If you want more law school tips, you can check out the law school blog here and also my Instagram.

You can do this! <3

-Lauren 🙂

P.S I suggest reading these blog posts next:

• My journey to becoming a lawyer at 23
• How I went from failing 8 classes to getting 3 HD’s
• How hard was it to get a law firm job after failing 8 classes?

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