How to Save Money on Textbooks

As school is starting back, for the first time in 20 years* I am not going to be sitting in a classroom on a daily basis. This is such a bitter-sweet feeling, it is so nice knowing that I will not have homework every night, but work is obviously a much bigger responsibility than just going to class everyday. Not to say that class isn't important! One thing I know I will not miss is having to buy hundreds of dollars of books every semester. Luckily in all my years of school, I essentially became a professional student, and with that came a lot of experience in buying textbooks and trying to get the best deal. Here are some of the ways that I managed to save money every semester when the time came to buy books -

Personal Preferences to Consider:

1. When do you need these books? 

The amount of time you need for shipping can limit your choices on where you purchase your books. Don't forget that some classes will have assigned reading before the first day of school, so you might need to build in a few days before the actual first day of class. On the other hand, if you have a friend in the class who would let you borrow her book for one assignment, you might have a few extra days.

2. Are you willing to purchase a used book? 

If so, consider just how used you can live with. There are great variances in highlighting and notes from book to book.
If not, consider that some used books look new because the previous owner didn't make any markings, but they are still technically used.
I tend to prefer new to slightly-used just because I like to organize my thoughts (and my books) in my own way. However, with careful selection I've purchased many used books without any real issues.

3. Would you rather rent or purchase? 

This is something that can be decided on a book-to-book, class-to-class basis, but is something to consider, especially if the resale value is likely to be very low.

Comparing Prices

The (obvious?) first step is to realize that you should be comparing prices across multiple sources. What looks like a good deal, might pale in comparison you can find somewhere else. But - keep in mind that a lot of third party sellers (i.e. not Amazon or Barnes & Noble) will have shipping costs as well, so make sure you calculate that into the total price/book.
As far as where to look - here are my personal preferences, and what I've found to be the most cost-effective over the years.

Amazon
Amazon is always the first place I look. I mean, lets be honest, there are very few things that you can't find on Amazon. Plus, it is so easy to throw things in your cart for later so that you can keep track of everything in one place. Another major factor in my obsession with Amazon is my Prime membership. If you are a student, you can get Prime for half the regular price - and it is well worth it in my opinion. Especially when it comes to ordering textbooks because shipping can be so expensive, AND with Prime you can usually get your books with FREE 2-day shipping, which is great for the peace of mind. Amazon also gives you the ability to buy used books from other sells - again convenient because you can mix and match new and used depending on your preference, just be sure you are paying attention to the "Condition" of the used books.
There are of course some downsides to Amazon - 2-day shipping is obviously fast, but if you need your books within the next day, it might not be soon enough and it is a steep increase from free 2-day, to "Next-Day." Not to mention that if you go the used route, you aren't actually going to have a chance to inspect the books before you buy - this will depend on your personal preference and how comfortable you are with that.

Half.com
Half.com is eBay's book website. It's fairly easy to use, and like Amazon's used section, divides the books up based on the "Condition" indicated by the seller. I have found some great deals on half.com, but then for whatever reason, some books will be priced at the same or more than a brand new one. The biggest catch here is the shipping - there's just no way around it. And unless you get lucky, all of your books are likely to come from different sellers, which means you could end up paying a lot in shipping.

Buy from Other Students at Your School
This option will greatly depend on your school and what kind of classes you'll be taking. When I was in undergrad at Furman there was a website just for us where we could buy and sell books among other Furman students. (Not sure if that's still a thing anymore.) In law school we have a Facebook group for each class, generally used for class specific or school-wide announcements. At the beginning and end of each year, it is flooded with offers to buy or sell certain books for the upcoming year/semester. The convenience factor here is hard to beat, usually students would just plan on a time to meet-up and make the exchange. I did this on a few occasions and, like I said, very convenient. Plus, at least at our school, that generally meant you would have the same professor as the student selling the book and it gives you a chance to find out a little more about the class. The obvious negative here is that the books are used, but that doesn't necessarily mean they've been written all over or highlighted on every page. I've also found this to be a very cost efficient purchase because the selling student usually just wants to get it off his hands and out of the way, hoping to make some money in the process, but without the hassle of shipping.

School Bookstore
I remember my first semester as a Freshman going to the school's bookstore because I didn't know what else I was supposed to do. I later (next semester) learned that on-line book purchases were the way to go in order to save some money. However, that was almost ten years ago (y'all, I'm getting old), and a lot has changed since then. Bookstores quickly saw a decline in their sales and the prices have become much more comparable to their on-line counterparts. My first semester in law school I purchased about half of my books from the school bookstore because there were a lot of new editions on our list, which meant there wasn't really a used market yet. In that case, it made sense for me to go to the bookstore because I was going to be paying the same new price and I could have my books instantly. If you're going the used route - or at least willing to - the school bookstore is a great idea because you have the ability to flip through the books on the shelf to see if the markings in the books are something you can live with.

Renting
Nine times out of ten, renting is going to cost less upfront. However, if you think you want to rent, keep in mind there are a lot of restrictions that can come with it. There are almost always rules on how much you can write in it, if at all, and a certain date that you will have to return it by. Usually the return date isn't an issue, but when you are in graduate school and the dates are based on undergraduate classes, occasionally the book is supposed to be returned before you even take the exam. Another issue with renting is that at the end of the semester you have to return the book. I know, duh. But, what I mean is, you don't even have the option to sell it back if you wanted to. Last fall I bought one of my books for around $150, and resold it for $145, whereas if I'd rented it would have been $80 upfront, and no resale. I understand its a risk to assume you'd be able to sell it back, and generally the return isn't that good, but it can be just as risky not giving yourself the chance to sell it back.
One very important thing to keep in mind if you are considering renting is whether or not you will need the book for the entire year. In law school especially, there are a lot of classes in the first year that last for the full year over both semesters. When you choose to rent a book it is on a semester by semester basis, which means you'd actually have to rent it twice, which is likely to cost just as much as buying the book in the first place.

Set Up an Excel Sheet (or not)

{Disregard if you're not as organizationally obsessed as I am} After you've looked at some of the options above (and anywhere else you come across), you should make some kind of chart. I liked to have all of the books listed in an Excel spreadsheet, with a column for each store/website. Then all you have to do is fill in the prices for each book at each place and you can quickly compare who as the best deals.
This can also serve as a sort of checklist for you to make sure that you've purchased all of the required books. I've found the hardest part about finding the best deal is making sure that some of the books don't fall through the cracks because I didn't knock out the whole list at one place.

Here is the spreadsheet I made for my 1L semester. As you can see I listed the ISBN numbers, rather than the name of the book since that is more reliable when you are going from website to website, or store to store. I honestly can't remember what the colors/bold represented. I think the red meant that it was required, and that the bold numbers meant that was the one I'd ordered. Either way, some kind of system like that is very helpful. I also printed this when I went to the bookstore just so that I could remember what the prices were elsewhere.

BUY your Books 

Choose One or Two Sources

When you're deciding where to buy your books, I would narrow it down to one or two places, unless there just happens to be a really great deal on a certain book somewhere else. Narrowing it down to one or two might mean you end up paying $5 or $10 more, but when all of your books are delivered in just a couple of shipments, rather than 8 different ones, it is much easier to keep track of the books you've received and the books that are still in transit, or that still need to be ordered. Another benefit to ordering just from one or two places is that you minimize shipping costs - in case you can't tell I really hate shipping and will look for any reason to not pay for it if I don't have to. 

Make Your Decision 

After you've had time to explore your options - and maybe organize them - just go ahead and place the order/contact the seller. I know the prices on Amazon tend to fluctuate on a daily basis, and its always possible a new book will be added to the used marketplaces. But, if you wait more than a day or two - especially if you are buying used - the books might not be available anymore, or only at a higher price. You'll also drive yourself crazy if you are constantly checking to see if the have changed at all.

I know this might seem like a lot of information, but if you are truly trying to save money when buying your textbooks, it can be a bit overwhelming to keep up with everything. If you have any more questions, I'd be happy to answer them!  Do y'all have any tried and true tips for saving money on textbooks?

Have a Great Day, Y'all! 

xoxo 

* I took one year off between my Masters and Law degree to work as an accountant, but otherwise I have been in school every year from the Fall of 1993 through the Spring of 2015. I told you, old. 

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Interview Tips: Questions to Ask at the End of Your Interview

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, one of the ways you can prepare for your interview is to prepare a list of questions to ask at the end of the interview. More often than not you will be asked if you have any questions, and you want to make sure that you are prepared for that. Occasionally the interviewer will talk your ear off and you might not actually have anything left to ask, and that's okay. However, generally there will always be something that that wasn't covered that you can ask about. The questions below are divided into questions for the interviewer, questions about the firm, and questions generally about the position. Depending on how you think you're getting along with the interviewer can help you determine which questions are most appropriate. 

Questions for the Interviewer

These questions are more specific to the person who is actually interviewing you. This is a good way to get to know them, and make them feel like you really are interested in what they do and genuinely appreciate their time and their opinions. That being said, make sure that you have still asked a couple of questions about the firm itself since you are going to be working for the firm, rather than that one individual.

Questions about the Firm

The most important thing about these questions is to make sure non of them could have been answered by looking at the firm's website. However, a lot of things like the culture and and comparison to other firms is not something readily available in that formal. Obviously, they can and should be adapted to the specific firm and interview that you are participating in.

Questions on the Position Generally

This is a great way for you to find out what is going to be expected of you if you are offered the job. Similarly to questions about the firm, make sure that you are not asking questions that were covered in the job posting itself. It is not worth looking interested, if it makes you look ignorant or lazy because you should have already seen the information about the position. In the same fashion, it is also important to make sure when you are asking questions about the position it comes across as genuine interest, rather than it sounding like you are unwilling to work hard.

These questions can all be adapted to serve the position you are interviewing for. It is also very common once you are in the interview and they are telling you a lot of things about the firm, questions will come to you that you may not have prepared ahead of time. Those can be some of the best questions because it shows you are really listening to what they are telling you. However, it is also helpful to have a few questions in your back pocket so you don't have a blank stare at the end of the interview when asked if you have any questions for them.

Do y'all have any go-to questions that you always ask at the end of an interview?

Have a great day, y'all! And if you have an interview coming up, good luck!

xoxo 

Interview Tips: How to Prepare for an Interview

There are so many different aspects to an interview from what you should wear, how you should act, what you can and can't talk about, etc. I think often the preparation before the interview can get overlooked, but can make such a difference when you are in the interview. It will make you more confident, and it will give the interviewer the impression that you want to be there and want to have that job. Here are a few things you can do to prepare, that are so so easy it's crazy not to do them! 

1. Research the Firm/Company

This is one of the most important things you can do because it will show that you actually do have interest in the company. Depending on how long you anticipate the interview lasting, it is likely that you'll be asked why you want to work there and why you applied for the job. You need to be able to tell your interviewer the answer to these questions, and if they can see that you have researched their company it will be a major bonus. i.e. "I noticed that you all just litigated a case on adoption law, and that is something I've always been interested in." or for something outside of the legal field, "I notice that your company has a lot of career opportunity and that is something that is important to me." 

All of that being said, you don't want it to look like you've memorized their website and are just spitting it back out. But, if you are asked what area of a law you are hoping to practice, the last thing you want to do is either (a) ask them what their firm does (because you should know!) or (b) reply with an area of law that the firm doesn't actually practice. 

This is something that you can spend as little as fifteen minutes on know way more than you would have going in, and it is something that is essential to feeling confident and honestly (and appropriate) answering the questions.

2. Research your Interviewer 

If you're lucky you will be told who is conducting your interview. Usually a company has a staff/employee/attorney directory that you can use to research your interviewer. And, fortunately for us, there is this thing called google. However, make sure if their linked in page comes up in your search that you either don't click on it, or are aware that they will know that you've viewed it. In researching your interviewer I think the important things to look for are (1) his or her position with the company, (2) how long he or she has been with the company, (3) undergraduate and graduate schools, (4) general appearance. This information can give you some preliminary information about questions they are likely to ask you and what they might expect from you. It can also be beneficial to know where he or she attended college or graduate school because if you have that in common it is something they will likely bring up and you can be prepared to discuss that. Finally, I do prefer to know what my interviewer is going to look like. I know it might sound ridiculous, and its obviously not the most important thing, but it's just one more thing that you will know before you get there and one less thing to distract you once the interview starts. 

3. Print Extra Copies of Your Resume and Transcript

It is rare that you would not have already submitted your resume, but you should still bring extra copies with you. Once I had two interviewers and one of them preferred not to look at the resume until the actual interview so that he wasn't pre-judging the applicants too much. Another time, I had an interview at a big law firm and the associate I was interviewing with had left his copy of my resume in his office, rather than the conference room we were in. He didn't ask for one, but when he mentioned he'd left it, I was able to provide another copy to him. Again, this is an easy thing to do, but can definitely make an impression. 

4. Decide what to Wear the Night Before

As I mentioned in this post, what you wear to an interview can be, and usually is very important. It is also important to make sure that everything you plan to wear is clean and that you can find it. I would recommend trying it on to make sure if fits how you think it should, although not ideal to have to go buy a new suit, it is important to make sure you look professional and maybe it is time to purchase a new suit. Whatever the case, make sure everything you have planned to wear is clean and ironed and get it ready the nice before to ensure a less stressful morning.  

5. Prepare a List of Questions

More often than not you will be given the chance to ask questions to your interviewer(s) at the end. As I addressed above, you definitely do not want to ask any questions that you could have found the answer to on their website. However, you can use that information to form other, deeper questions. There are a lot of factors that can play into what questions you should ask, and tomorrow I will provide a lengthly list of questions that will give you options whatever the situation. 

How do you like to prepare for an interview? 

Have a Great Day, y'all!

xoxo

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Meg

appropriately comfortable

As y'all are probably aware (because it's all I seem to talk about), I am in my third year of law school. This means my classmates and I have endured almost three years of interviews, exams, class, moot court, all nighters, you get the picture. It also means that we have endured three years of administration telling us what is is appropriate to wear to class and to interviews and what is not. For the most part I think we're all generally aware of what to wear to an interview, but the amount of people who still look so... sloppy, for lack of a better word, in the day to day is shocking to me. 

I get it, we want to be comfortable. After all, we're in class some days from 8:30am until 8pm, but that is not a excuse to look like you just got out of bed for the WHOLE DAY. Some schools have dress codes required, ensuring that the students are always in business casual attire and I honestly wouldn't mind that. However, even if that is not the case, I think it is still important to look put together. Especially in the case of law school, these classmates are soon to become colleagues. You are going to refer clients to them and hope that they refer clients to you, this is your time to make a good impression because once you are out of school that is what they are going to remember. Maybe it sounds petty that what you wear is that important, but it is. And it is such an easy  fix - why not spend a few more minutes in the morning getting dressed, fixing your hair etc. It will make a difference and I bet it will make you feel better for the rest of the day too, I know it definitely does for me! 

Here are a few of my favorite go to outfits that let me still feel comfortable but look much more put together than a pair of norts and an oversized t-shirt. 

This is one of my favorite go to outfits! First, I am absolutely still in love with Furman, and welcome any and all questions about it. Secondly, the purpose of these outfits is to show you you can still wear something like a crew neck sweatshirt and look put together. I think adding an oxford underneath a sweatshirt make it look so much nicer, and like you're actually trying. Bonus - only the collar and cuffs usually show, so it doesn't even have to be ironed! A cute pair of flats also can really make an outfit look put together. I have these flats from Marley Lilly (in pink w/ navy text) and they are very comfortable, and I always get tons of compliments on them! 

 I featured this dress a few months ago here, and I still think it is just as great. I mean y'all it is made out of sweatshirt material, but looks like a dress. It is so dang comfortable I wish I could wear it everyday. Plus, how cute is that scarf?? I am obsessed with polka dots right now, to the point that I have to actually stop my self from buying more things with polka dots because it's starting to get ridiculous. But, I mean Kate Spade, a girl can only say no so many times. 

This is another super comfortable, yet still appropriate look. What could be easier than black denim and a white v-neck? Then just add a colorful scarf and you're good. to. go. This look also gives you a lot of room to play around with accessories since the basic layers are black and white. You can add a scarf, or a statement necklace, maybe a colorful cardigan. Seriously, the possibilities are endless(ly easy). 

Hair & Make-Up

For the record - I am not saying you need make-up to look put together or that you need to curl your hair every day to be respected. But, what I am saying is that a little goes a long way. Throw on some lip gloss and run a brush through your hair. Sounds obvious, I know, but you'd be surprised how many people literally look like they just rolled out of bed and never walked past a mirror. Stick a brush in your car and run it through your hair at stoplights if you're that worried about time, but just find a way, it's worth it. 

Jewelry
Jewelry is another easy peasy way to look put together with out trying very hard. A pair of pearl studs or monogrammed disc earrings instantly make any look very classic. The same goes for a nice watch or a couple of bangles. I am working hard on my "stackable bracelet game" as I like to call it for this very reason. Having a few go to pieces that you put on every morning can make this such an easy process!

What do y'all think about these outfits? Are they still too casual, or exactly what you need to look put together, yet still remain comfortable for an eight or twelve hour day of class? I'd love to hear what y'all like to wear to class or think is totally inappropriate!

Have a great day, y'all!

xoxo

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Interview Tips: What to Wear

As I was choosing my outfit for our composite pictures tomorrow, I was thinking about how much I was dreading putting on that suit (or at least the jacket). I seriously wish something else was acceptable for us to wear to an interview, but alas - at least for now - a suit is the expected attire. Before I went through recruitment, there was a fashion show for what to wear and what not to wear for reach round - I really think this should be implemented into law school as well. There are so many people who have never had to go to an interview before, or at least not an interview for a professional job. That being said, in addition to a suit there are a few more rules that should generally be followed when you're dressing for an interview - especially in the legal field.

1. Dark Neutral Suit

For an interview, a dark suit is really your best option. Dark neutrals are more formal and more appropriate in this setting. I have a navy suit, as well as a gray suit that I can wear. Black is acceptable as well, but can come off as a little too harsh sometimes, so sticking to something more like charcoal or navy is usually a better option.  I'll be honest, and I think most girls would agree, I hate wearing suits and feel like I don't look my best because it's not what I'm comfortable in. However, for an interview, especially in the legal field, suits are expected and it's a risky game to play not to wear a suit.

2. A Relatively Plain Blouse

There is some debate about this, but I have always been told, and personally believe that sticking to solid shirts are the best way to go. That being said, I have worn a striped oxford with my suit - and ended up getting that job - so rules are meant to be broken. The point here is really that you do not want to walk in to an interview in a bright neon shirt or a floral shirt. I get that for some of you it might seem like  you're having to hold back your personal style, and you might be, but again, this is the expectation and there are other ways to can shine without letting your appearance be the only thing they remember.

3. Natural Make Up

Soft, natural, and neutral. That really should be the outlook on your entire look - and the same still applies to makeup. Ideally, a little mascara and some lip color is enough. If you truly feel like you want to wear foundation to cover up some blemishes, make sure that it matches your skin and still looks natural, and the same goes for any eyeshadow and blush. You don't want to look like you're going to the bars, you want to look like someone is going to sit for the bar. (Excuse the poor attempt at a joke, I couldn't help it!)

4. Minimal Jewelry

In case you haven't heard, there is a "5 piece rule" when it comes to jewelry. It's really pretty self explanatory, you should wear no more than 5 pieces of jewelry when you go for an interview - there is some debate as to wether earrings count as one or two! This is also not the time to pull out your statement necklaces or giant dangle earrings. Keep it simple, pearls or other studs, a watch - only if you can keep yourself from looking at it, and perhaps an understated necklace. Similar to the other things listed above, you don't want them to remember you for what you looked like or what you wore, you want them to remember you for what you said and what you did. 

5. Heels. Shoes You Can Walk In

I feel 100x better when I am in heels, it's like I am on top of the world and can do anything I want. Not everyone feels this way, and not everyone has decided its worth the pain. However, pain aside, you need to make sure that you can walk in the shoes you decide to wear. Sometimes it might not matter because you think you just have to walk in and walk out and the rest of the time you're sitting down. But keep in mind that occasionally you'll be meeting with more than one person in the office and you might be the one moving around, or they might want to give you a tour of the office. When this happens you don't want to look like Bambi learning to walk. So, I would highly recommend heels, but if you are going to make a fool of yourself, wear flats, or hey - try out some nice wedges - I don't mean the kind with a hemp or cork heel, but the kind that look just like heels, except they have a wedge instead, something like this. The last thing you want to do is fall on your face.

Do you have an interview coming up? If so, good luck!! What else would you add to this list?

Have a Great Day, Y'all!
xoxo

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What I Wore to Work

TGIF, Law School Prom

Happy Friday, y'all! It has been a longggg cold week around here, how has your week been?

1. SugarWish

My fiance really knows the way to my heart - SUGAR. Have y'all ever heard of Sugarwish? I don't remember which blog I first saw it reviewed on, but I knew the minute I saw it I had to have it. The problem is, it is technically supposed to be a gift, so I made sure to casually hint a time or two at how cool I thought it was - luckily it worked! Any ways, if you haven't heard of it, Sugarwish is a gift box that lets you send someone candy, but they get to choose what kind. Here's how it works: 1. You purchase the Sugarwish and send it to the lucky recipient either via e-mail or USPS, 2. The recipient receives a code that he or she can then use to redeem for the candy of their choice with no additional costs - shipping or otherwise; 3. The recipient awaits impatiently for a few days for the candy to arrive at their door step. So. Easy. & So. Appreciated!

2. Barrister's Ball

Barrister's Ball is fondly known around here, and I would assume other law schools, as "Law School Prom." The biggest difference in this and high school prom is that we're actually allowed to drink at this function, and maybe that finding a date is a little less awkward. Either way, it is always a great time! The last two years we've gone to someones apartment or house before the event to pre-game, you know in case the open bar isn't enough, and sometimes that is even more fun than the actual event. It is also extremely entertaining to see the dynamic among the different classes when we're outside of the brick walls at school. I am especially excited about this year's Barrister's because it is 3L and we're having it at the Derby Museum which is going to be amazing! Plus I've been waiting all week to wear this dress and get out of the house - hopefully it will warm up a little bit for us, otherwise there are going to be a lotttt of cold girls wearing their date's jackets.

3. SNOW DAY

Class was cancelled Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday with a two-hour delay on Wednesday and it. was. magical. Tuesday I still had to go in to work for 5 or 6 hours, but I didn't mind that because I actually had work to do and it just meant my paycheck wasn't going to suffer because of the snow. But having the day off on Monday was so nice especially after a super busy weekend with the future in-laws in town. I did start to get a litttttle stir crazy, but I think a snow day is good for the mind every now and then. Personally I don't know how everyone in the Northeast has been coping with weeks of snow days, I think I would actually go crazy. Are any of y'all up there? What have you done to occupy the time?

4. Nail Polish

Luckily my fiance lives about 400 feet from a Kroger, so despite the 12"+ of snow, we were able to get out and pick up some things we needed/just get out of the apartment for a bit. I decided to reward myself with some new "snow day nail polish" - as if I needed a reason for new nail polish. Anyways, I got this Sally Hansen nail polish in "Reef Raf" and I am obsessed with it! It's pretty bright for this time of year, but a little color never hurt any one. What do y'all think?

5. Registry

We're going to a registry event at Belk on Sunday and I am so excited! We've looked at a few things that we want to register for, but haven't really sat down and gone through everything yet or seriously considered certain items. I am sure it will be somewhat of a stressful ordeal just trying to figure it all out, but I am really excited to move forward in our plans and think about what our future home will include :) Do y'all have any registry tips? I have done some research, but I still feel like I am going to be surprised by the whole process. I would love to hear about any experiences - good or bad - that you've had as a bride or a guest that stood out!

Have a great weekend, y'all!

xoxo

P.S. - today is exactly ONE YEAR until our wedding!!

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Winter Formal Dresses

During the spring semester in law school we have what our school calls Barrister's Ball, I think it is a pretty common thing among law schools, whether it be in the fall or spring. Essentially, it's Law School Prom. I personally love it because I will take any chance I can to put on a pretty dress and doll myself up. One of my favorite parts is picking out a dress to wear. Most of the time I get a new dress, but I still try to make it something that I think I can wear again.

In undergrad there was always a function to go to and choosing a dress was the high light for me. It was always a good excuse to buy a new dress or some new jewelry to go with something you already had.

While it was (and is) always a ton of fun, it can definitely be stressful trying to decide what to wear, what your date should wear, and making sure that you and your friends are all relatively on the same page because you don't want to stand out as the one who is way over dressed and especially not the one who is under dressed.

At least for us, the dress tends to be cocktail attire +, so there is always a wide range of dresses, which I think is great. There are people who love to go bold, while others tend to stick to the basics and they all look absolutely wonderful. If you are trying to save money, or just have a LBD you really love, this event is a great time to play with some statement jewelry to still feel like you're wearing something new. One of the best parts about having this event every year is the opportunity to change things up and try things that might normally be outside of your comfort zone. Plus - what a great reason to wear all of the glitter and sequins you can get your hands on!

Below are a few of my favorites this season, including the dress I've chosen - which is currently on sale!

save | splurge

save | splurge

save | splurge

save | splurge

MondayDress

What events do y'all have this semester? Do you have a dress picked out yet??

Have a great day, y'all!
xoxo

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What I Wore

TGIF, Happy Valentines Day, Y'all!

I can finally breathe - things around here are starting to slow down and get back to a routine and I am so grateful for that. As a big planner, I cringe when there is constant chaos, which is essentially what the last few months have been. Some good, some bad, but certainly chaotic nonetheless. There were a lot of quick updates earlier this week, as well as my favorite update - my engagement! But I think it is still so important to consider each week five things to be thankful for, excited about, etc. - living a positive life is one of the most beneficial things we can do for our own state of mind, as well as those surrounding us.

1. Moot Court is Over

For those of you also in law school, you're probably well aware of the time commitment that comes with Moot Court. For those who are not, let me provide a brief explanation of the process: for this particular competition we were responsible for writing a brief for the position of our choosing, and preparing arguments for both the Petitioner and Respondent. After writing the (25 page long) brief, we then have to start practicing our arguments for both sides, for a couple of hours -  multiple times a week. It was 110% worth it, but I am just so glad to have some of my "free" time back to run errands, read for class, and more importantly - sleep! -- Side note: Moot Court is similar to the undergraduate Mock Trial competitions, except there are dozens of areas of law that you can complete in. Anyways, it was a wonderful experience and I am so lucky that I had the opportunity to travel to Florida in the middle of winter, but I am definitely ready to have one less thing on my plate!

2. Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day has always been one of my favorite holidays. It's probably due in part to the fact that I've almost always had someone to share it with, so I've never had a reason to be bitter about it. But, I also think its because there is nothingggg going on this time of year, most of the Christmas spirit is gone, and it's just plain cold. In comes Valentine's Day to perk everyone, okay almost everyone, back up. It's also probably because there are few things I love more than chocolate, so for me this holiday is definitely one of my favorites! What kind of plans do y'all have for Valentine's Day?

3. Future In-Laws In Town

This weekend my fiance's parents are coming into town and I am so excited. We have such a full weekend ahead, but I am really looking forward to it. They've been wanting to come up for a UofL game for a while, and this weekend that all finally worked out. Plus - they haven't seen the Yum Center yet, where U of L's games are played, and it is awesome, so I'm excited to see their reactions. As someone who grew up going to SEC games, the concept of having alcohol and sporting events was so foreign to me, but as a member of the Big East, then American Athletic, and now the ACC, the Yum Center is allowed to serve drinks at UL games. Obviously this is not the most important reason to go, but with Woodford and Kentucky Ale bars inside the concourse, it is really fun.
I'm also looking forward to taking his mom to Louisville Stoneware, a local stoneware factory that has some gorgeous pieces. And of course we're going to have some delicious meals around town - definitely one of my favorite things to do when people come to visit! Some of the last few times we've been with his parents I've felt so stressed because it is just so much wedding talk all the time, so I'm really hopeful that this weekend will have some wedding talk, but more of a relaxed atmosphere.

4. Gym Classes

A few weeks ago one of my friends reached out to me about working out together a couple of times a week to help keep us both accountable and I am so glad she did. Around the same time, I also joined a 24-hour gym, which is beyond great, but it's nice to change it up and workout with her as well. Because we're both still in school, we have access to the University's gym, and fortunately U of L has a great set of classes available to students. So far we've tried out Zumba, Cycling, and Boot Camp. Boot Camp was soooo much more difficult than we thought it was going to be. I mean, I'm not exactly sure what either of us thought we were getting into, but it was very intense and we felt like everyone else in the class was already a pro athlete. Instead of Boot Camp, we tried Cycling this week and it was far more manageable, while still getting in a great hour of cardio - I would highly recommend it. Zumba has also been a lot of fun. My friend was a dancer, so her coordination is about a million times better than mine, but I still love how fast it goes and how different it is from most workouts. This approach works so much better for me because I tend to get bored easily, but with Zumba its a new move and a new song every two-four minutes. I know some people prefer to work out on their own, but these classes have been so great for me over the past few weeks. What are some of your favorite classes? I'm always interested in what others tend to prefer or dislike.

5. Back to the Blog

Y'all I am so excited to be back here and sharing with you! I have always been somewhat creative and in law school there just isn't much of an outlet for that. I miss the days of crafting for my little and making banners for the DH at Furman. This blog has given me some of that creativity back and I love it. I might not be (I know I'm not) the best writer, but hopefully y'all can enjoy some of the stories/advice I share, and if not I'm always open to suggestions. Like I said earlier this week, I do have some ideas in mind for future posts, but if y'all have any other ideas or things you want to know about law school I'll be happy to address those as well.

Have a great weekend, Y'all!

xoxo

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So. Many. Things.

Hey y’all! Wow! It has been a looooongggg time since this blog has seen the light of day. Right before my last post went live, things around here got SO busy. First – I got engaged!! Which is probably one of the most exciting things I have ever experienced. Then of course finals were right around the corner. I thought I was going to have time to catch up some over Christmas “break,” but that was the busiest break I have ever had!

Christmas was so wonderful, and then I went with my fiancé’s (!!!) family to New Orleans – my first time there. Y’all. If you haven’t been to New Orleans, you need to go – ASAP. It was so fun! Even though it was a little colder than we were anticipating (and hoping for), we had such a great time ringing in the new year there.

Soon after we got back from New Orleans it was back to class.  Despite finally being in my 3L spring semester, I have had some tough classes so far – and a moot court competition.

Also, I finally got a sewing machine and I. am. obsessed. There will be much more on this later, as I have already made my own skirt, and let me tell you - I even impressed myself on this one. The machine I got also has an embroidery feature which is awesome - hellllllo monograms!

This weekend we went to Clearwater, Florida to compete in the National Tax Moot Court Competition. It was a great time, and even though we didn’t win, our school advanced further than prior years and according to our coach and the other teams we still had a very impressive performance.

I’m writing this as I’m on the plane back to Kentucky and I am not looking forward to returning to the cold weather at all. However – at the tournament we had the opportunity to meet so many other competitors from other parts of the country and a few girls who are in law school at Suffolk told us they hadn’t been to class more than three days all semester! I cannot imagine having that many snow days. I would go crazy. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely love having a break every now and then, but I can get so restless and to be out of school that long just sounds so miserable.

When I was at Furman we usually had about one snow day each semester. Of course, in South Carolina it only takes a 60% chance of snow for them to cancel class, but it was always a welcomed break. The only negative there is that no one in South Carolina knows how to deal with snow, so it just took a few flakes to shut down the whole city. My roommate didn’t even know how to use the dual scraper/brush. It was certainly an adventure.

Anyways – please accept my apologies for such a lengthy absence. I am working on so may posts for the up coming weeks.

Interview tips – attire, questions, etc. Professional advice – how to get a job, how to network, etc. and a few other miscellaneous law school items. I am also always open to suggestsions so if there is something specific you want to hear about please please please let me know. Either comment below or email me at legallysouthernblog@gmail.com.

Thanks for following along y’all, have a great day!

xoxo

6 Basic Steps to Outlining

First let me say, there is nothing "basic" or "easy" about outlining. However, I frequently get to the point in the semester where I know I need to start outlining, but I just don't know where to start. Despite having done this many, many times, the amount of information that I have obtained over the semester is always overwhelming. These steps make it easy for me to step back and get an idea of what I really need to do so that I can effectively outline and not get overwhelmed in the process. 

1. Gather Your Notes

This may seem fairly obvious, and it should, but it is still something that you need to actively do. Generally this is the easiest step, but keep in mind any day that you skipped missed class and need to either ask someone for notes or find the email where they sent them to you. And it some cases, if you have a mixture of hand-notes and typed-notes you want to make sure they are all in one place. Personally I prefer to print out all of my notes because it is easier for me to go through them, as well as not having to go back and forth between screens when I'm making my outline. But, if you have two screens and/or staring at a computer doesn't bother you, that may be unnecessary.

2. Get Organized 

In addition to needing your notes to start your outlining, you are likely going to want the textbook, professor handouts, and any other supplement for the class. Now is a good time to gather everything you are going to need for every class that you intend to outline. It's much more fluid to go from working on one outline to another if you aren't having to stop and look for things all the time. As an overall organization tactic, it might be a good time for you to also make a study plan. Since you have all of your notes, books, and supplements gathered you probably will have a good idea of just how much time you want to spend on each outline and which ones you just want to get out of the way first.

3. Make a Skeleton Outline 

I generally prefer to go to the Table of Contents in the front of the textbook and use that as a skeleton or template for my outline. Occasionally there are other ways that I organize my outline, especially in a class where the professor tends to jump around from section to section in the book. For instance, our Con Law professor set out "Themes of Constitutional Law" at the beginning of the semester, so in that case I let that be my guide. Generally though, I tend to use the Table of Contents as a starting point. Even if I end up rearranging the information here and there, it is a good place to start when you don't know where to start. If you compared the picture below to the Table of Contents of my book, they would look almost identical. 

4. Go Through Your Notes and Highlight Important Information

After I've gathered all of my notes and made the Skeleton outline, then I go through all of my notes and highlight what comes across as important to me. This can be based on the emphasis you remember the professor putting on this certain topic in class, it can be a rule or something that is clearly important, or in a code class like Negotiable Instruments or Contracts it would be a provision of the UCC. Occasionally I will also highlight different things in different colors so I know how to treat them. For instance with our Con Law professor cases were very important, so I always made sure to highlight the case names as I was going through my notes the first time as a guide for what I needed to come back to.

5. Fill in Your Template with Substantive Information

After Step 4, this should be relatively easy, though very tedious. It can also be a difficult task if your professor doesn't tend to go "with the book" in his or her lectures. To that I would say, do the best you can and fill things in where they seem to fit. That is the best part about having a skeleton outline already complete, if something in your notes doesn't seem to match what's around it, look for somewhere else in the outline that it fits and makes sense.

6. Finalize and Format

Congratulations! You are almost done! This step can occasionally become the "if I have time" step, however, if you have at least a few days before the exam and you have completed the outline with information to your liking, I would strongly suggest taking a few minutes and formatting the outline so it is easier to read and follow along. Aside from bullets and numbering I don't like to do a lot of formatting as I go because if I don't want it to apply to the entire document occasionally I struggle with it trying to do just that. But, if you do it all at the end, it's a lot easier to pick and choose which sections you want to have bigger font, underline, etc. The exception is, if I want to make cases, rules, or something of the sort stand out, I do tend to put those in bold as I go because it's harder to catch them just by going back through.
For those of you that never really finish your outline, you can still spend a few minutes to do some formatting to make it easier when you are studying. A few of my friends always use their outlines as a "work in progress" and are never really finished. I, on the other hand, like to be completely finished and print mine, knowing that there may be somethings I would have added or taken out, but keeping in mind those things can always be written in or crossed out.   {Obviously I should have spell checked the document below before posting it on here, another key final step.}

I hope these steps have been helpful to you, I find it so much easier to start outlining if I just know where or how to start. What are some of the things you do when you are outlining to make it "easier" for you? 

Have a Great Day, y'all! 

xoxo

5 Tips for Preparing a Successful Study Plan

As a 3L, I have already been through FOUR rounds of Law School finals, in addition to undergraduate and graduate school finals. I would not say I am an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I have had a lot of experience determining what works and what doesn't. One of the biggest things I've learned is that preparing to study can be just as important as studying itself. When I prepare a study plan I tend to be more effective in my studying and outlining and waste less time trying to decide what I want to work on next. 

1. Make a Master To-Do List

This is what I have found to be the best way to really get started when you don't know where to start. The goal in the end is to have a few weeks planned out, but you need to know what tasks you plan to complete. Sometimes I find myself wanted to write everything down, but that is not what the purpose is here. I tend to only write down "big-ticket" items, i.e. Decedents' Outline, Negotaibles Outline, Take Home Exam, etc. There are other things that might make it on to my daily to-do list, that don't necessarily need to be spelled out here, for example, "print notes," "print slides," "email professors," you get the point. Write down things that need to be done, not things you need to do. You can see that I included registration, which might be considered as something you don't need to include, but in the chaos of everything going on right now it is definitely not something I can afford to forget to do!

2. Take into Account Pre-Existing Obligations

When you start trying to figure out when you are going to have time to work on each task, don't forget about any pre-existing obligations. The first thing I do after I've printed out my weekly calendar is to fill in work, class, and other meetings. This lets me see how much "free" time I actually have and also ensures that I don't plan to work on something if I'm already obligated to be somewhere else. If you make your own template, it is easy to go ahead and fill in any thing you already have scheduled that takes place on a weekly basis so that you are not having to constantly write it in. As much as I love to have this plan, it can be annoying to write "work" 18 times in each week's plan. Obviously, as you will see on the "final" product at the end, it took me one week's planning to realize this.

3. Be Realistic with Yourself

Being realistic with yourself and your plan is essential. If you aren't realistic about what you think you can accomplish on a daily basis you are setting yourself up for failure. Not trying to be harsh, but this is true. It is a tough place to be when you have scheduled 12 hours of straight work and 6 hours in you are ready to pull your eyeballs out. Trust me, we've all been there, but there is a balance between overestimating and underestimating yourself. Some people might think, set the bar low so that you always meet your goal. In some cases that might work fine for you, but depending on how much work you have do get done, if you set the bar too low, that is only schedule 6 hours of any kind of activity for the day, you literally won't have time to get it done. For instance, I schedule every hour from 8 am until 10 pm, but I know that if I were actually trying to engage in something for every single one of those I would go crazy, which is why I let myself have an entire hour (or 2) for dinner, laundry etc. Which brings me to my next tip - schedule breaks.

4. Schedule Breaks

If you are going to insist on scheduling every hour of the day (which there is no shame in because it's what I do!), make sure you schedule yourself a couple of breaks. Whether that break is to watch some Netflix, grab something to eat, or call a friend, just make sure you do it. I have found that I am much more productive and efficient in my studying and outlining if I take breaks every couple of hours and let my eyes rest and my brain focus on something less demanding. I think it is important to schedule these so that you don't feel like you are "breaking the rules" when you take a break and so that you stay on track.
As an aside, it is also 100% okay to block off a Friday night to have fun. This purpose of the schedule isn't to make sure that you are all study, all the time, but rather to show you how much time you still have left and give you a chance to plan accordingly.

5. Compartmentalize Separate Tasks

Obviously with all of these tips, certain things will work better for some than others. In this case, by "compartmentalize" I'm trying to say, "keep separate tasks separate" (which maybe is just what I should have said.) But what I mean is, don't try to do a different task/project every hour. I've learned that people tend to work more efficiently on something when they can work on it for a few hours at time. That way, in the even that it takes you thirty minutes to really get a grasp on what you are doing/how you want to organize your outline/etc., you still have a couple of hours to implement your plan. When I've tried to go back and forth between classes and projects too quickly, I end up getting lost in my thoughts and have very little to show for my time. If you are able to jump around and do so effectively, I applaud you because honestly I get bored doing the same thing for more than two or three hours, but it has still not been to my benefit to actually change what I'm doing more frequently than every two hours.
I also like to work this way because I can get a big chunk of something done and will normally have "something" to show for it, whether that is in the form of page numbers, highlighted notes, or flash cards. I am very much visual in measuring my accomplishments and I feel much better when I can see where my time has gone.

Hopefully it should look something like this when you're done. As you 'll see, I still have some empty boxes for now (I also made this on Sunday, hence why Sunday is blank). I think it is a good idea to give yourself some room to adjust initially and re-familiarize yourself with having to study longer hours as you approach exams.

How do you prepare for exams?

Have a Great Day, Y'all!
xoxo

TGIF, go Vols!

Happy Friday, Y'all! This has been such a crazy week, but it has also been so great - let's get started!

1. Tailgates

When we were planning out which UK games and which UT games to go to we planned for mostly games at the beginning of the season so that we would have more time on the weekends as it got closer to exams to study. Well, this is the last game of the season for us and I am so excited about it! Not because it is the last, but because it is going to be so much fun. As you may have gathered from yesterday's post, I love tailgating. What's not to love? Great food, drinks, and company! This was the scene a few weeks ago -

2. Writing Requirement, almost Done!

I'm sure all law schools have some kind of writing requirement so those of you in law school are probably somewhat familiar with it. We have to write a paper that is about 6500 words, which works out to somewhere between 25 and 30 pages. Let me say, that is a lot of writing. I finally turned in a first full draft this week and it is such a relief!

3. My BareMinerals Arrived 

Way before (okay, a few years before) Birchbox and Ipsy and all of the other boxes were around I started getting my BareMinerals make up delivered to me. This was mostly out of necessity because there was not a Sephora or Bare Minerals store where I lived, but I have come to love it. Apparently some people don't know this even exists - even some of my friends who wear Bare Minerals - but it is great! Every 4 months, I receive the powder foundation, mineral veil and primer. I wear make up somewhat regularly, but I don't make my self late just to put it on. Every 4 months works great for me because of that, but you can also get it every 2 months or every 3 months if you wear makeup more frequently. Because I only get it ever 4 months it is always such a great surprise and my October shipment finally came this week :)

4. The Shopping Freeze is OVER

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I put a self imposed spending freeze on myself. For no real reason I put this weekend as the dead line (it was over a month), and it is finally over! Sometimes I get in a routine of ordering a lot of things online or going shopping - what girl doesn't, right? So every now and then I just put a spending freeze on myself to force me to stop and think about what I actually want and what I actually need. Since it is over, it means I will probably be ordering this jacket verrrrry soon!

5. Payday!

I mean, let's be real - who doesn't love payday?? Lucky for me that my shopping freeze just happens to be over too!

How was your week?

Have a Great Weekend, Y'all!
xoxo

How to Study More Efficiently

Make a Plan 

This might be the best advice that I've been given in terms of getting a good start on your studying. Make. A. Plan. Personally, I like to plan in increments of about 30 minutes because that is the most realistic way to do it. I don't mean only thirty minutes at a time, but there is no reason to decide you need 22 minutes to work on something, that is ridiculous.
That being said, when you make a plan it is easier to know what you need to do and what you have left to do. Like I mentioned in this post, there are plenty of times that you will have over or under estimated how much time you need for a particular task, but at least you have a basis of something to follow and you aren't spending time in between trying to decide what to work on next.

Set Goals

In keeping with the first tip, setting goals gives you an big picture idea of where you "need" at certain points. For general reading this could be a certain place in the book, or a certain number of cases. For outlining, you could set a goal of x amount of chapters for the day, or a certain day in your notes that you want to get through. If I have printed my notes out, I like to put tabs every so often and use those as my goals that I want to reach. The key to this is to set realistic goals. Trust me, it feels a lot better to set a relatively easy goal and exceed it rather than to set a far reaching goal and come short.

Organize Your Material 

Organizing your material can really help streamline your studying and outlining. I struggled initially with getting all of my information together before the semester was over, but as you know, or will know shortly, it is very important to start your outlining before classes are actually over. I think the best way to go about it is to print your notes through the day you start and then within your notes make some kind of notation like, "PRINTED THROUGH OCT. 20." That way when you print the rest of your notes at the end of the semester or some other time, you know where to start.
Doing these things will make sure you only have the material that you need and makes it easier to find what you need instead of wasting time filtering the important information and relevant class notes.

Limit Your Use of Social Media

This might seem obvious, but if you actually do it you will notice a huge difference in the amount of work you can get done in such a short time. I understand you need to take breaks, but schedule those breaks or allow them to coincide with goals you set. When you can work for 45 minutes to an hour without distraction you are going to get a lot more done. I will be the first to say that this is hard, everyone's first instinct when they start to get bored is to grab their phone and open up Twitter, Facebook, etc. But, after you see how beneficial it can be, you will appreciate the limited use while you're studying. Sometimes I try not to use my computer at all so that I'm not tempted to open up Facebook, Pinterest, or other non-school websites, but obviously most of the time you need to use your computer.

When I was in undergrad I discovered an App you can download for your computer called "Concentrate" and with this App you can block certain websites from yourself for a certain period of time. Maybe you have more self control than me and you don't actually need an App to keep from getting on those websites. But if you are as easily distracted as I am, this is a great tool. I'm sure there are others like it - and turning WiFi off can be enough sometimes, unless you need Lexis or access to your email - but I have used this for a few years and it is really helpful.

What are some things you do to study more efficiently?

Have a Great Day, Y'all!
xoxo