I failed! Now what? Part 4 - Making changes and sticking with them

This is Part 3 in my 4 Part series on what you should do if you fail in law school.


For those of you who missed the first part in this series I recommend you click the link and have a look.  Then you should check out the second part. Then, if you're not bored of me by then, check out the third part.

1. Identify the problem: Did you slack off and have no idea of the content? Did you have a medical issue going on through the semester? Did you try and learn in a way that just didn't suit you?
2. Work out your game plan: You can't just try to conquer the next semester the exact same way. You will need to make some changes. What are they going to be?
3. Make the changes (and be realistic about it): If you don't try to be realistic in your plan, passing will be anything but simple.

So my focus today is on actually making the changes (and trying to stick to them).

As I said in the third part, it can be easy to stick with a change when you don't have the pressure of 15 cases to read and 3 essays but the hard part is staying on track in the week where you have 4 pieces of assessment due in 3 days and haven't slept for 38 hours (not that you should ever do this! It is bad for your health). 


So how do you make sure you are sticking with these new and wonderful changes in your life? The thing that has worked best for me has been making sure I have some time each week where I sit down and go over everything that needs to be done. I read Getting Things Done last year and in a way my weekly time came from that. If I sit down every Sunday night and make a list of what I need to do, go over my calendar for the week and evaluate how I have been going, organisation-wise I can be sure that I am sticking to making a change in my life.


Another way to ensure you are sticking to any changes is to make yourself accountable. You can do this by asking a room-mate or family member to remind you to write down assignments or even just to ask you every now and then how your change is going. If you really want to make yourself accountable, why not start a blog? If you have a blog already, mention the changes you want to make to yourself. If you don't want to do that, just make a new one. Even if no one is reading it, you have still put your proposed changes out there for everyone, but mainly you, to see. 


Although it's probably a little immature, I've even considered starting a sticker chart for myself! 


If you find, after a few weeks, that you've done well at implementing your latest change why not pick another? Just remember to keep it realistic.


If you slip-up and start to revert to your old habits, don't worry! It's natural! You just have to get back on the horse of change and keep on going to the finish line. Don't wait until SWOTVAC/STUVAC/Study Week until you make huge changes because it's generally too late!  That first piece of assessment and first exam after failing will be tough, so you have to make sure you are super prepared! I'm talking starting the assignment the day you get it, not the day before it is due! 


So you failed a subject. It's not the end of the world and if you use the experience to make some positive changes to your study techniques and personal habits you will become a better person! Good luck in the coming semester!