You’re not failing. You’re recalibrating. Everyone does this – just not everyone admits it.

“Everyone around me seems to ‘get it’ in class, and I’m sitting there pretending I understand. Does this feeling ever go away?”

Short answer: yes. Longer answer: it goes away, then comes back, then leaves again, usually right before exams or whenever someone casually says, “Oh yeah, this is obvious.”

A lot of people sound confident because they’re good at talking, not because they fully understand what’s going on. Others have read the case before, took undergrad law courses, or are equally confused but are better at hiding it. Many students don’t actually “get it” until much later – sometimes not until outlining, sometimes not until panic-fuelled exam prep.

If you feel lost, you’re not behind. You’re just in the middle of the learning curve, which is uncomfortable by design.

“How much do first-year grades actually matter at uOttawa? I keep hearing mixed things and it’s stressing me out.”

They matter, but not in the “one bad exam ruins your life forever” way your brain insists. Some employers care a lot about grades. Others care about whether you’ve shown interest in their field, done relevant work, or can hold a normal conversation.

Your grades are important, but they are not a moral judgment. They are not a measure of how good a lawyer you’ll be, how hard you worked, or whether you belong here. People with very average grades go on to do very impressive things. People with excellent grades still Google basic procedural questions.

Do your best. Then let it go. Obsessing helps exactly no one.

“I want to get involved in student groups and journals, but I’m scared of overcommitting. How much is too much in 1L?”

If you are already tired just thinking about it, that’s your answer. First year is not the time to collect extracurriculars like Pokémon cards or try to prove you are the Best Law Student of All Time.

One or two things you actually enjoy is plenty. Zero things are also fine. You do not need to be busy at all times to justify your spot in law school. Burnout is not a resume booster, no matter how productive it looks from the outside. (If you want to read more about this, check out our other article, “Being Busy isn’t Being Better.”) 

Also there will be time later – when you actually know what you like and how much you can handle.

“Do professors notice if you never speak in class? Am I hurting myself by staying quiet?”

Contrary to popular belief, professors are not keeping a spreadsheet of who speaks and who does not. Most care far more about whether you understand the material than whether you ‘perform’ in a lecture hall.

Some students learn by talking things out. Others learn by listening, writing, and thinking quietly. Both are valid. If you want to participate but feel nervous, start small … or don’t. Cold calls are already enough character development for one semester. While professors may remember students who are consistently raising their hand, they are not counting it against you that you didn’t.

Staying quiet does not mean you are disengaged or incapable. It just means you’re human.

“Is law school actually as competitive as people say, or do people genuinely support each other?”

It’s less cutthroat courtroom drama and more group therapy with casebooks. Yes, the curve exists. Yes, some opportunities are competitive. But most students get through law school by helping each other: sharing notes, clarifying concepts, and collectively spiralling before exams.

Law school is hard enough without actively sabotaging one another. The vast majority of people are just trying to survive and would rather do that together than alone.

“Be honest … is it possible to have a social life in 1L, or should I stop pretending that weekends are a thing?”

Weekends still exist, but they’re… altered. Some are productive. Some are chaotic. Some involve sitting at your desk for six hours accomplishing absolutely nothing.

You are allowed to have a life. You are allowed to see friends, watch something mindless, or take a night off without earning it first. Law school does not require constant suffering, even if it sometimes feels that way.

“How are people affording to live in Ottawa on a law student budget? Between rent, groceries, and coffee, I’m struggling.”

If it feels impossible, that’s because it kind of is. Ottawa is expensive, law school is expensive, and most students are quietly patching things together with loans, savings, roommates, budgeting apps, and vibes.

If you’re struggling, you’re not bad with money – you’re in professional school during an affordability crisis. Anyone who claims they have it fully figured out is either lying, extremely lucky, or both.

Surviving counts.

“What’s one mistake you made in first year that you wish someone had warned you about earlier?”

Trying to be perfect. Reading everything. Saying yes to everything. Comparing myself to people who seemed calm, confident, and suspiciously well-rested.

None of that helped. What helped was realizing that law school is uncomfortable and that discomfort is not a sign of failure. You don’t need to suffer constantly to be doing it “right.”

Good enough is more than enough.

“Where do law students go when they need a break from Fauteux? Any underrated cafés, quiet spots, or places to decompress?”

Anywhere that isn’t Fauteux. Truly. Even leaving for ten minutes helps. A walk, a café, another library, the gym, or sitting somewhere that reminds you law school is not the entire universe.

Leaving the building is not ‘avoidance.’ It’s self-preservation. Particular favourites include Figaro, Happy Goat, Little Victories, and the Ottawa Art Gallery.

Final Thoughts

If you’re reading this and thinking, “Okay, so it’s not just me,” good. That’s the point. Law school is hard, confusing, and occasionally absurd, and none of that means you don’t belong here.

Everyone is winging it. Some people are just better at pretending. You deserve to be here and even if you don’t feel that way right now – you will eventually. I promise.