A favorite of action movie protagonists and extremely gung-ho Little League coaches alike, “failure is not an option” is an intimidating phrase. For most, it conjures up feelings of do-or-die and overwhelming pressure. For me, it’s a mantra to live by to get through this degree. 

Failure is a very real and present fear for many students. For some, this is the first real academic challenge they’ve ever faced. There’s a lot of big fish, little pond/little fish, big pond adjustment, and so much imposter syndrome that any psychologist would have a field day. There are a few students who drop out each year when they realize that law school isn’t what they wanted. The curve – especially in 1L – can be brutal. The looming shadow of failure does not, however, mean that anyone is destined to fail. 

It’s important to set goals that are realistic and achievable. I like to set goals that are challenging, but not completely unreasonable – like a specific GPA at the end of each semester or finishing a project well before the due date. Expectations for myself like this motivate me to actually get to work, even when I just really, really don’t have the energy. It’s a way to keep each day engaging, since there are measurable differences from the beginning of the day to the end. For example, for an essay due at the end of the semester, I’ll add extra checkpoints for myself on top of professor-assigned due dates. This way, the progress is frequent and done over the course of several weeks instead of letting the work snowball into an insurmountable tidal wave of citations and flashcards at the end of the semester.

This isn’t to say that every goal will be achieved. That would be ridiculous. Trial and error will still occur, and life still happens. There will be deadlines you miss, extensions you ask for, multiple-choice questions chosen incorrectly, illness, misunderstanding and other setbacks. That’s normal! But giving yourself the grace to take time on projects and to build relationships with classmates and professors such that you can get help and feedback and support when necessary is an easy way to stay afloat. And even if you do decide law school isn’t for you, what a journey that you’ve been on! Look how prepared you are for anything that can come next! So, shoot for the moon – even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars, or whatever the Hallmark cards say. 

Failure is only a possibility if you keep it on the table. Failure is only an option if you believe that you can fail. Failure is only an option if you aren’t willing to put in time, effort, blood, sweat and tears. But everyone who walks through those front doors of Green Hall is more than capable of working hard and seeing a dream realized – so failure is simply not an option. 

-Wren Browne is a 3L KU Law Student Ambassador from Midland, Michigan