Looking back on my final semester as a student at KU, it’s hard not to feel a little sentimental. I graduated from this university back in 2015 with my undergraduate degree, spent eight years working in a wide variety of jobs and came back to the school I love because, when I decided getting a J.D. was the next step for me, there was no other place I wanted to get it.

Three years later, I’ve made so many friends (I’ve even been in a couple of their weddings), done so much work in both classrooms and law offices, and learned a ton. I am so grateful for the professors I’ve met, the challenges I’ve overcome, the relationships I’ve built and the future I have now because of the work I’ve put in here at this special school. As one final thought on my time here, I’ve got some advice for anyone considering a degree at KU Law.

1. Choose your classes for the professors. If I’ve learned anything from being a law student, it’s that no matter what you study, you’ll learn the majority of what you practice after school on the job. That’s not to say the information you gather in class isn’t useful — far from it. I’ve brought a ton of legal knowledge to bear on my work at the firm I’ll be at post-graduation, and it has been hugely beneficial learning about particular subjects that I was interested in or felt were relevant to my practice. But ultimately, the most useful and profound lessons I’ve learned came from professors I had a special connection with, regardless of what they taught. There are subjects I wish I could have studied that, for one reason or another, didn’t work out. But I don’t sweat this anymore, because at the end of the day, the school’s strength is the people who teach here. If you find yourself drawn to a professor or you hear great things about them, prioritize getting the chance to learn from them over something that might potentially be on topic for your future practice. You’ll be glad you did.
2. Make a real effort to get out in the Green Hall community and meet folks. I cannot stress enough how much I’ve benefited from cultivating relationships beyond my small section. While I made some truly special friends in that initial cohort from my 1L year, reaching out last year and this year to social spaces beyond those I fell into by chance has greatly enhanced my experience here. I’ve gotten the chance to mentor some 2Ls, learn from fascinating colleagues and generally cultivate the kind of kindness, honesty and selflessness that the legal field must actively create. It has made me a better student, and it will make me a better lawyer. You may think you’re a lone wolf or roll your eyes at someone telling you to “be nice,” but trust me — say hi to the people you know when you see them and reach out to the ones you don’t. This is the number one thing I tell incoming or prospective students for a reason.
3. Get out of school and take care of yourself. The environment in law school is one soaked in stress — at KU and every other law school in the country. It is a building full of smart, driven, anxious young people and it feels that way. You can literally always do more — read a little more, take a few more notes, highlight a few more pages, answer a few more practice questions. What you can’t do is make up for lost sleep or missed meals. You can’t undo blowing off your significant other or bailing on an old friend. Yes, it’s important you take your schoolwork seriously and apply yourself. But you have to be a human being if you want to be a good attorney (and get a job, which is really the reason you came to law school in the first place). Be proactive about your health, mental and physical, and don’t overlook this aspect of success. It’s okay if you don’t get every single little thing done.
4. Explore Lawrence. This town is truly special, particularly the historic side of town. There are dozens (hundreds?) of law schools in this country, but only one of them is in Lawrence, Kansas. Get out into the town and see what makes it special. I know more than a few people who came here on a whim, fell in love and stayed long after graduating. I’ll be here after my hooding as well, because I truly love this city and the community that makes it what it is. Buy a drink at the Bourgeois Pig. Eat a slice of pie at Ladybird. Get tacos at La Estrella. Pick up a book at the Raven, walk down the street and read it in a park. There are so many wonderful little gems scattered around this town. If you take the time to find them, you’ll remember your days as a student fondly.

I’d just like to end with a thank you to the school and the people in it who have helped make me the person I am. Thank you to the professors, the administrators and perhaps most of all, my fellow students. This has been three years of stress, anxiety and frustration, but also true accomplishment, growth and happiness. I am ready for the next step in my life, but I will always miss being a student at KU.

– Will Orlowski is a 3L KU Law Student Ambassador from Lawrence, Kansas