If I could go back and give myself one piece of advice before starting law school, it would be that law school is manageable, but only if you learn how to manage yourself.

Before 1L year, I assumed the biggest challenge would be understanding the material. I thought success would depend mostly on how quickly I could grasp complicated cases or issues. What I didn’t realize was that one of the hardest parts of law school isn’t necessarily the difficulty of the material, it’s managing the volume. There are readings, assignments, writing projects, quizzes, networking events, job applications and exams all happening at once. But what makes law school feel overwhelming isn’t always the work itself. It’s the constant flow of deadlines and the feeling like you might be missing something.

Looking back, what would have helped me the most is something simple: seeing everything clearly from the beginning instead of experiencing the semester week by week.

Over the last semester, I built a system of three simple spreadsheets that helped me do exactly that. I use a Semester Assignment Planner, a 1L–3L Class Planner and an Internship Application Tracker. Each one helps organize a different part of law school, and together they make it much easier to stay on top of everything.

Semester Assignment Planner

This spreadsheet is essentially a master list of everything happening in a single semester. Instead of checking multiple syllabi, relying on Canvas notifications or trying to remember what’s due next week, everything lives in one place.

At the beginning of the semester, I download all my syllabi and sit down with them at the same time. Then I map the semester week by week using the academic calendar. I label each week, add breaks and holidays, and start entering every assignment into the spreadsheet, including readings, quizzes, drafts, midterms and finals.

It takes a little time on the front end, but it’s some of the best time you can invest at the beginning of the semester. Once everything is in the spreadsheet and sorted by date, the entire semester becomes visible. You can notice patterns, like some weeks are clearly heavier than others and midterms or writing deadlines often stack up in the same stretch of the semester.

Instead of being surprised when those busy weeks arrive, you already know they’re coming. Lighter weeks become opportunities to read ahead or outline, and the heavy weeks feel much more manageable because you’ve planned for them.

1L–3L Class Planner

During 1L year, most of your classes are required, so it can feel like you don’t have much control over your schedule. But once you move into 2L and 3L, you have a lot more choices. Mapping out your classes early helps you see how everything fits together.

Using a class planner allows you to think strategically about things like when to take doctrinal/bar classes, clinics, field placements and electives that match your interests. It also helps you balance your workload across semesters. Some classes are reading-heavy, some involve significant writing projects and some require both. Seeing your schedule across multiple semesters makes it easier to avoid stacking too many demanding courses at once. It also helps to make sure you are going to meet the required hours, writing courses and experiential credits.

Internship Application Tracker

Applying to summer internships for 1L and 2L can be a lengthy process, and it’s very common to apply to many positions. Without a system to track them, it becomes difficult to remember deadlines, application materials or which organizations you’ve already contacted.

The internship tracker keeps everything organized. For each position, you can record the organization, location, application deadline and the materials required for submission. As the process moves forward, you can also track interviews, callbacks, offers or follow-up emails. Having everything in one place makes the job search feel much less chaotic.

Together, these three planners give you a clearer picture of law school from different angles. The assignment planner helps with the week-to-week workload, the class planner helps you think about your entire academic path, and the internship tracker keeps your career planning organized as opportunities start appearing.

Also, I wish someone had told me before starting law school that there is no single “correct” schedule or way to do things. Some students treat law school like a strict nine-to-five job and stop working in the evenings. Others prefer studying early in the morning before class. Some do not work on their weekends completely, while others spread their work across all seven days. There isn’t one system that works for everyone.

You’ll probably hear plenty of confident advice about the “right” way to study or organize. The best thing you can do is experiment and adjust. Try different routines, different study environments and different outlining strategies. If something feels unsustainable, change it. Law school is long enough that your system will evolve, and that’s completely normal.

If I had understood this before starting, I would have felt much less overwhelmed during those first few weeks. With structure, flexibility and a willingness to build a system that works for you, law school is absolutely doable and can be so much fun!

- Aidan Bhargava is a 1L KU Law Student Ambassador from Wichita, Kansas