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Happy Friday! Here's a quick Presidents' Day Sales preview for you — we'll post the complete list of sales on Monday.
- 6pm.com – Up to 70% off Frye; up to 65% off Nine West. Up to 80% off Anne Klein, Nine West, Vince Camuto, Seychelles, Charles by Charles David, Calvin Klein, and more. Up to 70% off women's clothing, including Tahari by ASL, Nic + Zoe, Jones New York, Anne Klein, Pendleton, Adrianna Papell, MICHAEL Michael Kors, etc. (through 2/14).
- Ann Taylor – 30% off full-price styles; extra 50% off sale styles with code STYLE.
- J.Crew – 40%-50% off final sale styles with code WEEKENDMUST.
- J.Crew Factory – 40%-50% off everything plus get an extra 10% off with code LOTSTOLOVE.
- Kate Spade New York – Additional 25% off all sale items with code SPRINGFLING.
- Kate Spade Saturday – 25% off everything with code EXTRA25 (through 2/16).
- Last Call – Extra 50%–60% off cold weather & boots; up to 30% off everything else.
- Loft – 50% off select full-price styles; extra 50% off sale styles.
- Nordstrom – Clearance Sale: Up to 40% off select items through 2/22.
A
some of these links go to malware sites – beware! I reported it to the tech team
Cole Haan 25% off on website
Just used to buy the Isabella satchel.
Does anyone have experience with how long Cole Haan bags last or how they wear?
Thanks.
Charmed Girl
I love my CH bags and have had some of them for years. Sadly, I damaged one of my favorites and by the time I finally reached out to them for a repair they no longer had the metal part (accidentally lost a metal piece). They do do repairs.
Cole Haan 25% off website
Thanks.
purple
I’ve had one for over a year and it looks like new. (a bucket bag with extendable strap.) Very sturdy, pebbled leather.
Julia
Cole Haan bags are excellent. I have a green one I’ve had for about five years and it looks new. Good value for the money.
GoldMedallion
Lord and Taylor – up to 60% off clearance in-store, and print the coupon from the website for an additional 20% off. Some items are excluded but PLENTY are not….
Boston (OP)
I bought 2 suits on Ann Taylor to have them email me later and tell me none of the bottoms were coming- I tried to cancel the whole order but they said they couldn’t. Just a heads up!
Sad Lady in Law School
Hi all – having a sad day and so I thought I’d reach out. Many of you ladies are attorneys, so perhaps you felt the same way during your law school years!
I’m currently in my first year of law school and I’m feeling pretty depressed. It’s strange, because I don’t really feel as if I’ve made a mistake. I’m absolutely sure that I want to become a lawyer and I find law very intellectually interesting; I’m at an absolutely great school and I’m thankful to be here. But my self confidence is just completely shot. Sometimes I feel as if law school favors a certain personality type that I’m not, and it’s hard not to let these feelings spiral into larger feelings of self-doubt.
I also haven’t really found a solid group of friends, which is a big factor. I find that I can’t relate to many of my classmates. I don’t feel like I “fit-in” for various reasons (could tell you more over e-mail), some of which relate to my law school in particular. I find my classmates to be as type A as I am, but I’m also not used to being around large groups of extremely type A people. Granted, my classmates are also overwhelmingly nice and pleasant to be around, but everyone feels more like a coworker than a friend. We rarely have conversations that don’t relate to our classes, our professors, or scoring high on the next exam; everyone is openly competitive in a way that I find a little off-putting. I find myself feeling really starved for company sometimes.
I left a pretty good life in a city I loved to come here. I don’t regret it, but I’m getting to the point where I can no longer deny that I’m feeling quite depressed. I’m trying to “stick it out” and see if it gets better, but in the meantime, I’d appreciate any advice or potential steps I could take. I’m a generally happy person and so it doesn’t feel great to be so bummed out all of the time.
Any advice for dealing with 1L year? Does it really get better? Alternatively – any tips for finding friends in a new city?
Hang in there
It gets better! It’s ok to feel a little depressed here and there. Remember that it always gets better. You sound like a very smart lady and I have no doubt things will work out for you. Let yourself be ok with this situation. Time goes on and – yes- this is so cliche – you really will look back at this period one day and it will seem like a foggy memory.
My advice is to study, work hard, and stay friendly towards your classmates. Smile, say hello, etc. Eventually you will find a couple people that become more friendly than the others.
Until then, what types of activities did you like when you were a kid? Were you involved with sports, did you like to volunteer, did you have any hobbies? Do those again. Then you’ll meet people who have similar interests. Not sure what city you’re in – but I’m in DC – and there are TONS of organizations geared towards people exactly like you. Check out meetup.com, look for volunteering lists, etc. In DC, there’s an organization specifically for single people/people who just want to make friends to volunteer. The whole purpose of it is you go volunteer and you’re not taking a buddy, so you’re doing something good for others (which can be rewarding and help you get out of your own head) while potentially meeting others.
Oh – and definitely join a gym. Go to aerobics classes, do step, try pilates. You may or may not meet people, but at least you’ll be out among others, it will burn a couple hours, and you’ll feel better, too.
Seriously, keep your chin up. :-)
Anonymous
I went through some of what you are experiencing in grad school. I second the previous poster, continue doing your best and don’t worry too much about how you compare to your classmates. Some of them may not actually be as confident as they seem. Find friends outsider the law school crowd, it might help to have friends in different fields. Meetup.com is often recommended here, so check it out for activities in your area. It will get better.
mascot
I think 1L year is the worst as far as the tendency to talk shop 24/7. Everyone is taking all of the same classes and it’s immersion learning in a very intense way. You have lockers, the number of students in your whole class is probably way less than undergrad. It’s like being in high school all over again some days. In my experience, it got better during the 2L and 3L years when people got into their electives. To the extent that you can get outside of the law school bubble, that will help too. I know that the your first instinct is that you don’t have time to do anything outside of school. My classmates that had families or other commitments made time for those by treating law school like a 9-5 job. They would go to class and spend the other hours doing their homework instead of leaving it all do at night. Then they could pursue other interests.
Sad Lady in Law School
Thanks so much. I think will take your advice and try to make more time for other pursuits. I think part of my depression is also stemming from the fact that I used to have a pretty well-rounded life and now I might not leave my apartment all weekend. I haven’t made the time to see a movie or go to a restaurant in a long time.
CLS alum
I think that you are feeling is totally normal. I felt that way, and I think that the people that I ended up becoming friends with later in law school (and remain friends with) did as well. Everything is better when you are picking your classes and done with 1L. I found that I became “friends” with the people in my small section 1L, and while they are perfectly nice people, it was a little forced and once I met other people and formed friendships more organically, I felt much better. But in the meantime, doing things with the people I was hanging out with aside from studying–grabbing lunch, going to a gym class, etc.–was a good way to build those relationships on something other than coursework.
If you think it might be helpful to talk over email, I would be happy to reach out if you post an anon email address in reply. I put my law school in my name for this post (not sure if you might want to talk to an alum of your school, if possible–or not).
January
I’m late to the party here, but I just wanted to chime in and say I felt this way as a law student, too. It does get better (though maybe not until about the middle of 2L year), and it will help if you start to find friends outside of your small section. Hang in there. Law school is an odd social environment, in many ways.
96L
I had law school friends, but I kept up with my non-law school friends and my family . It was nice to see people who were working or doing other things. I did a bit of volunteering (but a lot of travel / location scouting for my 1L summer and hopefully for my future life, since I was from a small town that I wouldn’t be returning to and needed to do a good job of “so why do you want to work in City X?”).
Balance = good
FWIW, I think it’s hard if you go straight through, but can much harder if you are different (and multiply that by the ways you can be different and it can feel pretty lonely). That said, one fun thing about law school was how it puts you in front of people who share a common interest (as opposed to a common background).
Hollis
Yes, 1L year is the absolute worst, especially if you end up in a section that’s super competitive. But, for me, 2L year (especially the second half) and 3L year were really great because I found my small group of friends who have been my best friends over the past 15+ years. They weren’t in my sections or even in my dorm room – we just happened to take the same elective during 2L year and ate lunch together afterwards. It will get better. Just ride it out and get awesome grades so that next year, you can get your 2L job in place and then really enjoy the rest of law school.
Hildegarde
I think this feeling is pretty normal; I felt several of the things you’ve mentioned here my 1L year. I stuck it out, and near the end of 1L some of my friendly acquaintanceships solidified into friendships, and I’m still friends with a few of those people now. It can take a while to make friends, so keep doing what you’re doing.
However, I also found law school kind of depressing (despite all the things you’ve said – didn’t think it was the wrong decision, my grades were fine, most people were friendly, etc.), and what really helped me was finding something to do outside of law school. For me this was a time-intensive campus job that allowed me to interact a great deal with the undergrads on campus and get to know some of them, which I found rewarding. The commenter above had good advice about volunteering, joining a gym (maybe an off-campus one), or pursuing interests you had before law school. I think anything that will allow you to interact with people who don’t talk about law school all the time, and who aren’t in that super-competitive mode, will remind you that there is another life out there, and you are still capable of normal relationships, and that law school isn’t forever. At least that’s what I found, and I am really grateful for that experience.
In any case, the best of luck to you. It’s only three years, and it does get better.
Sad Lady in Law School
Thanks so much to you and the other posters. I really can’t describe how relieving it is to hear that other people who have gotten through it have felt the same way.