Recommendation on what to prepare before entering law school

[atarack]

I got accepted to several law schools last year and still concerning where to go as I am an international student and have no regional connections to any of the provinces.

 

I am quite worried about my life in law school because going to law school in Canada, which is not my country, is a big challenge for me.

I hope I could prepare some stuffs in advance for my life in law school but don't know what to do.

 

Any advice on what to prepare for law school before actually going into it?

(For now, I am focusing on exercising and studying English by reading English books.)

Edited January 2, 2022 by atarack

[Ramesses]

I have two really good friends who are international students. Law requires mastery of the English language so I would watch more TV and read more if that is an area of improvement you need. My general advice is always practice typing. This would help for exams and notetaking. 

However, I feel like your real concern seems to be related to culture and adjustment. I would recommend learning more about your new city and school and coming here much earlier (if possible) to explore the city and meet some people before law school actually starts. Most schools have informal activities before the actual start date for students to meet and get to know each other. 

[LMP]

Continue working on your English, I don't think it is bad by any means but strong oration and writing will only help you. 

Do some research on the city you'll be moving to, it will help with the acclimatization process. I also like to make a list of things I want to do or see in a new place, this helps keep me excited for the move and acts as a great resource to meet new people. 

On that note, do try and meet new people! Law schools normally have some kind of "class of 20XX admitted students" group, don't be afraid to make yourself know. You can likely find people from the province you'll be going to who can give you tips and advice (and you'll make friends you can look forward to seeing on arrival). 

[atarack]

On 1/2/2022 at 10:44 PM, Ramesses said:

I have two really good friends who are international students. Law requires mastery of the English language so I would watch more TV and read more if that is an area of improvement you need. My general advice is always practice typing. This would help for exams and notetaking. 

However, I feel like your real concern seems to be related to culture and adjustment. I would recommend learning more about your new city and school and coming here much earlier (if possible) to explore the city and meet some people before law school actually starts. Most schools have informal activities before the actual start date for students to meet and get to know each other. 

Thank you for your advice!

And one more thing. Do you think there is any need to study Canadian law in advance?

20 hours ago, LMP said:

Continue working on your English, I don't think it is bad by any means but strong oration and writing will only help you. 

Do some research on the city you'll be moving to, it will help with the acclimatization process. I also like to make a list of things I want to do or see in a new place, this helps keep me excited for the move and acts as a great resource to meet new people. 

On that note, do try and meet new people! Law schools normally have some kind of "class of 20XX admitted students" group, don't be afraid to make yourself know. You can likely find people from the province you'll be going to who can give you tips and advice (and you'll make friends you can look forward to seeing on arrival). 

From your advice, I am now convinced that English is the number one priority for me.

And by the way, do you think I should study Canadian law in advance?

[GGrievous]

11 minutes ago, atarack said:

 

And by the way, do you think I should study Canadian law in advance?

No. But there is a book called the Canadian Constitution by Adam Dodek that might not be bad to read beforehand. You’ll learn it all once you get there so it’s not necessary, it just might give you some context.

Edited January 3, 2022 by Barry

[GreyDude]

11 minutes ago, atarack said:

And by the way, do you think I should study Canadian law in advance?

OP, I’m not in law school (I’m an applicant) but I have a couple of degrees and I’m a prof. My suggestIon is to remember that it’s school. The assumption will normally be that you’re there to learn, not because you already have learned. That said, though, I don’t know how much you know about Canada at all, based on your posts, so I might suggest reading the news on a regular basis (particularly political news, but not just that) and perhaps familiarise yourself with our federal structure and Parliamentary system. (Edit: so maybe @Barry’s book suggestion). Aside from that, I recommend deep breaths, and an open mind. 

Edited January 3, 2022 by GreyDude

[LMP]

6 hours ago, atarack said:

 

And by the way, do you think I should study Canadian law in advance?

No, don't do that. It won't be helpful. You don't know what approaches your prof will take to a certain area of law and by studying in advance you'll only serve to muddy the waters. 

[Ramesses]

No need to study Canadian law in advance. I would familiarize yourself with how Canadian society works though. Like municipal vs provinicial vs federal government. Where provinces are and roughly what their industries and economies are like. Read/watch the news and get a better understanding of what Canadian society is and how we function.  

This is not absolutely necessary but will provide you with much better context on how things work here. I remember sitting down with an international student classmate for an afternoon and explaining everything about Canada from a social studies perspective and it gave her a much better idea of how everything fit together.

A lot of things are going to be common sense for your classmates and profs may assume you know it already.

[atarack]

On 1/4/2022 at 12:13 AM, Barry said:

No. But there is a book called the Canadian Constitution by Adam Dodek that might not be bad to read beforehand. You’ll learn it all once you get there so it’s not necessary, it just might give you some context.

 

On 1/4/2022 at 12:14 AM, GreyDude said:

OP, I’m not in law school (I’m an applicant) but I have a couple of degrees and I’m a prof. My suggestIon is to remember that it’s school. The assumption will normally be that you’re there to learn, not because you already have learned. That said, though, I don’t know how much you know about Canada at all, based on your posts, so I might suggest reading the news on a regular basis (particularly political news, but not just that) and perhaps familiarise yourself with our federal structure and Parliamentary system. (Edit: so maybe @Barry’s book suggestion). Aside from that, I recommend deep breaths, and an open mind. 

 

On 1/4/2022 at 6:40 AM, LMP said:

No, don't do that. It won't be helpful. You don't know what approaches your prof will take to a certain area of law and by studying in advance you'll only serve to muddy the waters. 

 

On 1/4/2022 at 7:06 PM, Ramesses said:

No need to study Canadian law in advance. I would familiarize yourself with how Canadian society works though. Like municipal vs provinicial vs federal government. Where provinces are and roughly what their industries and economies are like. Read/watch the news and get a better understanding of what Canadian society is and how we function.  

This is not absolutely necessary but will provide you with much better context on how things work here. I remember sitting down with an international student classmate for an afternoon and explaining everything about Canada from a social studies perspective and it gave her a much better idea of how everything fit together.

A lot of things are going to be common sense for your classmates and profs may assume you know it already.

 

Thanks!

Then, it will just study the basics of English and Canadian society.

[Khrisse]

Nothing to add to the good advice you've gotten - just wanted to welcome you to Canada in advance! I immigrated here about 25 years ago and so am very familiar with the culture shock one can experience coming to a place that's new and very different. There are lots of smart and helpful folks here. Please don't hesitate to message me directly if I can help.