Social LIfe/Friends

[JurisJoy11]

Hey everyone!

I'm currently applying to law school for this fall and just had a question about the social life/friends aspects of some schools. I know that 1L is an insanely hard year and that I'll be super busy for most of it, but something that is really important to me is the opportunity to make friends and go out. I'm currently finishing my undergrad at somewhat of a party school (yay western) and I don't have many friends in my hometown. Thus, making friends and continuing to go out in law school is something that is super important for me when picking what school will best support me mentally, as someone who is somewhat extroverted and needs social time to survive. 

I'm currently considering Queens, Osgoode, UOttawa, and UofT. I was hoping some current students could shed some light on the social aspects of these schools. I know that York has the rep of being a commuter school and honestly it's been turning me away from it, but some people are saying that Osgoode is completely different from the York undergrad experience. 

Thanks for any insights!

[thrill]

I'm halfway through Oz 1L, and found the time to be social and go out. Some of your section won't do that (you got some mature students and whatnot),  but there's definitely people who will. I wouldn't worry too much about it

[GoatDuck]

You'll definitely find opportunities to go out and hang out with people even if you're super busy. 

[Lawstudents20202020]

1L can be busy, but you are in the same schedule as everyone else, which means your free time is at the same time so it's fairly easy to plan things.

When I was in 1L the campus pub essentially had a standing reservation for the 1Ls twice a week in between classes.

[notterrible]

I can let you know how it is at UofT, though I would be this is the case more or less at all the school you've asked about.

Social time tends to follow the academic calendar. First half of the semester or so, people are really social. Going out 1-2 times a week with law school friends is pretty common in my experience, even during busy times like the 1L recruit. Once shit starts hitting the fan, social time of course goes down dramatically.

That being said, study groups are your friends. I don't have standing study groups for the year, but during the 2-3 leading into finals I do. For both social reasons and for not burning yourself out, you should always where practicable for your time try and incorporate a social aspect into your study time. If I'm meeting with people to study, even if I don't know them very well outside of class, I invite them out for dinner or a quick drink or coffee to get away from the law school. It's great for forming friendships in the fire of exams, and its great for your mental health.

To your concerns though, I wouldn't be worried. Most people show up at law school knowing no one, or at best only a couple of people. Everyone wants to make friends! My best piece of advice for whatever school you end up at is to be proactive. Don't wait to find "your people" or wait be invited out to events. Everyone is just as lonely and looking for friends as you are, and if you initiate with people, you stand a much better chance of forming meaningful and lasting friendships.  The key for law school friendships, in my experience, is to do things that expand your relationship outside of that context. Make your "law school friends" into your friends.