For me, confidence doesn’t come naturally. The opposite of confidence comes naturally.
It takes real effort to put yourself in a confident headspace, especially during your first year of law school, when everything you thought you knew about school has been turned on its head, and your professors might as well be speaking a foreign language.
Even as a practicing attorney, I still have to conjure self-confidence, and I have developed a few helpful tricks that can help get me back on track, most of the time.
- Compare where you started with where you are now. Be specific here. By the end of your first semester of law school, you undoubtedly know more than you did on your first day. Think back to orientation. Did you know what a tort is? You definitely have a better idea now. Did you know anything about reading case law? You do now. Make a list of as many little things as you can, and you’ll soon realize how far you’ve come.
- Remember that you were accepted into law school. That doesn’t happen for just anyone, and it doesn’t happen for most people. No, they didn’t accept you because you tricked them. Your LSAT score and undergrad transcripts didn’t lie. The dean of admissions didn’t make some huge mistake. You’re here because you earned your spot.
- Make a list of your accomplishments. You’ve undoubtedly done some impressive things over the course of your life. Write them down, not in resume format, but in a stream-of-consciousness way. Yes, include that time you won a spelling bee in the third grade. We’re conditioned not to boast, especially as women, but writing them down privately for your own good will feel different. It’ll feel incredible when you’re all done.
- Think of the things for which you are grateful. Law school will inevitably leave you wishing for things and traits you don’t have, but confidence is more than just believing in yourself; it’s believing that you can handle whatever comes your way. Take time to recognize the things you do have, the abilities and support systems that have helped you get through everything you’ve conquered so far. Your family. Your smart brain. The fact that you answered one question correctly when your professor cold-called you.
This New York Times article has a few additional tips, including trying something that gets you out of your comfort zone and — wait for it — “dress the way a confident version of yourself would.”
Finding confidence is a matter of shifting your perspective. Take time to reframe.