Are you a little bummed out that exams are over and you don’t know what to do with all your free time? Since most of you have been sheltered away from the real world for the last 4 months, I will catch you up on some of the best activities to keep yourself busy over the winter break.

1. Sleep:  It’s never a bad idea to catch up on a little lost sleep and try to build on sleeping habits that you can carry with you into the Spring semester.  You don’t have to make a 9am class anytime soon, so abandon the alarm for the next 2 weeks and get try to get 7-8 hours a night.
2. Gym: The gym can be your friend.  Sweat your worries away and rejuvenate yourself in time for a productive second semester.
3. Shop:  Don’t forget to pick up those last minute gift items for family and friends.  Fortunately, most people will not hold you to high expectations during law school….hence why most of my family and friends received “law school swag” during my 3 years of law school.
4. Read:  Read?  Yes read.  Winter break is the best time to catch up on pleasure reading.  You aren’t bogged down with summer classes or work for an internship.  Plus, it’s always good to remind yourself that reading can be fun.   If you need a few ideas on what to read, check out the New York Times Best Sellers.
5. Television:  You will have plenty of time to catch up on all of those shows you DVR’d over the last few weeks and discover your new favorite shows.   If you need a suggestion on new TV Shows, I would highly suggest “Person of Interest” and “Revenge.”  It is also college bowl season, so spend a little time kicking it on the couch and watching your favorite college team play in the “PizzaCarRandomWebsite.com Bowl.”
6. Movies:  Yes, they are slightly expensive, but who can resist larger than satisfying Diet Cokes and free refill movie popcorn!  My picks for this winter break are “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol,”  “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows,” and “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.”

If  you get tired of all these fun activities, just remember that the Law Library will be back open on January 3rd from 8am – 6pm.  Have a great winter break.

The librarians  would like to share a few strategies we have identified that will help everybody focus and prepare for exams.

First, the librarians are going to make extra efforts to keep the library quiet.  This includes keeping our own noise levels down.

Typical Study Room, Typing Room #220, taken in 1926. Source: New York Public Library Visual Materials / Lantern Slides / Research Library / Typing

If you prefer quiet when studying, we have some guidelines and suggestions.

1) Use the back of the library (up the stairs or the ramp) as an extra quiet area.

2) If you would like a librarian to come and shush other library patrons in the designated quiet area, please ask at the reference desk or use the library’s chat reference service to better maintain your anonymity.

3) Borrow one of the new “Do Not Disturb” signs from the circulation desk–you can put it on the shelf in your study carrell as an indication that you’re trying to focus on your schoolwork.

4) If we can’t keep the ambient noise out of your head, please pick up some earplugs–sponsored by West–from the Reference Desk.

Of course, if you would like to use the library to study with a group of people, and you are looking for a place for your study group to be successful, please use our study rooms.  They are available for checkout for law students only, and you can reserve them online.  Study rooms are great if you want to outline together, talk through hypos, use a wipe board, or project your notes on the wall using the overhead projector.

We have three additional study rooms available for reservation during the exam period thanks to the Career Services Office.

Good luck with your exams!