While in law school, studying for the bar exam, or zealously pursuing another goal, it might be tempting to live a bit hermetically—insulating yourself from anything that might distract from your pursuits.
 
The news can be a powerfully distracting force. Many productivity “self-improvement” books actually urge readers to swear off news entirely.
 
 
That might be sage advice—for some people or in some seasons.
 
In law school coaching and bar exam coaching, I help students organize, align, and tend to their varied—sometimes competing—priorities. Together, we design a strategy unique to that student.
 
I mention this because each student is far too unique for any hard and fast rules such as: "avoid the news entirely."
 
In these posts, I do not state that any particular course of action should be taken by you personally. I only provide ideas to explore or try, as well as possible reasons you might have for exploring or trying.
 
In that vein, and for your mulling pleasure,
I provide a few reasons why avoiding the news entirely might not be advice worth following.
 
The Ivory Tower:
Law school can be so consuming that you begin to feel cut off from the rest of the world, or as though law school is the world.
 
In these instances, it is important to connect with the outside world. Staying apprised of current events can help.
 
Civic Duty:
You might feel it is your civic duty to remain informed on current events.
 
Remaining informed allows you to continue your civic engagement—even if this simply means you remain engaged as an informed citizen.
 
Interviews:
Yes, there is interview season to consider.
 
 
Students are often advised to remain well-versed in current affairs throughout on-campus interviews (OCI) and call-back interviews.
 
So, the news can be detrimentally distracting.
Yet, swearing it off entirely might not be the best solution.
What now?
 
Possible Solution #1:
If you find that your brain cannot detach itself from news stories sufficiently to focus on your studies, you might try some brain breaks to break free.
 
Click the Bubbly Brain
to
Explore Brain Breaks
 
 
Possible Solution #2:
If you still cannot guide your brain back to your studies, you might explore ways to moderate your news exposure.
 
The news is like alcohol.
Some should avoid it entirely.
Most should simply partake in moderation.
"Tweeting It!"—Troy & Abed
 

 
Alas, the question becomes: how can you achieve a moderate, manageable amount of news consumption?
 
One Idea to Try:
 
Slowly but surely, the news industry is beginning to cater to the busy person's desire to stay "in the know." Consequently, there are several options available for quick news.
 
Rather than give you a laundry list you could easily google, I wanted to give you an in depth look at one of my favorites.
 

 
I highly recommend theSkimm.
 

 
The full "I am not affiliated with theSkimm" statement:
Full Statement

 
If I ever become affiliated with theSkimm in the future I will let you know (and hopefully get you a discount if that’s the case). However, a discount really isn’t all that necessary because it is free to read online. If you’d like the app, I believe the subscription fee is only $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year as of this publishing.
 
In an effort to provide more disclosure than is likely necessary, I should note: theSkimm does do raffles from time to time and readers are entered based upon how many people sign up for theSkimm using the reader’s “share” link. So, theoretically, if you were to sign up for theSkimm through the link posted here and it just so happened to be during one of those raffles it might enter me into a raffle. So, that’s fun.

What's so great about it?
Hint: click the little arrows for a bit more info on each point.
 
Free:
Free for what?

 
TheSkimm is free to read online. It’s also free to subscribe and get it delivered to your inbox each morning. You can even read the Daily Skimm in the “theSkimm” app for free.
 
There is an optional in-app purchase for “Skimm Ahead,” which helps you mark your calendar for upcoming events. I believe there is a subscription fee of $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year as of this publishing. You can find more info here.

 
Succinct:
How Succinct?

 
It takes five minutes to read each day’s “Daily Skimm.”
 
If you need just a little bit more, theSkimm also has five-minute “Skimm Reads” on specific topics. There are more topics than I ventured to count. So, you’re sure to find something of interest, if you need a little brain break.

 
Witty:
You're never fully dressed without a smile

 
The authors go out of their way to keep it light and bring you a at least a smirk and sometimes an all-out belly laugh.
 


 
En Vogue:
Ooo La La!

 
I’m picturing Amy Poehler as Regina George’s mom in MEANGIRLS, “You girls keep me young. I love you so much.”
 
The same sentiment could be given to theSkimm, particularly in theSkimm’s “Thing to Know” section.
 
Sometimes, theSkimm will have a few sentences explaining current slang.
 
For example, a recent “Thing to Know” explained “Kittenfishing.” This is how theSkimm explained it:
 
“Catfishing for non-monsters.
 
Think: fudging your height in your dating profile by one or two inches.
Airbrushing your photo.
Having your friend chat with someone for you.
 
Fishy behavior, but no Nev Schulman intervention necessary.“
 
Sometimes, theSkimm will have a few sentences explaining old-fashioned turns of phrase.
 
Often, these are phrases that you might feel like you know, but you actually don’t. (We’ve all been there.)
 
For example, a recent “Thing to Know” provided the proper pronunciation of the french phrase “pret-a-porter” (pret-ahh-poor-tay) and its meaning (ready to wear).

 
Thorough... If you'd like:
When might I like?

 
Links
If ever you feel as though theSkimm is skimming a bit too much on a story, not to worry. The stories always include links to a reputable news source that discusses the topic in greater depth.
 
Guides
TheSkimm provides quick guides on some of today’s most hot-button topics. For example, theSkimm currently has a “Guide to the Opioid Crisis.”
 
No Excuses
This series title is presumably a play on the famous WEDDING CRASHERS quote:
 
“Rule #76:
No excuses. Play like a champion.”
 
In these series, theSkimm provides an even more in depth look on some of today’s most hot-button topics. The “no excuses” series began with “Skimm the Vote: No Excuses. You have to hire a new Prez.”

 
Tasteful Advertising:
How Delicious!

 
When a company is providing a useful product or service for free, I do not mind their need to monetize.
 
After all, I want the company to perpetuate its ability to offer that product or service for free. However, some companies handle this better than others.
 
Happily, theSkimm handles this wonderfully.
 

 
In all ad placements theSkimm still seeks to add value.
 
Do you remember the quote I showed you above about Kittenfishing? This followed that quote:
 
“This dating app is working on it by giving you a better IRL idea of potential matches before you meet them. Get it here.”
 
Tastefully handled ads may seem to be a less significant tally in the “pros” column, but poorly handled ads can make a user experience downright stressful.
 
I truly appreciate theSkimm’s manner of addressing their need to procure revenue without detracting from the user experience. I included it here because I would imagine that you might appreciate it, too.

That's all for now!
 
I hope this enhances your ability to "moderate" the influx of news to an amount that works for you and the varied priorities you must deftly balance with law school.
 
Remember, if the news does manage to ensare your brain, you can always try a brain break to break free.
 
If there's a resource for quick news that you've found helpful, I would love to hear about it!
 
Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments to this post on Instagram!
 
 
Happy Skimming!