Holy Blog Silence! 1L Wisdom

Wow, its been almost the entire semester since I have posted on here. But I am back to share some of my 1L, been there, done that, thank f*cking god I don't have to do it again wisdom. First let me say my blog silence it totally due to the fact that this semester has been outrageously busy for me. I have become president of the school's OUTlaw chapter, wrote the nightmare that is the 1L appellate brief and argued said brief in the terror filled moot court requirement. I have lost jobs, I have found a (non-paying) job for the summer. I have worked out and changed my health for the better till I am almost a veggie and so sore I couldn't walk.... plus I had facebook to keep up on during class.... whew.

So here is my pearls of wisdom for all the possible 1L's trying to decide whether or not to go to law school

• They ain't lying kids, jobs are scarce for us all... this isn't the money maker it used to be, but that only matters if you care about that sort of thing to the point that the lack of a guaranteed 2ooK salary will change your mind
• Start in the summer if you can. Its a nice, low stress, intro to the land of lawlz school, you make some awesome friends, form a relationship with professors, and can laugh at all the fall 1Ls freaking out over taking 5 exams they have no idea how to prepare for. By then you will have taken at least 2 and fell like an old pro
• Don't let the high school atmosphere get to you. Its cliquey, and intensely annoying, and COMPETITIVE, but ignore those posers and concentrate on yourself. After all they have so little effect on your life it's not funny
• Don't think everyone has it all figured out but you, they don't either. In fact they are looking at you thinking the same thing
• Know your study patterns, know how you learn, and make time to study starting at least 1 month before finals
• Outline your notes as you go, you don't want to trying to type a semesters outline up in one night to study from
• Make time for law school and make time for life.... otherwise you will be burnt out and not have one, or any friends by December.
  

Leave any questions you might have in the comment box, I will answer them as soon as I can.

New Semester, New Year... New Me?

So, as you can see I haven't posted much lately.... I was busy with finals, and then during break (and I just noticed I do this every break) I became a hermit to decompress, hide from the phone, read many novels and play video games. I think since I push myself so hard during the year, that I need to completely socially shut down during school breaks just to give myself some me/family time.

However, that is all over since today was the first day of the Sporing semester. Grades came in from Fall, and while I didn't do bad, I know I could have done better. But, in m y defense, I had some personal issues going on and I just couldn't get in my groove. well that, and I couldn't get the eff off facebook. So this semester I am going to make an effort to pay attention in class, knowing that this will prolly bring my grades up to what I feel is acceptable, that and I have to stop getting on my comp when I am supposed to be studying. I am horrible about that!!

On a different note. I joined a gym and started a weight loss/fitness blog. I ache all over and actually pulled a muscle in my neck, but I am seeing results after 3 weeks and enjoy the feeling of empowerment and accomplishment I get from hauling my big butt to the gym every week!

Hows everyone else's semester going? Anything changes you want to make?

Gratz to the Feds

According to the ACLU gender identity is now protected from employment discrimination within the federal government. I know this has to be a huge relief for families if TG employees. My partners place of employment has non-discrim policies and its nice to know his employer affords some protection even though the state where we live in does not. Of course, we still have some worry when there comes a time when his documented gender could come up, but so far so good, and hopefully it will stay that way.

Back to Work *sigh*

Well I have spent a lovely week and a half since my last final doing absolutely NOTHING. I played Warcraft, spent some time with my Xbox, hung out (and nursemaided, he has a weird neck pinched nerve-y thing) with my partner, and avoided all things that had to do with real life. I even fulfilled last weeks 3x's visit to the gym I just joined. All in all I am feeling pretty chill. Well except for the fact grades haven't hit yet and my old text books have yet to sell so I can but new ones... but I have no control over that, so c'est la vie.

This week its time to get back to work to a point. I have plans of starting the bar app law students have to fill out. (Pray tell, wtf is the story with that?? I have to list every place I worked and lived since I was 18 and get letters from my employers? I don't even remember some of those years, that's why I am 32 and still IN SCHOOL!) I also want to get some resumes and cover letters ready to go out so I can find a job for summer. Along with those things we have a house to recover from the holidays and a living room and foyer to paint before we go out of town next week.

What is everyone else doing over break?

Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays!

I have been having a lovely and relaxing break so far. I have joined a gym to start getting healthier and to give myself a stress reliever that does not involve impotent glaring at strangers. I have also spent some time with those most important to me: my partner, my dog, my Xbox and Lara Croft (not necessarily in that order).

Grades have not been released yet so I still have no clue how the first real semester of 1L year went. In fact the day grades come out hubster and I will be at a casino and hotel (our Xmas pressie to ourselves) and I will not be able to look them up till i get home the next day. Thankfully casinos provide free alcohol. Unfortunately, it only takes a glass of wine to out me on my ass.... oh well.

Tort This

My haphazard studying for my tort final is appalling. I have spent most of the day devising a million things that need to be done RIGHT NOW (like writing this) as a way of procrastinating and avoiding torts. It's not that i don't like the class because I do. And I like the teacher, he is an absolute hoot. he is a cross between a preacher and Malcom X. There is at least one point during every class where I want to jump up and start talking in tort tongues. However, what I don't like is the fact that he wants us to be able to spit 50 million different analysis aspects back at him per question. Example, him going over our "practice exam" (paraphrased for your reading enjoyment"

"If you mention A, I will give you 2 pts, if you mention B I will give you 2 points, if you mention C, even though there are no facts to support it and its not really relevant to the matter, I will give you 2 points."

SO, basically if I memorize my entire outline and vomit it onto the exam paper I win?? I am honestly so burnt out on studying I could care less right now. Luckily my paralegal education gave me nice background in torts so i have a lot of passive knowledge to pull from. The rest will come from the tests/elements from the current class I think are important and exam likely, and the gift of bullshit I was so amazingly blessed with.

Now, I am going to go back to reading the Pendergrast novels..... I mean studying, or facebooking, or staring at my dog while he sleeps.... whichever......

Still Here. Just Buried

I am still here, just buried under a pile of legal pads, used up highlighters and Examples and Explanations supplements. I had two exams last week, property and contracts, that I surprisingly feel good about despite the fact I spent the majority of the semester surfing the net during class (don't do it kids, I hope I don't in the spring). Now I just have intellectual property and torts this week.... wish me luck.

On a good note I have an appointment with a local gym that is doing a fitness program and taking volunteers. I hope I get in. Its hard for me to stay motivated about my health whne I am in school, I am hoping being a part of something like this will help.

Well back to re-writing my IP outline over and over until I can recite it in my sleep. See you on the other side!!

"Finals" Countdown

My first final is exactly one week from today.

I have been studying hard and looked to really bat the whole finals study crunch thing out of the park, allowing myself to feel, maybe not confident, but pretty good about my legal knowledge.

At 12:30 I begin sneezing and now I can barely breathe through my nose. My eyes are watery, itchy and on fire. I have to re-read every sentence I type to ensure that I am not speaking gibberish due to the large layer of wtf-ever that has surrounded my brain.

*shaking fists in air, Kleenex waving furiously* WHY GOD, WHY?????

************

On a lighter note, vote for Namby. Or burn forever in the fiery pit of eternal damnation. Your choice.

Good Show Moron

It finally happened, I got called on and was completely unprepared for it. Right before class I had a, how shall we say, intense conversation with the hubster. One which we were continuing over facebook during class (yeah yeah, I know, I was supposed to be paying attention). So... of course, I am called on. I had read the case, but it was on Monday when I read it and I hadn't reviewed it like I normally do because I was otherwise occupied. And this is the day he called on me. So I stumbled through, did ok I think, but still feel like a complete ass. Perfectionist A-Type people take this kinda of stuff hard and it will haunt me until I get high on paint fumes from painting the house this weekend. Oh well.....

Maybe I need to leave the laptop in the locker next semester huh?

Studying, Bar Apps and Resumes

I am hip deep in school work. I have memo's due, daily assignments, outlines to keep up and review to fit in. I am looking forward to Thanksgiving break, not because I have hours of fun-filled recreation planned, but because I am planning on studying, and over the weekend following, promoting my little direct sales biz at a local craft fair.

I also have an appointment with career services so I can try and start looking for a job for the summer, either paid or unpaid, at this point I would just be happy for the experience, money would just be a bonus.

Plus I am beginning work on the bar app I have to submit by October. October? Why I am worrying about it now? Because I have account for every address and job, and get signed affidavits from all my former employers that I am not a crackhead or some such thing. Being 32, that gives me A LOT of info to track down.... it's all about the 6 P Rule.