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?

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......

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?

High School

I have come to notice that law school is a lot like being back in high school, except for this time around, I could care less if I am popular. I am just finding it highly amusing to see us all gathered at our lockers between classes, the majority of the 1L class huddling together in their little groups in a vain attempt to look like they know what the hell is going on, and we still have the sorority sisters looking down their noses at everyone and snickering together.

Come on people, how old are we really?

I wish I could have looked at situations like this with humor when I was actually in high school, probably would have made me a less angsty teen :).

Group =/= Group

We were put into groups today in my Legal Research class. I, of course, had been dreading this all week. From my experience in undergrad group work usually meant that of the 4 people in the group, 2, at the most, would be doing the work while the rest traded stories of how big of a b*ong hit they could hold. I didn't expect the law school to be completely the same, but I still dreaded it.....

Gods be praised, this group is only required to work on the same assignment and share information through whatever means we choose i.e. facebook, email, phone, shouts across the building mall, etc. My whole group breathed a sigh of relief. Not only are we each turning in our own assignments, but we are not even required to actually talk to each other! Now this is my type of group assignment!

Is it too Early to Wish it was Over?

Its week 2 into the fall semester and I already feel mentally frayed (evidence: I am typing this when I should be glancing over my Torts cases, today will be the day I am called on, lol). By 8pm every night I am unable to speak coherently, especially if the words that are required have more then 1 syllable, and I can't read anything that uses brain cells (hence I am happily re-read my beloved Sookie Stackhouse series again). While I am keeping up with the work, I feel like I am reading every minute of everyday and am struggling to find the school/life balance that everyone says is essential to mental health (and my relationship, lol.) I am not stressed as a lot of my fellow 1L's are, just tired. I loathe being tired.
Since I live an hour away I am wasting 2 hours of my day just driving, plus in an effort to be more social I am trying to re-connect with friends and I actually joined an student association (those that know me in RL just fell off their chairs). While I am excited about being a member of our chapter of OUTLaw, I am stressed about meeting new people (my hermit ways is what made me decide to force myself out of them) and hate that our first social event has me up at the school for 13 hours so I can attend. But I think it will be good for me to see something other then my beloved, my doggie and my office walls.
I am already looking forward to my 2L year where I can choose my classes and hopefully get at least one day where I am not at the school every week. Hopefully this is just what I usually go through at the beginning of each semester and I will be in my groove by next week. Any suggestions?

Summer Starting & Orientation Lewtz

Today was day 2 of 1L orientation. The first day I did not have to attend because I got the super-duper condensed version a few months ago at the start of the summer semester. However, all 1Ls have to go the the professionalism seminar given by the state bar association. Basically it involved some speeches from the Dean, Chief Justice of the State Supreme Court and then some small groups with local attorneys and judges where we talk about being an ethical lawyer and how to face the myriad of crappy choices we could come up against as practicing attorneys. However, we ended the day with some nice walk aways such as a jump drive from Lexis and some really good info from other organizations. Plus it was really cool to see all the people that started with me in summer and it really helped me get back into the groove again for the coming fall.

I do want to say that I am glad I was a summer starter. I feel like it gave me a nice and easy introduction as to what to expect from the coming fall. I was able to see what kind of studying methods worked for me for the exams, I had both a closed and cheat sheet exam, and get me used to how classes went with only the stress of having two classes. If you are a pre-law and don't mind spending your summer in a class room, I definitely recommend starting in the summer. It definitely gives you a leg up on fall and you can enjoy the beginning of the semester instead of having panic attacks every night before bed :).

Book Review - Later in Life Lawyers

The guys over at Non-Trad Law were nice enough to send me a copy of their book Later in Life Lawyers: Tips for the Non-Traditional Law Student. I loved it. I wish I would have had it about a year ago when I became serious about law school and studying for the LSAT. It gives you a great overview and realistic look at the LSAT, getting into law school, the 1L year and the rest of the trip.


I was able to skim the first part because I had already passed the LSAT, gotten into law school and been through my first mini-semester over the summer. However, it answered all the questions and filled in a lot of blanks that I had when I started thinking about law school such as how to put the LSAT into prospective, how to choose your school and what to do when you do/don't get in. Plus it gives a nice overview of all the issues you, as a non-trad student have to consider like work, what bag to use, health insurance, balancing like and school (and trust me you need to find this balance and it is possible)brief, how the classes run, etc.

I definitely recommend this book for any non-trad student anywhere between pre-law and their 1L year. I wish I would have known about a year ago. It would have helped me skip a lot of aimless wandering around I did trying to figure out what the heck I was doing.

Practice Exam

The practice exam was a complete wash. The Prof said there wasn't even a B paper in the stack. You could see the panic fly around the room as all of us wondered if we could get a management job at Burger King. However, some good did come out of it. Our Prof who was nice enough to give us the exam in the first place, went even further and spent the entire 2 hour class going over the mass majority of mistakes (alliteration anyone?) and giving us some much needed tips on what to do in future exams. May thousands of blessings fall upon his head for that. Then our Civ Pro teacher gave us last years exam to look over.

So, while bombed the practice, I know what is expected. I got the main points of law, I just didn't analyze enough. Paralegals are taught to be very very short and sweet. I have to get past these preconceived notions I have from being a paralegal student and start thinking like a law student. Armed with that knowledge and some supplemental study books, I feel more secure about finals in 3(ish) weeks. Lets hope I am right :)

PWNed by my Practice Exam

Our Crim Law Prof sent out an email today with the model answer for our practice exam we took Wednesday. From the answer he sent I can see that I am going down the right road, I got most of the charges dead on and made the correct arguments. however I can see that I am not going into nearly enough detail and making my answers and thorough as they need to be. I hate not knowing what to expect and how exactly to nail a question. As someone who had an easy time of it in undergrad making good grades, figuring out what the teacher wanted and giving them that, law school is making me feel inadequate and moronic. I know I am neither of these things and I possess what I think is a good legal mind. I just don't know how to get that across on my paper. Ugh! I can't wait until this is old hat and no longer the issue it is now. Am I a 2L yet??

Still Here,

I am still here. School has been keeping me quite occupied (for the record I loathe outlines).

In a fit of generosity my Crim law professor has decided to give us a practice exam. Perhaps the way the entire 1L summer class turned pale and started drooling at the word exam has given him a hint that the majority of us are terrified of the first test, or perhaps he is just a nice guy, I vote for both. But I have been trying to prepare for that as I would a graded exam just so I know what I have gotten myself into....told ya I was a nerd :)

Plus, I am feeling the stress of school and being a noobish 1L. In fact, I am becoming convinced every night before I fall asleep that I am going to:
A) Flunk out of law school
B) Put Hayden and I in the poor house between not working the 1L year and trying to find a job after I graduate. Pretty soon we will have to tie a "Will Look Cute for Kibble" sign around Piggy's (our shih tzu aka Radclyffe) neck and send him down the street door to door. (I jest and exaggerate here, I promise)
C) Never learn the secret that EVERYONE knows but me about succeeding in law school

In the light of day these ideas make me laugh, but for those moments between shutting your eyes and falling asleep, these are true... I'll be glad when this first test is over and I know what to expect. Type A personalities like myself hate the unknown. Or maybe I will just starting drinking a bottle of wine before bed....who knows.

Hopefully I will have some more to post soon :)

Week 2 down

This was the first week that us Summer 1L's had both classes we are taking this semester (Crim Law was canceled last week due to the prof attending a conference) and I feel like things are going to be ok. I have to say it is taking up a lot more of my time then I thought it would. I am usually doing homework until 9pm every night and I am finding that my time isn't stretching nearly as far as it did in undergrad, where I was able to make A's with minimal effort. However, it is mostly busy work, ie. reading, briefing, making sure I have pulled the most important legal jargon out of the reading, that is taking the most time.

Whether it is a combination of some legal knowledge and interesting classes, or the fact I am ignorant as to what I am in for, I don't seem to be as worried as my class mates are. I guess finals in 6 weeks will let me know which on it is. Until then I am going to keep doing what I am doing and find time for myself and my beloved.