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?

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.

Calm Before the Storm

It's coming, the crying jags in the bathroom, 1Ls walking around, muttering to themselves and the 2/3L's looking at us with pity.

It will start the week after Halloween, when it hits all of us that finals are really only 4 weeks away and we really are expected to know all of this crap, er, legal knowledge that the proffesors have been talking about while we facebook-ed. Our hearts will skip a beat, or 5, or hands will shake and we will realize the reason that we have had so much free time this semester when everyone told us how hard it was going to be was because we were only doing 25% of the work we were supposed to.

How do I know all this, and how can I be so calm? Because I did the same this this past summer, and I am wiser for it.

For those of you saying, "NO!! We don't want to be those 1L's? What can we do?"

Well this is what I am doing: outlining after each class (Its a lot easier to outline 3 classes of notes per day, then outline 3 months of 5 classes in 2 days) and I try to do 2 review sessions per subject, per week. Usually this is either a chapter in one of my Examples & Explanations books, or a lesson in CALI. While this wont get me through everything leisurely by finals, it will give me a nice solid foundation of stuff I already know, so I can focus on points I have struggling with.

Good luck everyone. It won't be as bad as you think!

Girls in Tuxes?? Not if This School Can Help It!

An openly gay girl in Mississippi wants to wear her tux in her senior pic. However, she is told that the photo will not be included. Why? Because it is against the "convictions" of the people who run the school, even though there is not policies in place to effect that women can not wear tuxes, or other masculine attire. Translation for those of you who don't have the pleasure of living in the south. "These weirdo q*ueers freak us out and instead of trying to find common ground, we are going to pretend that they don't exist."

Take the time to email the people with "convictions" and let them know that everyone's convictions are important (and in this case, protected by the first amendment), not just theirs.

Of course, this just affirms why I, an openly queer woman, am in law school and is busting her hump to open her own practice. This is the kind of thing I hope to have a small hand, if not a large one, in abolishing.

"Freedom is not the same thing as being Free" ~ PC

*edited because of my lack of grammar skills at bedtime, :)

The Second Wind Cometh

I feel rejuvenated, not literally, but mentally. I am still physically tired and wish I could sleep in on weekends, but the fact that I wake up early all week has jinxed that.... but I digress...

I am caught up in school work, so much so that all my classes are outlined to the most recent day, I am slightly ahead on reading and a written assignment and have had time to start reviewing. I realized I slacked off the first few weeks of the semester and now have to review that concepts I half ignored the first weeks cuz I was not on my game. But I am doing it!

I started a new, yes another biz venture (let me know if you want info) because I have a firm goal/idea for my solo career and want to work as hard as I can towards it, both financially and academically. For those of you that scoff and say I am only a 1L or that i should be doing something legal with my time, I say this... Proper Prior Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance. And while do intend to find a legal job 2L year, but in my podunk area they are harder to find then a person who reads. And to quote Ani DiFranco "you gotta have an alternate plan."

So, yes, I am still yawning, I am still tired, but I feel good about the semester, the year and my future.... lets see how next week goes, lol.

Shameless Self Promotion

Time to plug my biz.

As a 1L I was, as the people at orientation put it, "stongly discouraged" from working my 1L year. Of course, even if I wanted to, I dont know where I would find the time as at least four of my days a week are 12 hr days between class, meetings and driving. So, in order to supplement the 1L income and start socking money away for my solo office I hope to open after graduation (well, its also so I have an excuse to talk/read about makeup and fashion... "but, baby, I have to read my Glamour now, its market research!!) , I am selling mark brand makeup. Its a lovely venture as I can completely ignore it on weeks I am swamped with assignments, and have some fun with it when I have time. I wont go into all the details here, I will just simply link to my other, non-legal blog so that you can choose for yourself whether or not to read more about it or check out my site.

Shameless self promotion is over, we now return you to your regularly scheduled blawgging.

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 :).

Non-Traditiona"L"s

I just created a new social network for Non-Traditional law students at ning.com. Its a lot like Facebook without all the creepy "If you were a Juice Brand, What Brand Would You Be?" quizzes. Its pretty sparse right now but I hope it will continue to grow over time in both members and content.

You can make your own profile page, complete with comment enabled wall, create interest focus groups, make blog posts and what not. Hope on over and join :)!

1L - Part Deux (or Fall Semester)

So, 1.5 weeks from now will find me back in the real beginning of my 1L year. I think of this summer as more of a primer really. A nice quick, intense intro to what the next year is going to be like. But Fall is slowly creeping up on me. Within the past 2 weeks my email has been inundated with book lists, orientation emails (some I get to ignore as a summer starter thank god) and various other offerings reminding me that my blissful weeks of reading a NOVEL and not a CASE, playing Warcraft until late, spending time with the hubster (his semester started tonight) and drooling on myself are coming to an abrupt end.

On one hand, I feel pretty good about the upcoming year because of this summer. I have a handle on what king of studying works for me, what to expect in class, and how much time I should be spending on the reading materials. Thank god for the one thing I have found handiest from my paralegal education, the fact that reading legalese and briefing is second nature to me. It helped tremendously. If you are a 1L reading this, brief the cases for the first few weeks of the semester, then move to book briefing. being able to pull out the important facts from each case is invaluable and saves a lot of time.

On the other hand, I am nervous yet again. This fall is going to be way more intensive then than the summer. More classes, more classmates, more assignments and more activities. That's what gives the most pause. I. Am. Not. A. Joiner. I loathe group activities (unless it is with my friends), hate school related social functions and work best when just left the hell alone. But I am trying to change that in law school, especially since I plan on being a solo. I need to be able to network and *deathly, strangling, choking noises* ask for help/advice (can you tell I HATE asking for help, lol). So, here I am, forcing myself out of the shell I live in, trying to become social.

The other hurdle to me getting involved is my hour commute to school and the fact that my hubster is also working and going to school full time. Between his job, my 1L year, his full time school schedule and everything else in life (hell just us having a life that involves each other and our friends) something has to give, and I fear it will be deep involvement in law school except for any law journals I might (and that's a big freaking might) get invited to and one student group I have planned to join for 2 years. Part of me is totally fine with that sacrifice (she is usually sitting in the back of my head, smoking cigarettes and threatening anyone who comes to close with a sharp pointy stick) but the other half hopes I am not missing out on something because of it.

I guess I will just have to play it by ear, say hi to a few people now and again, and put one foot in front of the other. I would love to know how involved the other Non-Trads got and how it effected them later if anyone would like to share.

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.

Back Again

I know I have been quiet for the past few weeks. I was originally putting the proverbial nose to the proverbial grindstone for finals. I was so wrapped up in CALI lessons, E&E hypos and class notes that I barely had time to breathe much less blog.

The finals were over, grades were posted, I breathed, I was pleased with how I did. I spent the next week doing nothing but playing Warcraft and reading all the books I couldn't over the summer semester. I even spent some time doing nothing but staring off into space. Quite enjoyable of I do say so myself.

But I am feeling intellectually healed again so hopefully I can get some blogging done over the next 2 weeks of my vacation. I plan on doing some Westlaw training (I want to score a WL Student Rep post), reading some more books including Later in Life Lawyers, which the folks over at Non Trad Law were nice enough to send me. I am looking forward to that book, some Grisham (who after years of refusing to read him, I find I actually like legal fiction!), and some plain only escapist fantasy/science fiction.

That coupled with my hubby's and I mad dash to reno our home office before his semester starts should keep me busy over the vacay.

More after finals!

I am in the final stretch before my first law exams. I have one next Friday and then one the following Monday. I plan on being back here within a couple days of the last final to blog about some very cool developments on the Gay Rights front. I have just been to busy making sure I am not going to completely bomb my first exams and have to go back to bringing people more ranch dressing for their salads. See you in a week!