Stress + Moving + Papers + Finals

Summer school is in it's last week and a half (thank god!), and I'm really really excited that it's almost over. However, silly little me went and scheduled my big, but seriously awesome move, the weekend before finals. Now, that's not a huge deal because for one class I just have a group paper due next week, but I do have a Crim Pro final, which I am not looking forward to, in a week and a half. So that means in between boxes and unpacking, I'm going to have awesome boyfriend quizzing me on the 4th and 6th amendments. There's just a lot going on - and it seems like life is just always this hectic. Right after I move I have my two intersession classes, and then I fly to Idaho three hours after the last one ends. I have four days off when I get back before fall semester starts. And fall break is taken up by a seriously awesome trip.

So, I have all these amazing, happy, wonderful things coming up, but they're pretty stressful, and I'm looking for a moment to sit back and breathe, and to take it all in. I'm sure that I'll find it, but in the meantime, I'm hanging on and trying to enjoy the hell out of the really amazing ride.

Other than that things are status quo - I'm finally going to get an A in a law school class - YAY. I've been getting pretty much straight B's, which is good because that's above the curve, but I've always just really really wanted an A, and now that I know I'm going to get it? I am SO STOKED.

Lots of crazy things and big decisions being made in my personal life. Boyfriend and I are making some huge decisions about our future and life and living and what to do, and it's thrilling and exciting and terrifying all rolled into one. He's so good about understanding where I'm coming from though. Once again, I need to just hang in there and enjoy the ride.

I know that there's a whole class of new 1L's gearing up to enter law school, and I was thinking of what advice I would give them. I think that I would tell them that it gets easier. Don't expect to know anything or to 'get' anything at first - just hang in there and keep moving forward. You will get it eventually, and you will do well, just put the work in first. :)

That's what's going on right now. Good luck to the incoming classes!

SCOTUS

...has made some really huge rulings this week. And people are either extremely happy, or extremely angry. I wish that people would take a second and step back and listen to themselves. Slinging mud and name calling in the spirit of "well the other side did it first" doesn't make you any better than the other side. It doesn't matter what I think about the rulings, but I'm tired of hearing educated law students, who I've heard form amazing arguments, slinging mud like first graders.

Just my .02.

Law Nerd Alert!

Exciting news! I'm going to be spending a week on the east coast in the fall, and that includes a couple of days in DC! The Supreme Court will be newly in session then so the plan is to try and get in and hear some oral arguments. I'm so stoked - I thought I'd have to wait a few years to put this trip off, but nope - tickets are booked and I am ready to go!

I'm pretty excited to see all the other nerdy things, the Pentagon, Washington Monument, the Vietnam Memorial Wall, The Capitol, White House, etc. However, in trying to tour the White House, there's a lotta hoops to jump through. Kind of crazy I had to go through my Senator to try and get a tour, and won't know until two weeks before our trip.

Anyway - my question to everyone out there - besides all the things I've listed, what are the must sees? And any tips on how early to get there to wait to see the oral args? I've never been so I'm really really excited and could use any and all advice.

Thanks! :)

Talk

I think the two biggest surprises about law school for me were 1. how much everyone talks about everyone else and 2. how unprofessional people are. First off - the stuff that people spread is just untrue and hurtful. But no one thinks to actually ask if its true. I've heard things about classmates recently that are just so untrue it's laughable, but people still spread it around. And if anyone thought about it, they'd figure out who it all starts from.

Secondly, I can't believe how unprofessional people are - even during class. A classmate tore apart another classmates paper in front of our entire class last night - and the paper was only wrong because of poor instructions from the professor. And as it turns out, her paper was just as bad. It was terribly unprofessional, but the person who's work got torn apart was a good sport and stayed calm about it, even though many, many shots were taken at him.

Law school is completely different that I thought it would be. I'm glad that the class is separating and that most of us are going our separate ways. It makes  it a lot easier to interact with those who you want to, and to not have to put up with the bad apples who like to make up lies and gossip about each other.

A word to the wise for those about to start in August: watch what you say, who you say it to, and how you act. People won't remember what you said, but they'll always remember how you made them feel.

Summer classes are...easy?

So, tonight marks the last class for first week of summer session. One week down - six to go! At least that's how I'm dealing with being at school every day, instead of out by the pool soaking up the sun.

The really good news is that my classes seem to be pretty easy so far. I have an International Sales and Arbitration class that's awesome. The professor cancelled the final and hates the book pretty much. Most of the class is spent talking about current events, how they play out in the world, international events, monetary and fiscal policies, etc. We're writing in groups in that class, but it doesn't seem too bad so far. And then also Crim Pro with a professor that I've had before so I know what to expect and how to handle it. My terrorism class got cancelled, so it looks like only 6 credits this summer, then 4 during intersession and 9 next semester. My graduation plans have been post poned, but with the way things are going it looks like that's the best idea.

The thing about law school is that everything seems to happen at once. I had a fairly calm end of the semester with finals. I was relaxed and easy going, and so far my grades have gone up and proven how much better that is for me. And so far summer has been pretty easy, like I said my professors seem good, I have some group work, but overall its nothing too stressful. I have some SBA duties but they're easy and I always have people to keep me company while I'm staffing the book exchange. But I can already see my summer getting incredibly busy with finals and moving and trips and vacations. Thank god I'm only in school three days a week next semester. I can't wait to just be Mon, Wed, Fri and get my AWR and MPRE knocked out of the way.

But overall, that's how summer is going. That, and talking to all of the new prospective 1L's at school that are incoming. It's so nice to be relaxed about law school instead of being so nervous and amped up. I don't envy them those feelings at all.

Finals

What is it about the last final of the semester that makes people freak out? I don't get it at all.

These finals have been different for me. I'm not under a ton of pressure, as I've done the work all semester long. I've felt relaxed, happy, and ready. I'm in a study room right now with a memorized outline doing well on practice MBE's, and I did well on practice essays all day yesterday while making an amazing meal. Or helping to make it anyway.

The point is that I'm relaxed. I'm not freaking out, and I'm not working until I burn out. I took the time out this weekend to go to the Melting Pot with friends Sat, and to just relax and hang out Fri. Overall I feel like I've prepared, done what I could and am ready to be done for 13 whole days (and go to Disneyland!).  I'm glad that I'm not around people who freak out and study until they burn out.

This feels really good, and I'm excited to go into my final tonight and finally be done with my second year of law school. :)

Graduate - in May?!?!

So yesterday while at work I was looking at where I am credit wise, and what I need to do in order to graduate Dec 2013, which is my goal, and would be 3.5 years - or a full semester early for the part time program. Then I really started looking at it and realized that if I keep my current plan of 3 summer classes and intersession, and find a way to go full time and get an externship plus to do winter intersession - I will be a May graduate! Basically this means I'd have to take a lot more student loans and cut my hours down at work pretty severely. I don't know how my boss is going to feel about that, and I have no idea how it will work with the MPRE, my AWR and a full time class load and externship in the fall. I'm a little concerned about it, but am hoping to figure it out for the best. In the end, it would end up actually costing me ~$300 more, and that doesn't figure in the extra summer session that I would have to do as well as intersessions. So, I'm thinking about talking to my boss and seeing what I can do. It wouldn't be terrible to break my lease and move home for a year or so maybe (okay - who am I kidding that would be the WORST), but there are some plans in the works.

Things are going pretty well other than that. I'm not stressed at all about finals this semester, and am doing pretty well. I had Property 2 last night and didn't have any issues. I've done pretty much every torts MBE and Essay I can get my hands on and seem to be doing well. I start Con Law studying on Thursday. And I'm getting my first tattoo on Friday! I can't wait - I am really really stoked about it. This semester has been different - I don't feel stress to cram it all in at the last second. I feel prepared, and like I've done what I've needed to do in order to succeed, at both the midterm and final level. I'm hoping for really good grades this semester.

Other than that I'm glad that our track is kind of splitting off and going our separate ways now. People lie and talk and are generally mean to each other in law school - and I don't want to surround myself with those kind of people. I have good people in my life and that's how I want it to stay from now on. There's been too much garbage in the past.

That's my update. I'll post more when I know what I'm doing and when I'm graduating. Until then, adieu!