Spring Break is Almost Over

School starts back on Monday. :(

I take a long time to wind down and do nothing. It's Saturday and this is the first day of Spring Break that I haven't studied for at least two hours. Most days I worked at least six hours.

However, I didn't really do much towards my brief. We just got the assignment right before break, so we haven't really talked yet about what to do. I started researching and getting elements written down, but I haven't really sunk my teeth into it.

Now malaise has set in and I don't want to do anything school related. I'll probably take another week to get back into things. I'm depressed that school is starting back. I feel far more productive not going to class. ha ha!

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from Stare Decisis

My Brain on Law School

I went to dinner with a lawyer friend before I took the LSAT. She told me that law school would completely alter the way I think.

At first I didn't see any difference. I didn't argue with everyone over everything. I didn't throw around Latin phrases.

However, negligence abounds! I see torts everywhere. I don't see them and think - oh great, law suits for me to file, money for me to make.

I think, the wrong person, the wrong place, the wrong time, and because of a lack of due care, someone gets hurt. And that someone sues. That someone sues a person who could have easily avoided it and who may not be able to avoid a law suit.

The old Learned Hand test comes to mind along with the saying, "An ounce of wisdom is worth a pound of cure."

Anonymous Posting

I'm turning off anonymous posting. :)

Anonymous said...

W didn't effing lie. He didn't want to see *only* data dump. So it was okay to data dump on the exam, but with the addition of analysis. - da stcl troll.

Warning! Whining Post!

I do homework all the time. I read on the way to school in the dark. I read on the way home. My pleasure reading consists of the Contracts and/or Torts E&E's. When I'm not doing homework, I'm working at one of two jobs.

Usually I bear my burden with (little to) no complaining.

Today I don't want to study. I want a break. I go to school six days a week. Yes, six days. We have optional tutoring for three hours on Saturdays, and you know that all the "good" law students are there.

However, I have a motion for summary judgment due on Thursday. It's about 2/3s of the way done, I think. If I skip some classes between now and Thursday it should be suitable for turning in by then. I promised Mr. D that I would complete one section today. That just leaves me with subsections A & B, Conclusion and explanation of summary judgment sections.

Whine, whine, whine = I want some wine before noon.

Mr. D offered a compromise. He'll play Heroes of Might and Magic with me and I can make flash cards instead of reading.

I imagine that after a little bit I'll perk up and finish Con Law for Monday, even though I'm definitely skipping that class. We voted to have Con Law for two hours MW rather than 1.5 hours on MWF. During those two hours on Monday I should be able to wrap up the motion.

Enough whining. I know I'm not the only law student bummed about law school consuming her life.

Crim Law Meeting

I met with my Crim Law prof about my finals - two weeks ago, I think. Crim Law was my lowest grade by a significant amount, so I wanted to see what happened. What happened was that I listened to him when he said that he didn't want to see a lot of "data dumping." When he went over my test, he kept telling me I didn't do this or didn't do that. Finally I said that I got a lower grade on this test than on all my others because of his data dump comment. I knew all the stupid definitions, I just used them judiciously because of what he had said. Next time I'll remember to ignore that.

Sorry about my lack of posting. Two jobs and trying to fit in two jobs with writing a summary judgment - stress of trying not to make the "mistakes" I felt like I made last semester....

Stressed, worn down...not even reading blogs right now. I miss you all, a lot.

Trying to get going....

I just read Butterflyfish's post about being less organized this semester. Note that we're into February and I'm just now reading that post.

I'm having a hard time being motivated or organized.

The first two weeks of school, more than half the time I hadn't read for class. Since I recited twice during that time, the odds were pretty high that I hadn't read when I was called on. Fortunately one of those times Mr. D filled me in on the subject on the way to school. Con Law and we have to stand up for that one. Yuck. I survived, though.

Is it just me, or does it seem like the reading assignments are lighter? I'm getting most all of my reading done before Mr. D picks me up. When I get home, I don't have class preparation to do. That's nice, because I just want to hang out with him when I get home.

The past two weeks of school have been better as far as getting things done. I'm almost caught up with E&E's. I worked on flashcards for Property. Those are all done up through the material we'll cover this week. I haven't started flashcards for any of the other classes, but I'll try to get that going in the next few days.

I poked around on Lexis for some law review articles for my prof. I started research for my summary judgment thingy.

I've been a lousy poster, too. I'm still settling back into routines, I think. I hope everyone is doing well. I was able to post on Butterflyfish's blog, so maybe the blogger posting issues have been resolved.

RA, at your service!

Well, I am now official a research assistant. I think that's really cool. It didn't hurt that I focused on modern American history for one of my degrees and the prof is writing about legal reactions to incidents occurring during this period.

However, I have a client letter due Tuesday for LRW. I'm already feeling the time pressure!

I know it's not impossible, though. It doesn't sound worse than when everyone was worried about getting their Law Review stuff done. (If I had more time and wherewithall, I would have linked each word to a fretting blog post!)

I feel like I need lots more to blog about - this semester's classes, people not showing up after the break, that kind of thing.

I also wanted to say that I have been absent from commenting on lots of blogs that I love to read. This is because for some reason, I'm having a lot of problems commenting on some of your blogs. I can't post on Ana's AT ALL. Butterflyfish, you too, sometimes. So, please know that I'm reading and thinking and WANTING to comment, but some Blogger crapulence is preventing me.

and...we're back!

Hello, everyone! Sorry about the recent hiatus, and thank you,Butterflyfish for the nudge to update.

I survived getting my grades back. I actually made an A in LRW and was invited to interview for a research assistant position for that prof. I also made the highest grade on the graded memo in my class. I know I'm bragging. I can't help it. It just feels nice to have gotten something right this semester.

I'm waiting for LRW to start, so I'll post more later. I just wanted to get back into the old blogging habit again.

Licking My Wounds

Grades have been coming in over the past few days.

I didn't expect to make all A's. I didn't expect to make any A's....

but....

Ouch!

What a humbling, miserable experience.

How did y'all deal with this????

LRW - The Final Final

It's been almost a week since my last final. Yesterday I finally felt clear-headed, like I was getting back to my old self.

I may not be completely out of the woods, though. Right now I'm listening to a podcast on Constitutional Law and over the weekend I read Getting to Maybe, so there could be cause for concern. I think it's just a winding down thing. There's always a period of adjustment at the end of the semester when that hundred million pound weight known as schoolwork and exam pressures comes off my back.

Anyway, LRW final. I studied for it. I actually made more flashcards for this exam than I did even for Civil Procedure. I knew the flashcards the day before the exam. I made charts of the Texas court system and the federal court system. I listened to LRW podcasts. I did CALI lessons. Who knew there were CALI lessons on LRW? I sure didn't. My friend, A, clued me in around noon the day of the exam and it was a GODSEND when it came to the citation questions.

In other words, I took this exam as seriously as any of the others. Well, almost. I thought it would be a little tough. I studied as if it were going to be VERY HARD. It was actually EXTREMELY DIFFICULT.

Two hours, ninety multiple choice questions. I had about five minutes at the end to correct a couple of answers I figured out that were wrong in the process of working through the exam.

One of my classmates said, "It was so hard that I just gave up and put all B's toward the end."

One thing about law school that I will have to admit is kind of nice. I have yet to finish an exam thinking, "Gosh. I could have studied about eight hours less for this and still gotten an A+."

And it's over. I survived my first semester of law school. And in the words of Martha Stewart, that is a very, very good thing.

I'm Marianne Dashwood!

I found this at Knit and the City.

Which Classic Female Literary Character Are you?

You're Marianne Dashwood from Sense and Sensibilty by Jane Austen! Take this quiz! Quizilla | Join | Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

Christmas Song Tag - I'm It!!!

I still haven't written about my last final. I will. I think I'm still recovering from the whole three weeks of hell that was my finals experience.

Thanks to Meg, I'm out of my hole at least for a little bit.

Here's how it works:
I name five of my favorite Christmas songs and then tag five people to do the same.

My Favorite Christmas Songs:
Adeste Fideles
Winter Wonderland
Sleigh Ride (I don't know if this is the name of the song. The lyrics start out, "Just hear those sleigh bells jingling, ring ting tingalin', too...")
Good King Wencelaus
Little Drummer Boy

And I'm tagging:
Butterflyfish
Miss HB
Ana
Katlet
1L Wannabe

I Can't Stop Watching This!

I've watched this again and again. I can't decide if it's the music, the library ceiling, the utter ridiculousness of it all or a combination. Maybe it's post final hysteria. I just finished LRW, but I'll post on that one later. Right now, I'm going to watch those kitties sniff at the little monster....

Crim Law - Eight Hours

Torts was awful. Really bad. Like so bad I had to force myself to remain in my chair and not just get up and leave. However, I think I did reasonably well on the second essay. I don't know if it will make up for the disastrous first essay or the crazy multiple choice.

I didn't finish 30 minutes before the exam was over, either. When people finish and leave before time is called, I just shake my head. I don't know what that means. Are they so fast and accurate that they spotted all the issues and wrote such fabulous essays that they checked and double checked? Or is it that they've just reached that screw it point and wrap it up. I don't know. I'm one of those people that usually takes the entire exam period, especially on an essay exam.

Today is Crim Law, the exam for which I am least prepared. This prof has a reputation for giving a very fair exam and having extremely fair grading practices. I think that will work in my favor. He did a really, really good job of drilling things into our malleable little brains in class. I also realized toward the end of the semester that if I sat in rapt attention, my mind NEVER wandering from what he was saying even for a nanosecond, that I would not get called on! It never failed that the instant my mind would briefly wander, even to something Crim related, that I would get called on.

Yesterday I spent wallowing in depression, the same way I spent the day after each of my other exams.

Law-rah posted some 1L advice yesterday that was really helpful for me. I don't think it's sunk in all the way yet, but one thing rang true for me. She talked about having the firm belief that if you want something bad enough and work hard enough, you will get it. That's me! I still think that way, though. I still think that next semester, if I work harder and smarter, I'll do better. However, what she said planted a seed. I'm a muller. I have to think for some time and let them rattle around in my head.

And gosh, grades aren't even out yet. I could still do okay! Actually, right now I just want to pass, or get B's. Please, please, please.

Torts in Nine Hours

Nine hours from now I'll be taking my Torts final.

Saturday I was so blue I only studied for a few hours. I couldn't make myself do it. Mr. D cheered me up, though and Sunday I was back on track and studied for about twelve hours.

I've been stressed during these exams, but not like I have been in the past. Mostly I've just been depressed.

My dad doesn't like to play games where he doesn't win. I can be the same way, unless I'm really trying to learn from someone and my losing doesn't really matter to me.

I think school is that way for me, too. This semester I don't feel like I have a chance to get the best grade in the class, so I've basically taken my ball and gone home. If I can't do REALLY well, I don't want to play.

I need to get over that. I have more to say, but I have a stack of flashcards left to learn.

How did your exam experiences differ in undergrad and law school? I know I'm not the only one struggling with these perfectionist tendencies. Does it get easier? Do you know in advance that you're going to do well, or is it a guessing game til grades come out? *sigh*

Two Down, Three to Go

Well, I survived my Contracts final. I thought it was going to be the worst one. It wasn't tooooooo bad. There were only a few multiple choice questions where my answer didn't match any of the options given.

Now I have to prepare for Crim and Torts, which like I said yesterday, I am nervous about since I didn't have my study game on at that point.

I'll be so happy once next week is over with. My LRW final is six days after Crim Law, so that should be AMPLE time to prepare for that exam.

Then I guess it will be time for the Waiting Game.

One Down

I had my Civil Procedure final Tuesday. Wednesday I was so tired I could barely study for Contracts today. I went to bed at 8pm and didn't get up until Mr. D dragged me out of bed at 6am.

Mr. D's been kind of worried about me. He says I seem really defeated.

In the old days (because it DOES feel like eons ago), when I would finish a test, I would feel like a champion. I would have complete confidence in myself. I'd feel like a champion, like I'd kicked that test's ass.

My non-law school acquaintances eagerly ask me how I did on my test. My reply is, "Well, I don't think I failed it."

This feeling sort of reminds me of how I felt after my first upper level history exam. I made a B+ and my study partner made a C. Neither of us had made such low grades on essay exams before. We got our grades back, reconfigured our study strategy and I made an A+ on my final in that class.

The Torts tutor gave us a finals study schedule that began the month before school ended. We were supposed to study for the last final 3-5 hours a day for that week, then switch to the second to last final the next week, etc. Well, that week sucked for me study-wise. It took me that week to figure out how I wanted to prepare. My second week was better. By the third and fourth week I had my plan down. That was Contracts and Civil Procedure. I still didn't feel prepared enough for Civil Procedure.

I'm worried about Crim Law and Torts. They're on Monday and Wednesday, only three days after this.

Like I said earlier, I don't think I'll fail. But that's all I think. It makes me sad.

I know what to do for next semester to feel more prepared by this point. I feel confident that by then I'll be able to do far better.

Unfortunately, everything seems to ride on this semester. That stinks.

I'm a good student. I work hard and study a lot. I just need to focus the whole semester on preparing for the exam.

And don't get me started on how almost nothing in class helped me for the exam.

In honor of approaching finals, a quiz

Thanks, Ana!

You scored as Dante Alighieri. According to you most of humanity will spend at least some of their afterlife in hell. You have a high likelihood of being exiled, but anyone as bloody fucking romantic as you deserves what they get. You have an exceptional moral code, overshadowed by the fact that you yourself cannot uphold it.

Your existence bears a definite irony, although of fairly Christian morality, many pagans, satanists, communists, and intellectuals admire you and your works for all the wrong reasons.

Also, the brighest star in your sky is never going to be your lover...

It takes a lot of grief to be the cartographer of hell.

C.G. Jung		83%
Dante Alighieri		83%
Friedrich Nietzsche		67%
Adolf Hitler		58%
Mother Teresa		58%
Miyamoto Musashi		50%
Sigmund Freud		42%
Jesus Christ		33%
O.J. Simpson		25%
Charles Manson		25%
Stephen Hawking		25%
Steven Morrissey		17%
Hugh Hefner		0%
Elvis Presley		0%

What Pseudo Historical Figure Best Suits You?
created with QuizFarm.com

Mistaken for a Homeless Person

Last week I was having a particularly blue day. I sat down in front of the law school building waiting for Mr. D to pick me up. My school, like many others, is not in a particularly classy part of town. While I was sitting there, an intoxicated man strolls up to me and asks me if I need some money. I thought he asked me if I was with someone, so I said yes. He pulls a dollar bill out of his pocket and tries to give it to me!!!!!!! I declined his offer. Then he asked me if I had a place to go!

I know that finals are stressing me out and that I'm looking a little worse for wear, but I didn't know I looked that bad!!!!

On the finals front, I have my first final, Civil Procedure, on Tuesday. I was such a good studier in undergrad. I don't know what's wrong with me now. I'm studying, but it all seems so futile. It's really, really hard to get that good study groove action on. In undergrad I knew the amount of studying required to get the best grade in the class or close to it. Now I don't really know what that amount is, only that it has to be more than undergrad. In undergrad I used to get really stressed out. Now I'm stressed out, but it's more of a defeated stressed out, like - it's useless stressing out because you're not going to make As anyways, or you might make one A.