July 06, 2007
I am going to stray from the customary blog format as I have no one unifying theme underlying my thoughts. Thus any attempt at a full blown coherent writing would be futile. Alas, I am reduced to bullet points.
*They say that law school is experienced in the following three phases: “Scare you to death, work you to death, and bore you to death.” These phases supposedly correspond to each of the three years it takes to earn a law degree. As with all adages, though, I find this to hold some truth and yet not that much. I’m not scared; I’m frustrated. I am frustrated at how long it takes to understand a single concept and how long it takes to read 30 pages. I’m frustrated that we only have one grade that is derived from the single examination we have each course. I'm frustrated at the lack of time to exercise. But above all, I'm frustrated because the material we are learning is very interesting and I don't yet have all the necessary knowledge and skills to really comprehend it to the level I would like.
*Though the material is intriguing and engaging, the inherent monotony of daily lectures, daily readings, daily case-briefs, and more daily readings, becomes vexing. When does this semester end again?
*Now that the excitement of the first few days of law school has worn off, I’m slowly starting to realize that I am going to have to substitute my adrenaline-fueled study marathons for caffeine-fueled study marathons. Curiosity and anticipation won’t get me through one semester of law school, let alone three years. Coffee, on the other hand, might.
*Redefining “quality time” with your spouse is difficult. Though Amanda and I are coping with this new lifestyle, it has been taxing spending such little time together. She’s found her solace in reading, going to the pool and working, and I’ve... well, I have no solace.
*Despite the overly dramatic chord I’m striking, this really is an amazing experience. Nothing compares to the experience of once again doing something that drives me and motivates me the way law school does. It is quite the experience to share the classroom with so many bright minds. The professors are intellectuals and the Socratic method is not as bad as advertised, unless of course, you didn't do the reading...