Thursday, September 16, 2010

5 Things I've Learned About Law School in 4 Weeks.

Alright, I know I promised posts on Saturdays, but that is proven more difficult that I originally thought. Still, I am attempting to be weekly. Take what you can get, people!

Tomorrow will mark the end of my fourth week of law school at Drake University. Crazy! It is always amazing to me how it has already been four weeks, but at the same time I find myself thinking, "Wait. It's only been four weeks?!" All joking aside, I feel like I have finally fallen into that law school groove, complete with lack of motivation by the time Thursday comes along. Thank god we're done by 2!

This week, I thought I would offer the top lessons I've learned since coming to law school. Note, they are in no particular order, just some musings from a sleep-deprived mind.

1) Don't try to do work with the iTunes visualizer on in the background. On the one hand it blocks the rest of the screen from view, forcing me to not look at Facebook and turn my attention to the words on the page. Of course, my gaze doesn't stay down for long. This visualizer is mesmerizing, and I love it! Still, not necessarily conducive to a distraction-free working environment.

2) Read BEFORE class. I, of course, always make sure to get my reading done at least the night before, but this warning is more for others. If the other students in your class can tell that you didn't read the case, or you weren't paying attention when you read the case, you better be sure that the professor knows that as well. Cold calling is a horrific thing, but it is even more awful (and awkward for your classmates) when we all have to wait while you flip through the book, searching for that one, unhighlighted sentence.

3) Start a Classical Music Playlist. I have had one for a long time, but you better believe that it has gotten quite the workout over the past few weeks. If you're anything like me, it is hard to focus on reading in a completely quiet room -- all the ambient noise of the parking lot outside, the buzzing of the desk lamp and ever single bump from the hallway just drives me crazy. With the classical music, the atmosphere is just more welcoming and allows me to focus even better on that brief that has to get done tonight.

4) Spend the first few days/weeks trying to find that one place in the Library quiet enough for you to actually be productive between classes. This one can be tricky, and quite frustrating. I don't know if it is like this at all law school libraries, but Opperman is very beautiful, but not necessarily well designed. Marble floors and stairs look really nice, but women in heels create echos that can be heard throughout the entire floor.

It took me awhile to find my one place in the library, far enough from the stairs that the clicks of heels are dulled enough to let me focus, and there is a clock there. Of course, there is squeaky shoe kid, but I find that he is not there as often as I am. I guess there are still some powers on my side.

5) Lastly, don't do anything work-related on Friday nights. By the time I have had a whole week of not turning my brain off, it is nice to lay back on Fridays, watch a movie or two and just veg. Of course, going out with friends is nice too, but if you're like me money can be a little tight. Invite them up for a movie or something! It is good to take a night off, get a good night's rest (turn off that alarm!) and start fresh on Saturday with some smaller tasks. Sunday can be the work day, if it is still necessary. And, if it isn't, then you don't have nearly as many reading assignments as I have.

So, that's about it for the time being. As my first semester of law school progresses, I'll make sure to mention more nuggets of wisdom for your reading pleasure. If there is anything you're specifically wandering about (not that I'd expect anyone reading this to consider me a law school authority), feel free to leave a comment or e-mail me, and I'll make a mention of it.

Until next time!

1 comment:

  1. I laughed at "squeaky shoe kid". He sounds like a fun dude. :D

    ReplyDelete