Law School Day 2 Recap


Day 2 is complete! In reality, this was the first meeting of my Tuesday/Thursday classes so it was basically another first day. However, I was feeling significantly more confident today. I again dressed classy casual in skinny jeans, an Express top and oxford shoes. I brought a sweater with me because there is one classroom that is freezing!


Day 2 style
Today I packed a lunch as I would be on campus from 9:40-5:50. I planned to eat between my first two classes which gave me an hour and ten-minute lunch.  I made it to class plenty early. So far I have not had any traffic issues getting to campus so that is a big plus. Parking is also a non-issue so far as our lot is huge. 

I arrived at the school a good 25 minutes early and met up with my friends. Our professor opened the room 20 minutes early so we found decent seats. Our classrooms are tiered and I have found the 4th floor is the best spot; it is the first to tier up and therefore gives short little me a clear view of the board and professor. In all my classes so far, the professors have said that the second class meeting will be when we write down our assigned seats for the semester. Hopefully, I get the same seats because I was very happy with them!

My first class today was Torts. The professor is rather intimidating and is very direct. However, I like his teaching style and he was very easy to follow and understand. I think the intimidation will wear off as the semester continues and we get more comfortable with him. He did not exercise cold-calling today to give us a breather but has a random drawing system for the rest of the semester: all of our names are written on a card within a full deck and he shuffles and picks at random. That should be fun. He also sends us an outline of the class discussion the night before so you have an idea of what to prepare and what to expect. I find this to be a very positive and helpful resource. 

My lunch time was next and I basically sat with my friend in our forum area and talked about wedding planning for the duration and ate my PB & J. It was nice to just not talk about law for an hour and act like normal girls. 

Civil Procedure is up next. This is my only professor who does not allow laptops so my hand was cramping hard by the end. This professor is very engaging and energetic so it is easy to follow his class and stay on task. He also ended class 30 minutes early today so that was pretty awesome!! 

I have a long break next and I decided to investigate the freshly remodeled library and attempt to do some printing. I found out we have free unlimited printing (thank the heavens)! Our computer lab is pretty nice; I was pleasantly surprised. The fresh remodel is on the 4th floor. They took out a million stacks of books and put in 64 study carols, some of which can be converted to standing stations to break up your study session and help your back. It is super nice up there and very light and quiet. I think I have a new favorite study spot. I used this time to finish up Core Grammar and review my readings for my last class of the day, Lawyering Skills. 
Library study session 
My last class of the day was Lawyering Skills aka Legal Research and Writing. This is my smallest class with around 15 people. The professor is very nice and seems prepared to do anything she can to help us. The class is going to move fast though; we already got our first memo and assignment and I have no idea how to complete it.

After this class, it was already 6pm so I headed straight home for dinner and a walk in the park with my hubby and puppies. Thankfully I have no new reading to complete before my Wednesday classes so I am just doing a bit of review and starting the lawyering skills assignment. 

One thing that is very surprising to me is the amount of time Law School takes over. I knew it would be a lot but they are not kidding about it being a full-time job. The recommended time to spend studying outside of class is 2 hours to every 1 hour of class credit. Let's do the math: 

Class
Credit Hours
Study Hours
Total
Contracts
3
6
9
Property
3
6
9
Torts
4
8
12
Civil Procedure
3
6
9
Lawyering Skills
2
4
6
Total
15
30
45

So I am spending 15 hours per week sitting in class, 30 studying outside of class and 45 total hours doing Law School just according to the recommended times. This should be fun. Eventually, I will add in student organizations to this mix also. 

So moral of the story, Law School is no joke and no small time commitment. It is literally a full-time job. So far the work load is not too bad but the information has its challenges; it is just completely different than undergrad and takes some adjustment to my reading and study habits. I am still trying to find a note taking habit that really works; thus far I have been highlighting in the book, taking notes on a legal pad as I read and then typing them into OneNote before class. During class, I take notes in OneNote (except for Civ. Pro.) and merge the reading and class notes. I don't know if this is the most efficient way but so far it is working.

Day 3 up tomorrow: the student organization fair, a meeting with the Themis Bar Prep representative about becoming a student representative and some more classes coming my way. 

How is your first week going?

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