Justin LewisAge: 31
Undergraduate School: Texas A&M University
Undergraduate Major: Agricultural Development
Hometown: Kingsbury, TX
Status: Part-Time Evening
E-mail:
jwlewis@mail.txwes.edu
4/29/09 - Classes are finished, and the exam studying is in full swing. I would like to tell you that my outlines are perfect, and I have completed all of the practice exams and now am taking the time to memorize them both, but that wouldn’t be the truth. While I feel more prepared this semester than last, life outside law school once again has gotten in the way.
As we approach the end of the semester, I would like to bring back the list of useful information.
1. Be prepared for class.
2. Ask for help when you need it.
3. Take time for you, occasionally, to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
4. Try to eat well.
5. Talk to your classmates. They are in the same boat as you, and they are more than likely the only people that understand the stresses you are dealing with.
6. Take the practice exams and utilize any outlines offered.
7. Don't talk to your classmates about the final after it is over, you will just make yourself worry more about how you did.
8. Talk to your professors.
And the two final additions:
9. Start preparing for finals at the beginning of the semester, if you wait till the end there won’t be enough time.
10. Enjoy your time in law school, it goes VERY quickly.
4/22/09 - I am having a hard time wrapping my head around the idea that there is only one week of classes left in this semester. On the first day of school last year I thought that four years of law school would last forever, but I can now tell you with certainty that you don’t have to worry about it. The time has sped by.
I have, as of this writing, registered for both the summer semester and for next fall. I chose to take a full 12 hours in the fall. At first I was a little worried, but after some thought I came back to my motto that it is only fourteen weeks, and if they fly by like the others, things will be OK.
Registering for courses is easy here, especially for 1Ls. Everything can be done online and if you are a 1L, you are most likely in lockstep classes, so the school registers you automatically. Planning a course of study was probably the most difficult part of the process. While the evening division has the full range of subjects to choose from, as a third semester 1L you are somewhat limited in what you can take. For example, I will have two lockstep classes in the fall. They are Monday/Wednesday classes. In order to fill out my schedule, and not have a scheduling conflict with my job, I will have to take Tuesday/Thursday classes as well. However, there is a limited amount I can take this fall semester because I either do not have the required prerequisite classes or the available classes that I am eligible for have time conflicts with the lockstep classes.
4/15/09 – In previous blogs, I have discussed the special kind of fun that comes with being ill while attending law school. I seem to pick the most inconvenient times to get sick. When you have small children in school, they seem to pick up everything that comes along in the way of sickness. By the time my kids graduate from high school I should have a cast iron immune system.
Last week was not as productive as I needed it to be, and the down time has me worried about my finals prep schedule. I have my outlines up to date and I am trying to memorize them, but last week’s illness didn’t allow me to start taking practice exams as I had previously planned to do. That means that this week at night I will have to start on the practice exams. Not a horrible thing but definitely not my ideal conditions for exam prep.
Otherwise things are going fairly well. This time of the semester is always a challenge due to all the commitments that I have taken on. However, I can say that things have been going more smoothly this semester than they were at this point last semester. The impending sense of doom that hung over almost the entirety of last semester is not present now. Once you have been through the process, you kind of get a feel for what is going to happen and what it is that you need to do to prepare.
4/8/09 - There is no rest for the weary. The trial brief is turned in, and I am relieved (for a short time anyway). Now is really the crunch time for finals prep. I need to get my outlines up-to-date and start memorizing them.
I learned a few things after last semester’s finals that I hope to put to good use this semester. First, use old tests if you can get them. The library has quite a few on file and if you can’t get them there find someone who has taken the class before. Students here are more than willing to help if you just ask.
Second, give yourself more time than you think you will need to study. Life always finds a way to interject itself into my prescheduled study time. Last semester I didn’t start my finals prep early enough in the semester. This go round I have already been working on it for weeks.
Third, review your own tests from the previous semester. This is a good way to see what you need to work on. The classes are different but tests don’t vary that much. For example, most tests will have multiple choice, short answer and an essay question (pray for just one). I tend to do better on essay questions. The multiple choice questions are not like undergrad, here there are multiple right answers, you must pick the best right answer.
The moral is start early, work hard and know your weaknesses.
4/1/09 - Life keeps getting between me and this trial brief. At this point, I wish I was a lot further along in my revisions. The only good news is the impending sense of doom is helping me write faster.
The problem with the trial brief is that you never feel like you’re finished with it. No matter how many hours you research, no matter how much time you spend outlining your argument, you always feel there must be one more good case that you need, or that your argument could be improved a little if you just changed one more thing. However, as with the memo, there has to be a point when you just sit down, write, and pray that you have done enough on your research and your brief outline.
The writing part always scares me the worst. I always start off feeling that I will never accomplish what I set out to do or write anything worthwhile. But through my past writing experiences in law school, I have found this isn’t the case. I feel if you can break the assignment up in smaller pieces it is easier to tackle it. I have also found that if I just start writing, even if I think it is trash, it helps start the process. Later, I will cut and paste what I have written to create a well-written trial brief.
After completing the trial brief next week, it will be time to resume studying for finals. Until next week…
3/25/09 - All is right with the world this week. Spring break was very nice. I took the opportunity to spend time with my family and get a little school work done. I was able to get my criminal law outline up to date (I’m still working on contracts) and start the memo. I have to admit that I had some difficultly readjusting to my schedule on Monday, but as of this writing all is well.
I encourage everyone to make an outline. For those readers not familiar with the concept, an outline is an overview of what you have learned in a class - for me an important study tool. Last semester I felt I had a very good torts outline and a ho-hum contracts outline. My grades in those classes reflect the quality of my outlines. In torts I did really well. In contracts I could have done much better. I am learning from my mistakes and applying those lessons to this semester.
Right before spring break we had the practice criminal law exam. Thank goodness it was an open book exam. I had a good idea how to answer the problem but without the book and my outline I would have been sunk. I believe it is important to take the practice exams, if for no other reason than to get an indication of how well your outline is put together and what you need to adjust.
For those readers that sent e-mails over spring break, please be patient with me. I also took the week off work, so I am playing a little catch up. I will reply as quickly as I can. Have a good week.
3/11/09 - This year is passing by faster than any other that I can remember. It seems that just last week it was New Year’s, and I am having difficulty believing it is spring already. I am a little conflicted whether I like this or not. On one hand, school passes quickly, but on the other, my kids are growing up faster than I want them to. I just hope that spring break doesn’t fly by - I would like to enjoy as much time as I can with my family and catch up on my studying.
I have talked with a lot of the other 1Ls about their extracurricular school activities (Moot Court, Night Advocacy Group, etc…), and I am feeling like I should probably become more involved. However, that feeling quickly subsides when I think about my current schedule, work, family and everything else that is going on in my life.
When we first got here we were all advised to wait until our 2L year to really get involved with anything. I can see why. Still, I think it is time for me to get off the fence and start deciding what I want to do. For inquiring minds, there is no shortage of opportunities to get involved. There are student associations of all stripes and colors, everything from Dispute Resolution to the Texas Wesleyan Cigar Society (I am not clear if the latter is sanctioned by the school). The point is there is something for everyone. Until next week…
3/4/09 - Time flies when you don’t have time to look at the clock.
This week I started to intensify my studying for finals. While finals are still several weeks away, I learned enough last semester to know that now is the time to ramp it up. I was satisfied with last semester’s grades, but I could have done better and intend to do so this round.
Last week we registered for summer classes (at least those of us taking summer classes). As a first semester 1L, there are a limited amount of classes you can take and our predicament is that we haven’t yet been here long enough to take a lot of the courses that are prerequisites to the courses offered this summer. I signed up for a course called Family and the Law. It is taught by a professor that I have already had and the topic interested me, so it’s pretty much a win-win for me.
The home front is still stable but I miss the time I used to spend with my family. My wife is very understanding and knew what she was getting into when we decided I would go back to school. I am looking forward to spring break (that sounds weird to my 32-year-old ears) so that I will be able to catch up with them and catch up on reading, the memo, etc. at night.
2/25/09 - I haven't addressed my list of useful information in a while, and I promised last week that I would expound on the topic this week. I will start with a recap of last semester. It follows:
1. Be prepared for class.
2. Ask for help when you need it.
3. Take time for you, occasionally, to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
4. Try to eat well.
5. Talk to your classmates. They are in the same boat as you, and they are more than likely the only people that understand the stresses you are dealing with.
6. Take the practice exams and utilize any outlines offered.
7. Don't talk to your classmates about the final after it is over, you will just make yourself worry more about how you did.
While thinking about what to add to the list, I tried to be selective and make sure the advice wasn’t just pertinent to me but also useful to the reader. So here is my addition.
8. Talk to your professors.
I didn’t do this in college, and I should have done it more my first semester. I know this may sound like number two above but there is a subtle difference. You can ask for help from multiple people such as TAs, academic help, other students, etc. While these folks are great resources, I have found no one replaces your professor for his/her advice and guidance. I wish I had spoken to my professors more often my first semester. I think if I had done so I might have cleared up one or two minor misunderstandings that I had developed.
2/18/09 - This entry is going to be a little short. I am still revising the research memo, and it has most of my attention at the moment. I feel pretty good about my efforts so far, and I think this will be my best paper yet (I have a low bar to hurdle).
Contracts is still giving me a little trouble this semester, but after talking to my professor, I feel like I understand the material better. I encourage everyone to talk to their professors. I did not do this in undergrad and my grades reflect it. I am sometimes afraid of asking what I perceive to be a stupid question in class. If you have the same problem, talk to the professor after class. Criminal law is still keeping me engaged but some of the subject matter is gruesome.
I hope next week to fill in a couple of lines on my list of useful information, but for now, I must return to the memo.
2/11/09 - The research memo is coming together at last. I finally feel I understand what I need to do to produce a good memo. Sorry that I am not sharing what that is with you today, but if I am wrong about this I don’t want to lead anyone astray. The memo was giving me headaches; hopefully that is behind me now. LARW is possibly the hardest class for me, but it is also the one class that ties everything together in law school.
This week’s reading was once again not too terrible (thankfully). I like the criminal law material - it is interesting and keeps you involved. I wish I could say the same about contracts. The sections we are currently on will cure insomnia. Looking ahead at the syllabus, it appears that things will get more interesting shortly.
I wrote a little bit last semester about the importance of eating right. I don’t want this to seem hypocritical, but I have a confession to make. My eating habits have become the law school equivalent of dumpster diving. By this I mean that if anyone (and I mean anyone) is offering free food, I will show up and eat. I justify this by comparing the free stuff to contents of the vending machine. You will find that eating proper meals while an evening student is challenging. If a vendor or group offers a presentation that has free food (yes, even pizza), you can assume I will attend. Usually the food is good, sometimes not so, but beggars can’t be choosers. Until next week.
2/4/09- This week I finally figured out what was missing - the pressure that I felt all last semester. Good riddance.
The work this semester is just as difficult (if not more so) as last semester, but I now know that I can do the work, and that makes the job a little easier. The reading for criminal law is interesting (and sometimes grotesque), and contracts seems to make more sense this semester. LARW has become what torts was last semester. It takes up the greatest amount of time of all three of my classes.
I have most of my research done for the first memo and plan to have a first draft done by Sunday. That will give me a week and a half to polish it up before turning it in. I would actually like more time, but you work with what you are given. For me, the hardest part of this memo was the research. Make no mistake, I still detest writing the memo, but it isn’t as hard as the research. Finding the cases that are on point (or close to being on point), checking their authority, and seeing if they are still good law takes up a good amount of time. The whole process is draining.
Home life is good so far this semester. My wife and kids have gotten used to me not being home three nights a week and we are back to last semester’s schedule where I call between classes to wish everyone a goodnight. As I have previously written, the first week or so was a little difficult on all of us, but we appear to have things going our way at the moment.
1/28/09 - This semester is not starting off like I want it to. I can’t place my finger on exactly what is wrong, but something just feels different than last semester. It may be that for two consecutive weeks that we have only had two days of class. I feel good about the material and I am on top of my reading and briefing, so maybe the only thing wrong is that nothing is wrong. The home front is holding up well, but after a month of being home at night it has been difficult to readjust. My job has kept me very busy lately, but it is expected this time of year. Maybe that is what has me off kilter - I just don’t feel I am in a groove yet this semester. Anyway, enough whining.
Certain things seem to come second nature now. I originally thought the research for the first memo this semester would be fairly easy. However, it was much more difficult than I had anticipated. Searching is not difficult, but sorting the wheat from the chaff is time consuming. I have found that I need to narrow the focus of my searches to eliminate the cases that are not relevant to my topic. B.L. (before law school) I read for pleasure, and that old habit can really slow me down when I see something that interests me. I have to remind myself to concentrate.
1/21/09 - I enjoy being back in class, but it is a little harder than I thought to get back in the groove of law school. I didn’t think a month of rest would make it difficult to pick up where we left off. I had a hard time this weekend focusing on my reading and briefing (I got it done but it took longer than normal). I hate to think what an entire summer will do to my study skills.
I liked seeing familiar faces and catching up on what everyone did during the break. The answer was almost the same for everybody: “I didn’t think about school.” I will admit that I tried to put school at the back of my mind and spend time with my family and friends. The break was good for me personally, even if it did take the edge off my ability to study. I am trying to get straightened out this week so that I won’t have to play catch up later.
As of this writing, the reading is not as intense as last semester. However, if I have learned anything about law school, it is that the rug can be jerked out from under you when you least expect it. I believe the reading will pick up shortly. The research assignment for LARW was handed out this week. I am not saying I am looking forward to it, but at least the sense of dread and fear that I experienced last semester is not present. I learned last semester that if you couldn’t do the work, you wouldn’t be here. Until next week.
1/14/09 - The holiday break was much needed. I feel recharged and ready to go for another 14 weeks. I was scared the break was going to pass so quickly that I would not notice. However, I was able to spend a lot of time with my family and even do some traveling. This may sound strange (and my wife might not like it) but I am looking forward to being back in class. I admit I miss it.
As I write this I have seen my grades for two of last semester’s classes and so far so good. I will tell you I think there is some truth to the idea that how you feel when you walk out of an exam is an indicator of how you did. I am going to continue to abide by my rule of not talking about tests and I am going to extend the rule to grades as well. I don’t see anything good coming out of playing the “what if” game. I did the best I felt I could do and I will work on those areas that need improvement.
I offer an apology to anyone who may have been following this blog. I missed the second to last entry due to my own inattention. When you’re wrong or make a mistake, admit it and apologize. You can not afford to make simple mistakes such as this in law school.
This semester I will look to add to the list of stuff I found useful. I am not claiming this list to be all encompassing but the items on it were important to me (and I hope you, the reader, found them useful also). Until next week.
12/17/08 - The semester is finally over and now is the time to relax and reflect. I began the semester very concerned about what was to come and expected the worse. The reality has been pleasantly surprising. The 14 weeks went by quickly and without too many issues.
Granted, we won't know this semester’s grades until after next semester begins, but I feel like I did well on the exams. I feel I studied as much as I possibly could. As mentioned before in my last entry though, I did as I was advised, and didn't talk to anyone else about the exam after it was over.
I'm going to take the time to enjoy the winter break, and will resume next semester with a slightly calmer sense of what is to come, with the same level of dedication to get the work accomplished. It can be overwhelming at times, but after this semester I know that it is doable.
I haven't addressed my list of useful information in a while and I now have a few things to add:
1. Be prepared for class.
2. Ask for help when you need it.
3. Take time for you, occasionally, to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
4. Try to eat well.
5. Talk to your classmates. They are in the same boat as you, and they are more than likely the only people that understand the stresses you are dealing with.
6. Take the practice exams and utilize any outlines offered.
7. Don't talk to your classmates about the final after it is over, you will just make yourself worry more about how you did.
11/19/08 – Getting sick while in law school is its own special kind of fun. I knew it was inevitable that sometime in my four-year course of study that I would become sick. I was just kind of hoping it wouldn’t be at the end of my 1L year, when Memo 2 was due.
I tried slowing down for about twenty four hours to try and get better, but as you may know, the common head cold lasts for up to two weeks. During my short hiatus I made things worse by worrying about what I should have been doing besides getting well. So I gave up on getting well and got back to work. I am keeping the same schedule I did before I got sick, but currently feel I will have to get well to die.
As for Memo 2, it is turned in and a great weight has been lifted off me. I worked on it for almost four weeks and I found myself doing revisions up to the night before it was due. I did well on the first memo and I feel this one is a much better product than my first effort. Hopefully so does the professor.
I have found one very important piece of info I need to pass along. DO NOT TALK TO ANYONE ABOUT YOUR MEMO (OR TEST) AFTER IT IS DONE!!!! The reason is simple - talking to others will make you start thinking you were completely wrong (or for the egotistical, that the rest of your classmates are idiots and you are at the front of the curve). You will not find out the grade for a couple of months and why would you want to put yourself through that kind of torture. Just be glad it is over, don’t prolong the agony needlessly.
11/12/08 - If time is money, I am flat broke right now. Between the reading for torts and contracts, trying to write Memo two, keeping up my outlines, and studying the material we have already covered, I don’t have a free moment. This is all on top of work and family. The light at the end of the tunnel is that classes are almost over. However, it will also be time to cram for finals. The good news is we get about a month off between semesters.
Memo two is taking a lot more time than I expected. I began working on it the weekend after we got the assignment (over two weeks ago), and I feel I am about halfway done with it right now. I will write something down, then come back to it the next day and completely rewrite it. I know that doesn’t sound like progress but it is slowly coming together. I have previously commented that I am not a good writer. If you feel you are in the same boat as me, don’t worry. Law school will give you the chance to improve your skills.
There is a marked sense of stress in the air around the school (at least with 1Ls), but everyone seems to be holding up fairly well. From talking to the other students, I think everyone is feeling about the same as I am. Despite my complaining I am enjoying this first semester. I have learned a lot and I have made a lot of new friends. While there is a lot of work, you can still find enjoyment if you look for it.
11/5/08 - Memo two is currently getting the best of me. It seems as though every time I sit down to work on it, I am struck with a severe case of writer’s block. I have read the cases and briefed them. I have studied the case facts and statutes until I can almost recite them verbatim, but I am still trying to figure out how to reduce my thoughts to paper. It is frustrating.
On the bright side, studying for the exams is going well. I have adjusted my schedule to fit more time for studying in with the rest of the school work. You may ask, “What did you cut out of your schedule to accomplish this?” Sleep would be the short answer.
I am also finding that I am getting faster at reading and briefing the cases we must study. At first I struggled to figure out what the professor wanted us to get out of the reading. Now I have an idea of what they are looking for, and that helps speed up the process. To offset this newfound talent, some professors have increased the reading. However, I think I have found a groove, so things are going better.
It is more than a little scary how fast this semester is passing by. I am definitely looking forward to the semester break and spending a little time with my family. There is still a lot of work to be done before then, but just knowing that time is coming is a nice thing.
Until next week.
10/29/08 - I have received several e-mails about the stresses of law school on family life. I thought the best way to answer the question would be to let my wife tell you from her point of view:
“Justin has asked me to write about what law school has been like for our family halfway into the first semester. We had talked extensively before beginning this process about the amount of time he would be gone from the house and I was prepared for that. Thankfully, I do have the flexibility to have lunch with him when I feel like I haven’t seen him in a while, and the ability to shoulder the responsibilities of running the household. It is easier for me to get the oil changed in the car or have the flat tire fixed.
What I wasn’t prepared for were the weekends, making sure that he was able to study without being interrupted by a precocious 5-year-old and learning to talk 1-year-old or the bedtime meltdowns of “I just want Daddy!” Justin’s family time, usually scheduled for Friday night and Saturday or Sunday morning, really has turned into Justin’s time with the girls. Thank goodness for cell phones, because my chance to spend time with him really only seems to come while he drives home each night after class, after the girls have gone to bed.
This is a wonderful opportunity for him and I know that he is not doing this for himself but for the betterment of our family - for that, the sacrifice has been worth it so far. Besides, each semester is only fourteen weeks, completely manageable even if he does have to miss a birthday or two.”
Hope this was helpful.
10/22/08 - The torts practice exam was a real eye-opener and it showed me how little I know about torts. In all fairness, I didn’t really have time to study before the exam and I left feeling miserable about the experience. Overall though, I feel the practice was a good thing – it definitely showed me how much more I need to study. The practice exam for contracts will be coming up next month and I plan on taking it, too. Even though the practice exams are not mandatory, I recommend that you take them. They provide a way to gauge your knowledge of the material and check if you are studying enough.
I know I have been harping a lot about the reading in torts, but I am serious when I say it is taking up a huge amount of time. The concepts are getting a more difficult and we are covering each new concept faster with every new class.
LARW memo two came out this week. It is going to be more much more in-depth and time consuming than memo one. Though we have not gotten Memo 1 back from the professor yet, I feel good about the final product. I have a lot more confidence in my writing now and I hope that increased confidence is going to translate into a better memo two.
‘Til next week.
10/15/08 - Memo one is done and I am glad to have that behind me. I had a hard time getting want I wanted on to paper, but I feel I gave it my best shot. I hope that I am going to get used to writing in a legal format - if I don’t, it is going to be a long four years. The structure, citation, and analysis are different than anything I have done for school before. The concepts are not difficult; putting them into practice has been hardest for me.
Torts class is taking up a lot of time. The reading seems to increase each week, and I am still trying to review what we have already covered, in order to prepare for the exam. The material is interesting but there is a lot of it. LARW is still the hardest class, but as I said before, it is tying everything else together. Contracts is challenging, but I feel more comfortable with that subject than the others.
Overall, things are going well; it is just difficult to find enough hours in the day to accomplish everything that I want to. We are told that after the first year things become clearer and I hope that is the case.
10/8/08 - Week seven has come and gone. This does not mean that I am over the hump; on the contrary, things are really gaining momentum now. Between LARW writing, outlines, studying material already covered, and reading and briefing cases for class, I am starting to feel a little bit behind. It always seems that there is one more thing that needs to be done, but I am running out of hours to give up. However, there is hope. Talking to other students leads me to believe just about everyone is dealing with the same emotional roller coaster I am.
I have casually mentioned in my previous postings that I do not consider myself a good writer. I was therefore pleasantly surprised when I got the draft memo back. It was far from perfect but I exceeded my own expectations. Currently, I am trying to write memo number one and I will admit it is giving me fits. I am trying out a new approach suggested to me at school. I will call it the “spray and pray method.” I am basically writing down just about anything that pops in my mind, and then I will go back and edit and expand on the relevant stuff (sorry if it is carrying over a little to here). I am thankful to the person that came up with the word processor.
As for my list of useful information:
1. Be prepared for class.
2. Ask for help when you need it.
3. Take time for you, occasionally, to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
4. Try to eat well.
5. Talk to your class mates. They are in the same boat as you, and they are more than likely the only people that understand the stresses you are dealing with.
10/1/08 - This week went fairly well. The increased amount of reading is starting to become routine and I am feeling good about my knowledge of the material. I am looking forward to week number seven, the big number seven, ye olde half way point in the semester. Time has flown by, not because I am having that much fun, but because I am so busy I don’t have time to look up at the clock.
The academic support is proving to be very valuable. Not everything pertains to what is going on in class at the moment, but most pertains to what is going on in our lives. I have noticed that the attendance in academic support is down from the first couple of weeks. I personally believe that not showing up is a mistake. The class is helpful to me and they are prepping us for the exams.
Home life is still pretty smooth. My wife deserves the credit for that. It is stressful on my family to have me gone three nights a week and when I am home I usually have my nose in a book. My wife and I talked at length about the stresses involved in law school well before I took the LSAT and we worked out our family schedule just before classes started. We of course have not always been able to keep the schedule (make up classes), but I make a point to spend as much time with them as possible. My family gives me the support I need to accomplish this.
‘Till next time.
9/24/08 - Let us discuss the difficulties of eating properly while attending law school at night. If you know anything about law school, the first thing you should realize is that you are going to dislike pizza by the time you leave. I leave work right at 5 p.m. most days to get to school, and with my commute I don’t have time to grab a good meal. I have found myself playing the “lesser of two evils” game at the vending machine much too often. (Which do you choose - the fried apple pie or a meat and cheese product that I am almost certain is older than I am?) I would suggest packing a piece of fruit in your bag (something that won’t be easily damaged), or whatever other snack you may like. I have found that if I skip eating in the evening altogether that I don’t get as much out of class.
The classes are getting more intense. As I noted last week, the amount of reading for torts has increased. The reading for contracts has stayed the same, but the material is definitely more difficult and LARW (legal analysis, reading and writing) is becoming the hardest class for me by far. The reading assignments in LARW aren’t so bad, but I don’t particularly like to write nor am I very good at it (it is a little funny that I wound up blogging). However, it is also the one class that is pulling everything else together for me.
See you next week, same place, same time.
9/17/08 - I work for a local government, and Hurricane Ike kept us up most of the weekend. I have to say that sleep is probably the one thing I miss the most. I was not a big sleeper before law school, but I liked to have eight hours most nights. Between family, work, and school, the average number of hours I sleep at night during the week has been cut back to about five and a half. On the weekends, I make it a point to catch up on my beauty rest, but I try not to overdo it as it cuts into my study time.
The amount of reading is about to increase. As I look ahead on the syllabus, it appears that the class is moving past the fundamentals of law school. I must say that if you follow a schedule the reading is not as bad as it looks. You just have to make sure you make time to do it. You do not want to get called on if you have not read. It can be brutal.
Another useful tidbit I have discovered (actually if you listen to what the TA tells you and ask questions, there is not much you have to discover on your own) is that you want to make time for recreation. I scheduled for family, work, school and studying, but left off personal time. I have found out I need a little down time in the schedule. I am not the type that exercises (nothing wrong with that, just not for me) However I have found it necessary to wind down by doing something I enjoy. Til next week.
9/10/08 - They threw us a bone with the holiday last Monday, but took it back from us with the increase in reading assignments.
I have learned a considerable amount in the past weeks. However, I still have moments of doubt about my ability to do the work. I will tell you from my discussions with others that these feelings are shared by most of the 1L class (either that or they are all trying to make me feel better). I try not to let the stress take over. I have found that if I break something up into small pieces it is easier to handle. For example, if I thought about law school as lasting four years, I would probably not last too long, but by thinking about it terms of fourteen weeks in the fall and fourteen weeks in the spring, it doesn’t seem as bad. On the bright side, we are over three weeks into this semester.
Once I got into a routine that was somewhat consistent, I started feeling better. The classes aren’t getting easier, but the routine is. The important lesson to remember this week is not to let yourself feel overwhelmed by the workload or the environment, but to understand that it is part of the learning process.
9/3/08 - The second week is over and I think I am starting to understand how this is supposed to work. I spent a little time in the library this week and I have learned one very important lesson: Use the map they provide. If you are not familiar with the library you are not going to be able to navigate it on your own. We were required to take a tour during orientation. Then one of our first assignments was an audio tour of the library. These are still not enough for me to be proficient in finding my way around the place without the map.
The moral here is to ask for help. It applies not only to the library but to just about every other facet of law school. In my undergrad studies, I wasn’t one to chat up the professor or ask for outside help (my grades reflect this). Here you are expected to ask, and so far everyone has been glad to answer. Wesleyan offers an academic support class to us that has been very helpful. This is not a remedial class for the not-so-legally gifted, but rather a forum to ask questions and receive useful information. The topics so far have covered everything from class to your life outside law school. I plan to attend as many as possible.
As for my list of useful information:
1. Be prepared for class.
2. Ask for help when you need it.
3. To be determined.
8/27/08 - The first week is over and I am still alive. A good friend gave me some advice before I started law school - “Don’t worry, they can’t eat you and they can’t make you like disco.” So far both have held to be true statements. The first week was not as bad as I led myself to believe it would be. I’m not saying that it was easy, but it wasn’t impossible. There was an incredible amount of reading and that took a considerable amount of time. There was also the learning curve in regard to what is expected of you. (I am still not 100% certain as to what is expected.)
I have met some really incredible people here. (I know that you must think I don’t get out a lot. You would be right.) The evening program is a diverse group. We have folks from all ages and walks of life and if you like to hear good stories, this is your bunch. My body is still adjusting to the lack of sleep and the commute. It has been quite a while since I have sat in a classroom, and that also is going to take me some time to get used to. However, I promised last time to keep the whining down, so here is the stuff I believe is important as of this week:
1. Be prepared for class.
2. Number 1 pretty much sums it up.
I will add to the list later as I figure out more. Hope next week goes this well.
8/20/08 - Finally, the first week of law school has started. I thought this day would never come, but now that it is here I’m a little apprehensive. I can recall studying for the LSAT, taking the LSAT, waiting anxiously for the results of the LSAT, applying to schools and finally making the choice to come to Texas Wesleyan School of Law.
First a little about me. I am Justin Lewis. I am 31 years old, married, and the father of two young children. I have a full-time job and I am enrolled in the part-time evening program. I commute approximately one hour each way to get to the campus. I made the choice to attend law school for several reasons but primarily to better myself.
Orientation was like “drinking from a fire hose” to quote a friend. They throw a lot of useful information at you and I am still trying to digest some of it. I have just completed the first day assignments for my classes (I think). (A note to the reader: obviously I am writing this prior to the first day of class. Always be prepared for class.) I don’t really know what to expect these first weeks. The school has been great at trying to prepare us for this, but until I see it for myself I don’t think I can truly understand it.
For those of you who might follow this, I will try to keep any whining to a minimum and what I see as useful information to a maximum. I am glad I have made the choice to be here.
