Brief!

Turned in my last (hopefully) Legal Writing assignment. An appellate brief. I feel like a weight has been lifted. Now to get on the grind for finals in two weeks. 1 class down, 4 to go!

Tips From a 2nd Semester 1L

1. Casebook Reading. Don't spend sooo much time & focus on reading the case books. Spend more time understand the concepts and spotting those concepts in a fact pattern. This will serve you better than reading 1000 pages of casebook.


2. Study Groups. Studying in groups can be helpful especially when exams roll around. However, when studying/reviewing on a daily basis, I believe it's best to study in seclusion. I studied in a group last semester, thinking that anything I didn't know someone else could explain to me and vice versa. I have since learned that the distraction far outweighs the benefit. Study alone. If you end up with question write it down and ask a classmate later or better yet email your question to your professor.


3. Study Aids. Study aids are AMAZING…IF used correctly! In order to utilize the best study guides have to offer, you have to use them as a supplement to your own class notes and outlines. Cross-reference between the two. Using study aids as your primary source is not going to help you, you will miss something that was mentioned in class. Study guides are generic, professors are specific with what they're looking for.


4. Other People's Outlines. Other peoples outlines are similar to study aids, only use them in addition to your own notes and outlines. Make sure they are CORRECT outlines and from someone you trust. I haven't experienced it yet, but some people are privy to sabotaging fellow students.


5. Case Briefing. I have mixed feelings about case briefing. It is incredibly helpful in honing issue spotting skills and IRAC formatting. However, it can also be quite time consuming. I have found Ecasebriefs to be helpful. Just make sure you're understanding the facts, rule, issue, and analysis, don't just use the briefs to get through being called on in class; you will get lost and learn nothing.


Sooo much more to say…I anticipate a part 2 coming sometime soon.



 

Law School is no Joke!

It has been forever since my last post. With good reason. I finished my first semester of law school and did not do nearly as well as I had hoped. My highest grade surprisingly enough was Legal Writing I. My lowest? Not surprisingly, Civil Procedure. Needless to say this semester I am busting my butt to make sure I don't end up in the bottom 30%, the percentage of my starting 1L class that will be cut…..the pressure is on!

Midterms!

Its been a while since my last post. School started on the 18th and the last month & a half has been a whirlwind. Balancing school work, networking events, and a social life has been a bit of a challenge. I had my first midterm last week, in torts. It cover assault, battery, false imprisonment, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. I think I did pretty good, but from what I hear most of the class did well, so the curve will be basically non-existent. Next, I have a midterm for civil procedure; this one worries me. Civ pro is quite possibly the most confusing of all my classes. But I'm going to take as many practice test and possible just to make sure I've got it down. Law school is definitely not a cakewalk, but so far its manageable.

Already Overwhelmed.....

It's been awhile since my last post. I've have been really busy. I quit my job, spent all last week packing, and moved this past weekend. To say I'm exhausted is an understatement. Been in & out of target, walmart, and a bunch of other places the last couple days, but I think I finally got everything I'll be needing for a while...never thought I would say this but I'm sooo tired of shopping.

I began reading my first cases and attempted to brief them today. I had to read each case a couple to time to make sure I was comprehending, but I think I'm getting the hang of it. 

Took a trip to campus this afternoon to make sure everything was squared away as far as tuition & transcripts go; everything was copacetic. Also, I picked up an updated version of my intial assignments list & supplemental reading materials from the library. 

Needless to say, I'll be home the next few days, trying to stay on top of things.

A f*cking arm & a leg.....

Bought my books last night...all of them for first semester. Total came out to about $700.00. To everyone I've talked to this isn't that bad for full-time law school, but it still stings. I bought my books from Amazon, Half, & Legal Books Distributing.

Also, I got my first assignments :( I have a lot of work to do before classes start....

Of Course!

So....of course I got my class schedule, book list, and everything else I need before school starts the day after bitching about it on here. Anyways, I'm taking the standard 1L classes: Legal Writing, Civil Porcedure, Contracts, Torts, Criminal Law, and a 1L seminar that meets once a week (apparently it's supposed to be really beneficial). I'm really happy with the way my classes are scheduled, my latest class ends around 3pm and it only meets 2x a week. I'm done by noon every other day.

Also, I checked out my profs. on Rate My Professor. I think I got a pretty good batch of people. They all have happy ratings, with the exception of one who has a medium rating. So all in all, I'm pretty excited about classes...even though I know it's gonna be sooo much work.

Class Schedule...Book List???

Where is my class schedule & book list!?!?! I'm annoyed with student affairs, I don't understand why it's taking soo long they said it would be sent out like 2 weeks ago...I have nothing! They couldn't just email it out...noooo it had to be snail mail...oh well I guess I'll play the waiting game....

Deferment.....

What's worse than going to law school and having to take out loans??? Still being in the process of paying off undergraduate loans. Sooo sucky!. 

Well I sent in my request for undergraduate loan payment deferment; so at least I won't have to worry about paying while I'm in school. Of course, I'm still gonna be paying down the balance with any extra money I get while in school, but I just don't want to be building interest on it.

This is the deferment form......

Finally!!!

So I finally found a place to live! After all the BS I went through. I decided on a really nice condominium rental community in Mission Valley. It’s really cute and next to all the shopping & entertainment, hopefully it won’t be too much of a distraction..Lol. Best of all it’s right in my price range and only a few minutes from Old Town & Downtown. Perfect!

I move in the first week of August and I have soo much stuff to do still; pack, buy furniture, books etc. It’s pretty over whelming. But I’m still really stoked!

Check out Mission Valley!

Law School Romance?

Dating as an 1L….a source of comfort or just asking for trouble?

Personally, I like the idea of having someone as a support system/person to vent to. However, as most people know the first-year of law school can be ridiculously stressful and most likely will be a strain on most relationships. Sooo is the possibility of disaster worth it? To me it is.

Luckily, I’ll be going into 1L with no baggage & no strings attached. Which will give me the freedom to play the field as much or as often as I choose. In my opinion, this is the ideal situation. 

However, there is one possible downfall, I could meet the most amazing man, fall in love, & then get my heart broken. I think 1L would be nearly impossible to complete with a broken heart. That’s the one thing that scares me. What do you guys think?

check out the link:
You know those law students…..#5 is my fav 

To Prep or Not to Prep.....

So with my first day of law school quickly approaching, I have been encountering the question of “summer before 1L prep”. Some people are completely for it, others are hardcore against it.

After weighing the pros & cons I have concluded the following:

Prep if:

You have been out of the education game for a year or more

• You may need the extra mental stimulation to get you ready for the insanity that is 1L 
• You are the kind of person who likes to be prepared, you may wanna read a book like:

Do not Prep if:

• You get anxiety easily, a lot of pre-law books can be quite overwhelming and if you stress out often you might wanna steer clear and start 1l with a clear head
• You are balls to the wall when it comes to your academics. If you’re the kinda person who focus most of their time while in school on studying with little time for a social life, you may wanna use the summer before 1L to relax and enjoy family & friends...cuz you may not see them much once school starts

Housing is a Bitch......

Sooo school starts in about a month and I still have no idea where I'm gonna live! I made the 2 hour drive to the area last Saturday and after looking around at the potential...to be perfectly honest, the pickins are slim. And the places that were truly sick are completely outta my price range. Technically, I could take out more loans to cover the extra housing cost, but I would rather not if i can avoid it...

I was looking forward to live by myself for the first time ever...but it's looking more and more likely that I'll be getting a roomie....blah...

For those of you in the same boat as me...check out this ehow article. It seems crazy but...it just might work...