Exam time, but I have Sea Monkeys!

My first exam is in 6 days. Followed by another, then a 5 day (three of which I am working) break before the last 2.

So here is my head space for the subjects.

Crim B:
The last few days have been entirely devoted to outlining and doing Q&A book questions, I stand a fair chance of passing. Beyond that, I have no idea where I stand. If nothing else my outline and the text book have lots of pretty tabs. The more pretty tabs the better the chance of survival right? Does anybody else compare themselves to others against the style, amount and aesthetics of their tabbed out text books?

Foundations B:
NOT a substantive law subject. Legal research and writing class. I think some marks were lost in this subject because I only attended 60% of the classes. In my defense it was an hour and half of being walked though databases. In the computer labs there is a massive mix of computer literacy, some people fall behind and others sit there board out of their skull (aka ME). This should be a competency based class, set the tasks, when you reach the tasks get them signed off and go. On the flip side, the skills developed are very useful. I have an interest in employment law, more specifically how sexual orientation in a church biased institution will impact on employment if the orientation were to become public. With the skills developed in Foundations B, I can now to some point research and find an answer (from what I am finding, she/he could very well lose their job, irregardless of discrimination statute). Applying what we were learning to something outside the tute work has resulted in a deeper understanding of the principals/skills I think I will do O.K.

Torts B:
I love torts. Even when there are no clear cut rules (see, novel DOC) arguing by analogy makes it fun to try. I guess we will see.

Contracts B:
So this semester contracts did not have me weeping like a school girl who was just told she is fat by her BFF like it did last semester. The tutor for this class is AMAZING. I am not over confident about this subject, but I am not terrified of it either.

Overall I am not as far behind as I thought I was, thank goodness.

Sea-Monkeys, I have a very long history with them. They make me very, very happy. My close friend gave me some. As I said in the last post, get them where you find them.

The finish line is in sight! (for this year anyway) - Obiter

Take your jollies where you can find them

It's all about getting your happy points where you can find them.

On my last post I mentioned just how much I love my calender, it is not a fancy printed one, it is an A4 piece of paper with numbers on it. It makes me happy.

My Nan sent me some cash for my impending birthday. I feel guilty that she sends me money, as a pensioner money is tight, especally with 6 grand kids and 6 great grand kinds. I am almost 24 (31st Oct) But that is niether here nor there.

For the last few weeks people have been asking ' what would you like for your birthday?' and my answer has been 'a cork or white board'. Nobody takes this seriously. So thanks Nan!

I am a bit bummed out about by birthday this year, it is the day before a massive exam. The week before and the day of will be consumed with torts and crim study, so no socailizing for me :-( BUT NOW I HAVE A CORK BOARD!!! So it's not so bad.

Getting em, where I can - Obiter

p.s see the book prop? best $15 ever spent.

Eye of the storm

No hand in assessment left, only 4 tutes to go before there are no classes.

For the most part each week I do all the work needed for the tute on that subject, sometimes I outline, sometimes I don't. Now I am feeling a little overwhelmed.

When I think about what I need to know for each subject (running through the topics taught each week) I start to freak myself out, partly because I can't remember the topics for each subject, partly when I realise the topics I do know, what I understand if them is mostly surface stuff. Not enough to put a coherent answer on an exam. I am probably a bad law student.

looking back this semester has not been the total shit fight that first semester was, is this because the learning curve has evened out, better time management or a year of all law subjects has left me empty and unable to care as much? Probably a combination of all these factors.

Today I found out one of my Other Degree friends has moved into Law, I am so excited for her! I recall the day I received my letter and was over the moon, I got into all the blogs and did as much pre-reading before the semester began. I would sit in the law library and be in a type of awe over the law students, it was a club I wanted to be in. That is still there to a point but it is fading rapidly I was all excited about the prospect of 'being one of them'. For me moving into law was a very scary thing, as I am sure it will be for her, I had nobody who was ahead of me to give help and advice, to listen to, who understood what I was going through, most importantly to share notes with! I am going to do my best to be the person she can lean on when it feels like it is all coming down around her (as it seems to do).

Over my desk area (right next to the kitchen in the living room - this is cruel thing to do to a chef, should any inkling of the need to procrastinate arise I am in the kitchen because it is just so close!) I have an A4 piece of paper with about four months worth of days colour coded for each week (rent and non rent) with tiny notes of the important things for that day, such as when assessment is due, on a post it note tacked onto the paper is a daily to do list. I am only allowed to cross off each day when the 'do to list' has been completed. Working with instead of against my quirks (I will write 'write to do list' on the list, just to cross it off) is probably the only way I have managed to survive this year.

I am off to pickle my yoke in wine, then knock out an outline answer for pure economic loss caused by builders - Yay for me - Obiter

Maybe I just need some sleep...

My default attitude is happy and optimistic, right now, not so much.

I am only in year 2 of 5.5 so I have a while to go before I get to honestly stress out about where my career will take me. However I have goals, I hate not reaching goals.

The reason I am in law school is because ultimately it is a skill that people will pay for. As a salesman I would often work very, very hard for a client and have it all blow up in my face "oh, sorry XYZ firm had a better product, I am not ready to go any further right now, I just want to think about it" all common objections that I would often be able to work around. I am not a 'gun' sales person, however I have great at building rapport and relationships. Still you can put hours and hours into a deal only for it to go nowhere. With legal skills they pay you for a knowledge they don't have/abilities they don't have the training for. Early in my working life I discovered a deep seated dislike of working for others, hard work to make some other person wealthy. I hated it.

Being realistic, I understand I will have to put some time in to working for a firm before starting my own. Its that small period that gives me the shivers. I am not a brilliant,top achieving student. I am a credit student, and I hear stories about the 6.7 GPA (.3 from the very top) not getting jobs, or the 5.5 student still working in the place they were when at uni. It scares me. If I am not a brilliant student should I really be considering opening my own? All these questions I am so uncertain about.

'Your going to spend 5.5 years of your life for nothing' is going through my head a lot recently. I am sure it will pass. Over the summer I have an unpaid clerkship lined up, more than most of my cohort I guess. Next year I go back to 50% law 50% other degree, that will be good for my mental health.

Taking a nap in the hope of waking up with a better attitude - Obiter