Hard Work Really Does Pay Off!

Well, I had been told that the second year is SOOOO much easier than the first.  Well, not the way I did it!  I worked my tail off.  It did pay off, though.  This semester I got my first Am Jur (American Jurisprudence).  This means I got the highest grade in the class.  I received this award for Wills and Trusts, which is even more exciting since that is what I want to do.

At the beginning of this semester, a classmate and I were discussing what we want to be when we grow up.  She is working in Oil and Gas and I decided I wanted to do Estate Planning.  She joked about how great it would be for her to Am Jur O&G and for me to do so with Wills.  I laughed at her.  There was no way I would have the highest grade in Wills.  There were just too many smart people in that class.  Plus, the guy who got the highest grade in our professor's property class was in there.  I was sure he would Am Jur again.  I settled myself in with hopes of making an A and learning a lot.

I stayed after class and asked questions.  I did every practice test and went to every review.  I created my own hypothetical and answered it (yes I am a nerd).  I loved every moment of that class and frequently stayed after to talk with the professor (whom I love).  I studied my butt off around finals time.  I went to multiple study groups and taught other people what I know (which is a good way to practice).  Day of, I made test aids, worked backwards (Here is the answer I want-now create the problem), I read and re-read my outline.  The test was not bad.  Sure, she threw a few tricks in there (had a 15 year old write a will which is a capacity issue because you have to be 18 to be considered to have capacity).  There were some tough policy questions, but that is every law school final!  I felt pretty good about it.  Solid A, I thought.

Then people start talking "I put ____ on the essay."  "____Short answer was this, i know, I have the Am Jur's outline."  I started doubting myself.  I though, well, I bet I get at least a B or a B+.  Then you just start hoping you passed everything.  You have more finals and you forget what you wrote.  Lesson here-DO NOT TALK ABOUT FINALS!  It's like Fight Club.  The worst part is, you don't even get grades from the Fall Semester until after the Spring Semester starts.  It is torture!

So, Spring semester started, the stress increased.  It seemed to take forever for grades to come out.  Then a rumor started that grades would come out at 3PM on Friday-right in the middle of my 6 hour long class.  *sigh*  You could tell grades were coming out because no one was paying attention, everyone was checking grades.  I couldn't help but squeal in delight that my grades turned out so well.  It was also my first A+. 

So, while my second year was not easier, my grades were definitely better.  Moral of the story-hard work pays off!

New Semester

So, I got my 40 page law review paper turned in!  I am 99% sure it will never get published, but that's okay.  I did it!  now it is time to turn my attention to the new semester, which starts the 17.

I love the beginning of the semester.  It's a fresh start.  I break open my planner with nothing written on it.  i write in my schedule, put in study time and add work out classes and feel like this is the semester-the semester I will ACTUALLY stick to my schedule!  I'm going to do all my homework early and focus on my classes.  I'm going to work out every week and feel good about myself.  I feel like I can do anything!

This feeling usually lasts a week or two.  Then, I start slacking off.  Hopefully I won't this semester, but if I do, I will still be fine, I will still be able to make it up and get the work done.  Plus, this semester I am only taking 12 hours, so, it should be easier to keep it up.

Yay to a new semester!

New Year's Resolutions

I don't really believe in these.  I also don't believe that once the New Year hits, you get to start over.  I do think it is a good time to reflect on your life up to this point and decide where you want it to go.  This is why I don't believe in resolutions.  I'm not going to get my life to where I want it in one year.  I think there are good resolutions out there that you can do in one year.  You can quit smoking, you can find a work out regime and stick to it (If you do it for a few months consistently, it will be a habit), and certainly other things.  These are not my life goals, though.

So, I sat and reflected on my life this year.  I have been so focused on school, which is good, but why?  What do I want to get out of it?  Of course I want a career.  I want to be able to support my family so my husband can find out what he loves to do.  Those are all selfish reasons though.  I feel the need to give back.  I think I should use my degree for something good in this world besides my own personal happiness.

I mean, of course I will do Pro Bono work.  I would love to continue volunteering with VPO court.  I hope to do more volunteer work at the battered women's shelter.  While it is heartbreaking to go there, it is uplifting to know there is a place for women to go who have no one.  My mom's parents both passed away by the time she was 24.  She was a single mom with no parents.  She was lucky enough to be able to support herself.  Not every woman can do that.  Stay at home moms who have never had a job need help to escape bad situations.

I want to do more than volunteer, though.  I want to help change this world.  I want to help put laws into place that shape our country.  I want to do work with the HRC, or make it a law that family judges must have domestic violence training.  I want my degree to mean something other than making money.  So, my resolution will not be for "this year", it's for my life.  I'm  going to start with the (wo)man in the mirror (thank you Michael Jackson!)

Christmas Break

I'm not good at taking breaks.  When school ends and the break begins, I tend to get depressed.  It starts out as a "Oh my God I failed every single final" depression and is followed with sheer boredom depression.  I don't think I could ever live a life of leisure and be jobless because I would do nothing.  I would make goals for the day-"I'm going to volunteer," "I'm going to go to the book store," "I'm going to just get out of bed,"-but I would never follow through.  As annoyed as I am with this dang 40 page comment for law review, it at least forces me to get out of bed and stop watching Buffy.

I think I'm one of a handful of people actually looking forward to school starting again.  I've already filled in my calendar for next semester!  Next semester will be MUCH better than this one.  In fact, 2 of my classes will be OVER by the end of February!  I also only have 3 finals-so much better than last semesters 5.  Only 2 of my classes are on the Bar Exam.  After this semester, I only have 2 required classes left!  This means I can fill my schedule with fun courses!

Here's to a great Spring Semester!