First Day of Classes
So I canceled all of my plans this past weekend so I could study my ass off and hit the ground running. I probably put in a solid 20 - 24 hours worth of studying, which is pretty insane, when you think about it. I don't think I'm a particularly studious person; I habitually used to do the bare minimum to attain the grades I wanted. Yet, surprisingly, I'm finding it pretty easy to buckle down and hit the books - hard! I think my prime source of motivation is fear; I'm absolutely terrified of not understanding the material or, at the very least, failing to supply satisfactory answers to my professors during the class discussions.
I made a conscious decision to go to law school and there's no way in hell I'm going fuck myself by doing the assignments half-assed - that's something I just can't do anymore. My success in law school and beyond is dependent not only on my comprehension of the material, but also my ability to apply the tools I will acquire over the next few years. Clarity can be achieved only via the frustratingly tedious process of mulling over the text again and again and again.
All my hard work has paid off so far. Today was the first day of classes and I expected to feel overwhelmed and confused, of which I experienced neither; if anything, I felt confident. Taking the time to read the cases several times and familiarize myself with the language allowed me to arrive at conclusions shared by my professors and my peers; my briefs consistently included all of the key elements my professors touched on. I felt triumphant and relieved!
I've been home for about 45 minutes. I haven't slept very much over the past week so I think I'll take a 30-minute nap before I begin the slow process all over again. I anticipate that I'll be studying for a good five or six hours tonight, which is nothing compared to the past couple of days. Hooray for me!
One last thing: I'm going to Salzburg, Austria next summer to take a course on fundamental rights in Europe and the United States under Anthony M. Kennedy, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Wow! A class taught by a Supreme Court Justice! How cool is that?!? :D
I made a conscious decision to go to law school and there's no way in hell I'm going fuck myself by doing the assignments half-assed - that's something I just can't do anymore. My success in law school and beyond is dependent not only on my comprehension of the material, but also my ability to apply the tools I will acquire over the next few years. Clarity can be achieved only via the frustratingly tedious process of mulling over the text again and again and again.
All my hard work has paid off so far. Today was the first day of classes and I expected to feel overwhelmed and confused, of which I experienced neither; if anything, I felt confident. Taking the time to read the cases several times and familiarize myself with the language allowed me to arrive at conclusions shared by my professors and my peers; my briefs consistently included all of the key elements my professors touched on. I felt triumphant and relieved!
I've been home for about 45 minutes. I haven't slept very much over the past week so I think I'll take a 30-minute nap before I begin the slow process all over again. I anticipate that I'll be studying for a good five or six hours tonight, which is nothing compared to the past couple of days. Hooray for me!
One last thing: I'm going to Salzburg, Austria next summer to take a course on fundamental rights in Europe and the United States under Anthony M. Kennedy, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Wow! A class taught by a Supreme Court Justice! How cool is that?!? :D