I kinda dropped the ball on this one, guys.
Well, I've been in Albany for about two weeks now, and I haven't really posted about it. So here it is! My post! It's cold sometimes and hot others here. I haven't found a group to ride with, and I don't think I'm going to, so I'm trying to create one myself instead. I HAVE found a great mountain to climb, though, and I do it often!
The area is nice in some places and really NOT in others. There seem to be a lot of the latter, though. :(
School started this past week. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I expected it to be the most terrifying and testing experience of my life. I guess I just came in with REALLY high expectations. It's still really interesting though! We read lots of interesting cases, and it seems like class is beneficial for different reasons than the book is (I never really experienced this in Undergrad, they just preached the book). Reading, learning, and writing are all very different here. It's like learning a whole new language (in fact, that's really what it is). The most interesting thing I've found so far is that there is never a right answer in law. You learn law concepts, as well as some specific statutes, and you're expected to use these concepts to make an effective argument. Your argument does not have to take one side or another, it only has to be effective. I love that. I feel like I can already be somewhat effective in doing this, so hopefully I'll become better!
I did have one really scary event on the first day of one of my classes. The teacher pranked us. It was Wednesday, and my first Torts class. We have assigned seats in all these classes, and I sit close to the front. There were two girls sitting to my left. The Professor walked in, wrote the names of some students on the board, announced that those would be the students called on during the class, and immediately called on the girl sitting directly to my left. She asked, "What happened in Caudle v. Betts?" The girl stuttered and stated some incorrect fact. The professor questioned her, and she reversed her answer. She proceeded to grill the student for a few minutes while the rest of the class sat petrified. I had my hand to my mouth, and had since she called on the student. Finally she said, "Why don't we ask your neighbor-" mind you I was now petrified it would be me "-Ms. Phillips," That girl then respond with "But my name isn't on the board," The professor said, "Just because your name isn't on the board doesn't mean I can't call on you," They got into a spat for another moment or two, and then the room went silent. I was frozen, hand still over my mouth, thinking "Don't move, don't flinch, don't breath, don't blink or she'll see you and you'll be the target!" After a few minutes of intense, fearful silence, somebody in the back of the room raised his hand and asked "Are we going to have class today?" I was thinking, "Are you STUPID?! She just destroyed two people in a row! Why open your mouth!" Then she said, smiling, "There was supposed to be a fourth that came in late, and we had a big fight before he left. The three students I just grilled are my T.A.s and they'll be helping you through this semester. You could see the room relax a little. We were all still pretty tense, and slightly un-trusting, but we felt much better after she revealed that it was a joke. XD Turns out she's pretty nice and very helpful!
Below are some pictures of the cooler parts of Albany, so that you can live my life with me!
This is the front of the law school. I was going to take some inside pictures, but it started to rain, and I didn't want to be caught out.
This is the New York Court of Appeals, which is the equivalent of the Florida Supreme Court
Here we have Empire State Plaza. The thing in the distance is the New York Museum.
This is the Egg. It looks like an egg from the sky. Google Earth it. It's a theatre, and the plays are actually held in the bowl. I'd totally go if I had any semblance of money.
These are some of my favorite pictures. This is the New York State Capital building, and General Sheridan is the guy on the horse.
Finally, these are of the New York State Education building. Why NY education needs such a huge building is beyond me, but here it is. The second, third, and fourth are among my favorites as well.
So there you have it, Albany in all it's glory, or lack thereof. :)
I miss everybody pretty bad, especially my fam, and KT and fam. :(
The area is nice in some places and really NOT in others. There seem to be a lot of the latter, though. :(
School started this past week. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I expected it to be the most terrifying and testing experience of my life. I guess I just came in with REALLY high expectations. It's still really interesting though! We read lots of interesting cases, and it seems like class is beneficial for different reasons than the book is (I never really experienced this in Undergrad, they just preached the book). Reading, learning, and writing are all very different here. It's like learning a whole new language (in fact, that's really what it is). The most interesting thing I've found so far is that there is never a right answer in law. You learn law concepts, as well as some specific statutes, and you're expected to use these concepts to make an effective argument. Your argument does not have to take one side or another, it only has to be effective. I love that. I feel like I can already be somewhat effective in doing this, so hopefully I'll become better!
I did have one really scary event on the first day of one of my classes. The teacher pranked us. It was Wednesday, and my first Torts class. We have assigned seats in all these classes, and I sit close to the front. There were two girls sitting to my left. The Professor walked in, wrote the names of some students on the board, announced that those would be the students called on during the class, and immediately called on the girl sitting directly to my left. She asked, "What happened in Caudle v. Betts?" The girl stuttered and stated some incorrect fact. The professor questioned her, and she reversed her answer. She proceeded to grill the student for a few minutes while the rest of the class sat petrified. I had my hand to my mouth, and had since she called on the student. Finally she said, "Why don't we ask your neighbor-" mind you I was now petrified it would be me "-Ms. Phillips," That girl then respond with "But my name isn't on the board," The professor said, "Just because your name isn't on the board doesn't mean I can't call on you," They got into a spat for another moment or two, and then the room went silent. I was frozen, hand still over my mouth, thinking "Don't move, don't flinch, don't breath, don't blink or she'll see you and you'll be the target!" After a few minutes of intense, fearful silence, somebody in the back of the room raised his hand and asked "Are we going to have class today?" I was thinking, "Are you STUPID?! She just destroyed two people in a row! Why open your mouth!" Then she said, smiling, "There was supposed to be a fourth that came in late, and we had a big fight before he left. The three students I just grilled are my T.A.s and they'll be helping you through this semester. You could see the room relax a little. We were all still pretty tense, and slightly un-trusting, but we felt much better after she revealed that it was a joke. XD Turns out she's pretty nice and very helpful!
Below are some pictures of the cooler parts of Albany, so that you can live my life with me!
This is the front of the law school. I was going to take some inside pictures, but it started to rain, and I didn't want to be caught out.
This is the New York Court of Appeals, which is the equivalent of the Florida Supreme Court
Here we have Empire State Plaza. The thing in the distance is the New York Museum.
This is the Egg. It looks like an egg from the sky. Google Earth it. It's a theatre, and the plays are actually held in the bowl. I'd totally go if I had any semblance of money.
These are some of my favorite pictures. This is the New York State Capital building, and General Sheridan is the guy on the horse.
Finally, these are of the New York State Education building. Why NY education needs such a huge building is beyond me, but here it is. The second, third, and fourth are among my favorites as well.
So there you have it, Albany in all it's glory, or lack thereof. :)
I miss everybody pretty bad, especially my fam, and KT and fam. :(