It’s been a while since I’ve first had a whiff of the bittersweet air in law school and honestly, it hasn't been that much of a disaster as I thought it would be. I have currently ACCOMPLISHED 3 semesters in the academe; and I mean that in every fiber of my being. I.e., it’s no cake walk or piece of the park or whatever. You really earn every single unit in the course. Yes, YOU EARN EVERYTHING.
I started my journey last year. I was highly beleaguered at the enormity of the task but secretly optimistic knowing that my parents had my back all the way through. I was aware that financing this 4-year endeavor is not an easy task and it was not something I begged them for. Maybe they knew, deep down that this was not only for them gaining an economic leverage in the long term, as there is no certainty to any financial gain they may derive from this. Perhaps it’s because they know that this discipline may take a spiritual root in me; that I would actually need it for my spiritual sustenance. That’s deep man, and I cannot thank my parents enough for it.
Sadly, I had to forgo a lot of things; things that made my life stable and easy: 1. work; 2. gym; and 3. video games. Yes, my life revolved around these, apparently (and stupidly). I had to wave goodbye to my co-workers who are the best people I’ve met in my life so far; to my gym instructor who has left the country for greener fields and yes, my pseudo identity as the savior of virtual worlds. I geared up for the brewing storm and sought shelter in the confidence and knowledge I’ve gained through life prior to said storm.
Baby Steps
I eased myself slowly into the world of laws and complex words. I was fully unaware that the study of the law would entail so much reading. I thought the reads would be somehow bearable and interesting but no, nothing can be gained from a lemon fruit (or a woman’s tit) without squeezing it, so they say. So, I labored the assigned reads. I tried my best not to be caught off guard during surprise quizzes and recitations because boy, the instructors gave these out non-stop. I did know that the more important task was to do good in my exams. I knew from the start that a firm foundation in my exams meant a stronger backbone for my standing and my QPI.
I was a sorry sod at first when I realized that the recitations were given daily and that the ordering of the cases in the syllabus, which I painstakingly combed, would not be followed. Thus, when an instructor calls for a specific case which I have not read, everything instantly slows down like a scene in a movie where the pivotal moment is at hand. As said instructor would shuffle the cards that contained our names, so would my mind lament at the misfortune that would befall me after I make a fool of myself before the world. Seriously, everything goes in slow-motion during random picks that even the sweat on my brow would fall dramatically if caught on cam.
This is why law students become prayerful. We all pray hard not to experience the agony of bluffing our way through the barrage of questions hurled at us. The tension is built so high, a knock on the door or a pen drop would probably send us all screaming. You can actually measure the tension from the loudness of the simultaneous sighs from the students after the professor calls off the scheduled recitations for the day.
Exams
In law school, the exams answer you. LOL. What’s great about these is that when you have absolutely nil knowledge about the topic, you can bluff yourself out of- oh wait. The Supreme Court changed the bar exam format from multi-part essays to multiple choice. Easy? NO. I cannot even fathom how ridiculously long my post would be if I had to dissect a single objective-type bar exam question here. It’s just not happening. It’s something you’d have to experience firsthand to be able to appreciate it. Plus, I would sound like a pretentious airhead (not that I’m not one already) if I had to whip you up with the basics. In a nutshell, objective-type questions for law school exams are not good news for law students. Trust me on this.
The circulating rumors confirm that the format change made hell for the experimental takers (the recent bar exam passers) of the pilot exam. Why? Because apparently, not one of them made the cut. Uh-oh.
On Studying
I eventually got the hang of it. You just get used to the routine that once it gets shaken up by some rescheduling mishap, your system snaps and you see yourself befuddled with the ripple in your schedule. It would actually take more time for you to adjust your study habit than to do the studying itself. The sad part though is that you can only be so efficient and if you cannot, then the fault falls on your ineptitude.
My inefficiency persists because I refuse to destroy two (2) things: the modem and my bed. And while I concede that these should not be faulted for my inability to cope with the work-load, it would make my life easier if I would be rid these temptations. The exact formula is:
Temptation + Weak Work Ethic = Crazy Batsh*t Cramming
That probably summed up everything I wanted to talk about here (also because all the big words I used up here fatigued my lazy brain).
Yes, law school, as I’ve repeatedly said, is CRAZY fun only when you get passing marks. Otherwise, all you get is crazy. Yes, lots of that.
