In Which Law School Goes From A Sunny Day To A Light Drizzle

As the title of this post cryptically implies, the workload has gone from easy to merely manageable. Today we banged through three or so full cases in a less-than-two-hour Contracts class. Also, the research assignments have begun, and our first major writing assignment is going to be assigned next Monday (we already have the readings that will be required for the paper). Now, rather than working a few hours on Saturday and Sunday and being done with all my classes for the week, I'm working all day Friday, half the day Saturday, and most of the day Sunday, as well as between and after classes every day in order to be one or two classes ahead.

That said, I am still staying current/ahead of my work, so I am not yet drowning. I feel like if I can just keep a day or so ahead, I'll be a mile ahead of everyone else. Which reminds me of a new experience I'm having here that I never had in high school or undergrad. While everyone is generally very friendly and helpful to each other, there is a discernible undercurrent of competition. As assignments are starting to come up, conversations inevitably include some reference (jokingly or otherwise) to the curve on which we will be graded. I understand if people think that I'm being naive, and that a sense of competition was there in high school and college, but I just don't think it was for me. In high school, I didn't apply to the same schools as my friends for the most part, and when I did, it wasn't the same program. And in college, I was friends with people in other majors, so I was never in competition with anybody I knew, so I never got that sense. Now, all of a sudden, I find myself a little torn between genuinely wanting to see my new friends succeed and be happy, and the realization that we are essentially in a zero-sum game, and every A they take is one less for me. I don't much care for that feeling, and I hope that next year when we start taking classes in our respective concentrations, we will be able to have a true non-competition relationship.

OK, complaining time has officially come to an end! Now, for something completely different: things that won't surprise anybody! For my first piece of completely shocking news, I have a really strong desire to be involved in EVERYTHING. I have already signed up for a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), and I will be receiving my first delivery of farm-fresh produce on Wednesday, and I will soon be volunteering to help deliver locally grown veggies to underprivileged families in the neighborhood. Also, my training for the Domestic Violence Action Center's Courtroom Advocates Program is this Friday. I will be trained so that as a 1L, I will be able to help victims of domestic violence navigate the very daunting legal processes involved in obtaining court orders of protection, uncontested divorces, community support and counseling, and other really great services. I will even have the opportunity to stand before a judge! Great opportunity, great program. I am also giving consideration to becoming a student ambassador, which would mainly entail giving tours once a week to prospective students, but I'm unsure if I'll have the time for that. Also, I gave blood today.

Well, I have class at 9 in the morning tomorrow, so it is time that I cut this rambling post off and get some sleep. Until the next post, goodnight!