I still remember my first day of law school like it was yesterday. In reality, I began law school in August 2008. I finished the journey in May 2011 and I am so thankful that chapter of my life is closed.
The Sunday before my first day, I experienced difficulty sleeping. I felt excited, nervous, happy, confident, and many other emotions. I had spent the entire weekend (approximately 20 hours) studying for my first week of classes. Studying at that time consisted of aimlessly flipping through pages and pages and pages of text that was as foreign to me as the Russian language. It was very frustrating because I knew I was putting in the time, but still felt that I did not have a firm grasp of the information. Now, I know that most first-year law students experience these same feelings. However, at the time, I thought I was the only person and was really unsure about my decision to pursue a law degree.
That first monday of classes I woke up around 6:00 a.m. Honestly, I had been awake for most of the night because I was so excited to be starting law school. I showered, and got myself ready to leave the house around 6:40 a.m. That day was warm and sunny, which was the ideal way to start my legal career. I drove to the law school and parked in the first available spot. I actually believe I was the first person to arrive at the law school that day. I sat in my car for a minute to collect my thoughts and say a quick prayer. Then, I gathered my bag and books and began walking to the law school front door.
I had to use my access card to unlock the door. I said hello to the person working at the reception desk and headed to the second floor of the law school to the law library. I spoke to the head librarian for the first time and headed to the third floor of the library. Ironically, I sat down at a long table on the third floor. At that time, I had no idea I would sit at the same table, in the same seat during my three years of law school. The librarians often joked that they would retire my seat when I graduated. When I studied in other areas of the law school, I could not find my groove like I could in that seat. I think I really convinced myself that knowledge seeped into my mind better in that seat that anywhere else in the school.
That first day of law school, I had three classes: Civil Procedure, Torts, and Property. Civil Procedure began at 9:00 a.m., so I had about two hours to prepare myself for class. I reviewed the cases that were assigned for that first day of class. I thought I was ready. Or, I knew I was not ready, but I tried to convince myself otherwise. After meeting some of my classmates during orientation, I knew that I would be embarking on a rigorous journey with some of the brightest people in the country. No longer did I feel that I was the brightest person in the room like I had felt at times during undergrad and graduate school. I knew, without a doubt, that I was not the brightest person in the room. I knew that I would have to work harder than ever if I wanted to be successful.
Around 8:45 a.m., I packed my study materials and headed to room 100 of the law building. It was time for Civil Procedure and I had honestly never been more nervous. All the horror stories you hear about the dreaded socratic method were starting to bother me. I walked into the room and sat in the fourth row from the front of the class. I was sweating like a thief in Sunday school, but I wanted to maintain a calm outward appearance. And then . . .
Peace
No comments:
Post a Comment