Define Weekend!?

If I were to ever create a Dictionary for the Incoming Law Student, the very first word that I might define would be weekend! 

Various dictionaries have different definitions for the word weekend. Almost all of them, however, will display a common theme of leisure, respite or rest. It's possible that you too may agree that weekends should be a time of rest and relaxation. Nevertheless, many law students have personally experienced that such definitions are gravely inapplicable to us! 

In order to mitigate the extreme errors found in the common definitions of the word weekend (and to simply provide comic relief to my classmates who are currently reading on a Saturday night), I've decided to create a few of my very own definitions! 

weekend (wēkˌend), n. The period of time allocated for reading, briefing, researching, cleaning, outlining, memorandum writing, sleeping, or otherwise relaxing when classes are not in session for a limited time under which there is unfortunately not enough time to complete even half (½) of the aforementioned tasks. 

weekend (wiːkˈɛnd), n. The days of the week that are akin to Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, except that in lieu of an absurd amount classes and meetings, one has an absurd amount of work to complete in preparation for future classes and meetings. 

weekend (week-end), n. An urban legend similar to unicorns, mermaids and leprechauns in that it is spoken of, but neither seen or actually experienced. 

How would you define weekend?  

A Short Poem I Wrote While Studying

Today has been a wonderful day, despite being quite uneventful! I woke up this morning around 8:00a.m. and have been reading ever since. I had no idea, however, that I'd be inspired to write a peculiar, little poem this evening. The inspiration may have come from a discussion that I had about Dr. Seuss in my Criminal Law course earlier this week. In any event, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to present to you A Short Poem I Wrote While Studying!

The month of September begins with the letter 's'
And I must confess,
It's the time for me to keep studying.

The month of October begins with an 'o'
And well, who knows,
Maybe it warns me of when to begin outlining.

The month of November begins with an 'n'
And you see my friend,
It's intuition that tells me then to be nervous.

For the month of December begins with a 'd'
And a D, you see, is not passing or good.
No, that grade would do a disservice!

So, I'll sign out of my blog and continue to log the info I need to form case briefs!
And stand on the belief that I'll find some relief when I get rest and sleep come 10:30.
And I'll happily seek to plan for holiday weeks after I complete all of my tests,
But until then, I'll continue to read, continue to smile and do my best!

A Bit of Advice Before Bedtime

Today has been a heart-wrenching, unending day for me! While preparing for for bed this evening, I discovered something that's quite mind boggling to me: I typically read and analyze cases twice as much as I sleep.

If only I felt comfortable reading cases more quickly, then I most certainly would. Unfortunately, I'm sure that whizzing through cases would do much more harm than good simply because I would not remember, understand or internalize any of the material. So, what do I plan to do? Well, I'm going to rest for a little while and wake up with a fresh start to a brand new day!

Trying to stay motivated isn't easy, but there are things that may make it easier. Here are a few tips that I used to stay motivated:

• When frustration begins to hinder me from comprehending material, I stop reading! I relax, eat dinner, and/or take a nap if I have time. Later on, I go back to the assigned task. Returning to readings that may have initially seem overwhelming to me tend to appear a bit less daunting the second or even third time around. 
• I also reward yourself after meeting or exceeding the goals that I've set. For completing an assignment or two, I may reward myself by not doing any reading outside of class the next day or by even taking a well deserved nap. For surviving a long, arduous week, I may go bowling, salsa dancing, or skating. One thing that I try not to do though is reward myself when I don't deserve it. It may seem trivial or cliche, but it works for me. 
• I smile a whole lot! Even when I'm upset, exhausted, or disappointed, I try to keep a smile on my face. There's a quote that says, "Life is a mirror; we get the best results when we smile at it." Sometimes a simple smile helps me feel better about whatever situation I'm in. It reminds me that no matter what is going wrong, I still have something to smile about!  

I think that's it for now! I should get some rest. If I haven't told you yet, thanks for visiting my blog! 

Inspiration Arises

Sometimes I observe the way that people handle situations, and I cannot help but wonder why they feel grouchy instead of grateful. Inspiration arises as a result, and I occasionally turn to Twitter, my favorite place to create string of quotes that no one will ever read, retweet, or care about. Well, tonight I'll share them in another way! I'll share them on my blog, and maybe, just maybe someone will be inspired! Here are a few of my favorites: 

• Be grateful for the rain, both literally and figurative, for perseverance grows like a rose.
• When you think that you should wait before taking a leap of faith remember, time won't wait. Don't wait until it's another missed opportunity. Don't wait until it's too late.
• Happiness is not something that you find. It's created. It's like planting a seed & then reaping what you've sown! Plant kindness! 
• If you don't like what you see in the mirror, you've got two choices. You can change what you see physically or you can change what you see mentally. One of these choices is simply and cost-effective. 
• When you see life taking you down a direction that you don't want to go, turn around. You don't have to take that detour.

Every Day Isn't Dandelions and Apple Trees

Today has been the most difficult day I've had as a law school student. I haven't had time to synthesize last week's materials. My readings for this week are most definitely piling up. (In other words, I have roughly six hours of reading to complete for Tuesday alone.) I'm also having quite a bit of trouble finding relevant sources for one of my most important early assignments. My work ethic is working against me. My motivation seems to have gone down the drain. Nothing has gone smoothly all day and, as always, time is not on my side. 

Am I angry? No. Am I frustrated? A little. Am I worried? Absolutely not! 

Chemists, who hold dear the teachings of Isaac Newton, agree that, "For every action there is an equal and opposition reaction." Grammy award winning singers Mary Mary remind us that, "We all need a little dirt to grow." When problems arise in our lives, no matter how great or small, it's important to stay encouraged and continue to do our best. Every day isn't dandelions and apple trees. Matter of fact, some days can be more like ferocious lions and bumble bees! Nevertheless, it's hard to appreciate the good things in your life if you never have a few hardships. It's during those times that it becomes important not to give up, but to take baby steps. You can still get where you want to go! Just keep walking! 

My First First Day of Classes!

Today was my first first day of classes! I only have two more first day of classes, and then I'm done with law school and off to the real world! I'm guess I should back up and slow down for a few moments though, so that I won't get to ahead of myself. However, I'm sure I made it quite clear that I am quite excited about classes beginning!

This post will be very short considering the dozens of pages that I have to read, the four cases I should brief, and the short essay I will have to edit this evening. Needless to say, I had a delightful first day of classes today! I really, really did! I woke up at 5:30am, got dressed, ate some breakfast, and had four classes and quite a few interesting conversations. I'm quite excited about the rest of this semester and the rest of my law school career for that matter. My only hope is that the cases and readings continue to intrigue this mind of mine. 

Now, many of you know that I typically have a moral or take-away each time I write. This time I'll say this: Just because something seems too difficult, too nerve-wrecking or beyond your reach doesn't mean you shouldn't at least try! You may be surprised. Matter of fact, you may surprise yourself and even the others around you! Plus, you'll always get an A+ for effort in my book! Set goals! Be optimistic! Encourage others! And be encouraged! 

Such a Splendid Spontaneous Summer Social Soiree

I had the wonderful privilege of meeting about twenty of my fellow law school classmates yesterday evening. From the onset, however, it seemed as though our soiree was going to be a failure.

Being the first to arrive at our planned location, I naturally became fearful that no one would show up. After all, this was a spontaneous event created by a few of us anxious incoming law students, hence the use of the word in the title. By 6:30pm after sitting at a table drinking lemonade alone for nearly ten minutes, I was nearly overcome with nervousness. Outwardly, I'm sure that I appeared quite normal, but inwardly, I was full of doubt. No one was early except for me. The thunderstorms would probably keep everyone indoors. Maybe no one really wanted to come anyways. I even began planning when I could give up and go home. If no one shows up by 6:45pm, then maybe I should just leave. I'M SO GLAD THAT I DIDN'T!

After a few moments of panic, the first of my classmates arrived. Within the hour, many of us were sitting in a large circle laughing, connecting, and forging friendships that I know will grow much stronger over the years. At some point, mid-conversation, it became apparent that about 90% of our group hadn't eaten dinner, and well, if you know me, you know exactly what I did! I excused myself and walked right into a widely known restaurant a few blocks away. Once inside, I asked the hostess if they had enough seating capacity and available staff members to handle such a large group. She said yes!!! In no time we all happily walked over together to restaurant. The live music was pleasant. The food was delicious! The company... the company was even better.

As a result of yesterday's events, knowing that I've made some good decisions in my life and some not-so-good decisions in my life, I'm almost certain that this decision was a great one!

For those who are counting down with me, orientation is in three days and classes begin in a mere eight days!