0L SUMMER READING

Ten Rules for Admitted Students Day

1. Do NOT bring your parents.

No matter how close you are to them, even if they'll be paying for school, or if they insist to attend with you... DON'T DO IT. You'll look like an asshole, I promise. The first impression you'll make on your future classmates is either (A) you're a baby who needs your parents to hold your hand through life, or (B) you're just an idiot.

2. Be friendly, but not too friendly.

DO make an effort to meet current and prospective students, professors, etc. DO NOT become a stage five clinger to any one person (or group of people). Also, fight the urge to tell people a summary of your personal statement/life story, personal details about your life, or friend request them of facebook the minute you get home.

3. Turn your cell phone off.

Obviously. You don't want to be the rude 0L that faculty hates before you even step foot on campus as a legit student. Manners, people.

4. Make a good impression.

Shower. Dress nicely. Smile. Be friendly. A first impression is hard to live down. And since you're going to be selling your soul to law school for the next three years of your life, you want to make a good one to the people you will be stuck in hell with.

5. Dress appropriately.

People need the most help with this one, I think. At my Admitted Students Day, the attire was all over the place. I wore a dark skirt suit and heels, but removed my jacket early on because it was pretty hot (and it didn't seem necessary to keep on). Most people wore a variation of business casual and looked really nice. However, there were a few people who literally showed up in t-shirts, shorts, and sandals! I remember thinking "WTF! I would never let that hobo be a lawyer!!". Don't be that guy/girl who shows up without shaving and looks like a bum... you'll always be thought of as a bum.

6. Observe your classmates.

This is fun. Do you like people watching? I do. Instead of being loud and obnoxious, I approached my Admitted Students Day quietly and stealthily observed all my soon-to-be frenemies. It's one of the few times people will have their guards down during law school, take advantage of it and figure them out.

7. Don't ask too many questions.

You don't want to reach gunner status after the very first day. If you have loads of questions, save them for a private one on one... otherwise you'll be the first name added to Asshole Bingo when school starts.

8. Introduce yourself to professors and faculty.

Why not? Now is your chance to talk to them before the fear of the Socratic Method sets in. Don't be scared, they were 1Ls once too.

9. Get a feel for the area.

While you're in town, drive around the campus' surrounding area. Are there good places to grab lunch nearby, or will you be better off bringing your lunch everyday? Do you like their library, or would you rather find a quiet park/bookstore nearby to hangout between classes? Figure everything you can out ahead of time. When August rolls around, you may not even have time to eat/shower.

10. Don't jump to any decisions.

Admitted Students Day should not make/break your descision to attend a particular school. Instead, take everyting into consideration (location, scholarships, area of law you want to practice) and make an educated decision based on everything together.

HAVE FUN!! IT'S YOUR LAST CHANCE TO SMILE BEFORE 1L :) 

The End Is Near...

I'm graduating sooo soon!!

And my seat deposit for law school is due almost exactly one month from now. I've officially heard back from all my schools and even though I was rejected from the highest ranked school in the state (where I go now), I am pleased with the schools I got into.

Mr. and I have agreed on a law school for me to attend in the fall and - lucky for us - it's only minutes from the beach!! Being an island girl at heart, this is something to be very, very excited about. I know law school is going to be three years of brain torture, but I can't help but be really excited about this next chapter of our lives... in a new home and town... by the BEACH! :)

Feel the Love

My closest friends describe me as a total romantic. And I love any excuse to dress up, eat chocolate, write a love letter, and snuggle with my favorite husband. Plus, red is definitely my color. So, naturally, Valentine's Day is one of my favorite days of the year.

This year, I thought I would share some of my favorite love quotes.

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"Across whatever desert it is, I send you my love."- What Dreams May Come

"I am no one special. Just a common man with common thoughts. I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten. But in one respect I've succeeded as gloriously as anyone who ever lived. I've loved another with all my heart and soul and for me that has always been enough." - The Notebook

"You're everything I never knew I always wanted." - Fools Rush In

"They say that when you meet the love of your life time stops, and that's true. What they don't tell you is that once it starts up again, it moves extra fast to catch up." - Big Fish

"If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus 1 day, so I never have to live without you." - Winnie the Pooh

"Stop talking about love. Every asshole in the world says he loves somebody. It means nothing. What you feel only matters to you. It's what you do to the people you say you love, that's what matters. It's the only thing that counts."- The Last Kiss

"Love me and the world is mine." - unknown

"Maybe mistakes are what make our fate... without them, what would shape our lives? Maybe if we never veered off course we wouldn't fall in love, have babies, or be who we are. After all, things change, so do cities, people come into your life and they go. But it's comforting to know that the ones you love will always be in your heart... and if youre very lucky, a plane ride away." - Sex and The City

"Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and them subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether you roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being "in love"which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what's left over after being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Your mother and I had it, we had roots that grew towards eachother underground, and when all the pretty blossoms had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two." - St. Augustine

Admissions Cycle Update

SO... the decisions are in. Most of them, anyway.

I've officially been accepted to my three back up schools, two of my three target schools, and two (of three) reach schools! The reach I'm waiting on is where I go now for undergrad, but I'm pretty sure I dont have a chance in hell of getting in.

Is it bad that I'm leaning towards the lowest ranked school I've been accepted to?? They are offering me the the biggest scholarship, we already have a good house option in that city, my husband has great job opportunities there, and there are nice daycares close by for JV.

But their the lowest ranked school I've been accepted to.

Dilemma.

Worst Christmas Everr

And its the first day of my last semester as an undergrad!! I thought I would never graduate. Still havent... but the future looks bright :)

SO it's been almost a month since my last post. I'll give you guys a quick rundown of what I've been up to.

Week1: I was super busy with finals. You know how that goes.

Week 2: Finished finals and was swamped with Guardian ad Litem paperwork I had been slacking on. After I caught up with that and finished getting Christmas presents organized and delivered to Guardian ad Litem kids, I spent the rest of the week cleaning the house and packing to visit my parents for Christmas.

Week 3: We got to my parents house on the 23rd. We had a nice Christmas Eve dinner with our extended family. On Christmas morning, we got an urgent phone call from my aunt urging us to head over to my sick grandfather's house. He was diagnosed with cancer two months ago. They read him his last rights on Christmas day. Needless to say the whole ordeal was horrible. He died two days later and the rest of our time with my family was spent attending funeral services.

Week 4: Our trip was extended by six days to be able to attend the viewing and funeral. When we came home, we brought my fifteen year old cousin with us who needed some time away from trouble at home. I started school today and Mr. was in charge of putting him on a train to head back home.

I can't wait for life to get back to normal again.