Saying I survived is probably an overstatement. The week really wasn't all that difficult for me, although it has become clear that it was for some of my classmates. I think there is something to be said for the statement made by a faculty member during our orientation which I'll paraphrase: Law school is a full-time job. For those of you that have been working full-time jobs, this will not be a difficult transition from the 40-hour, 9-5 work schedule.
I have already talked to several classmates that are having a hard time balancing their time. My favorite example was a gentlemen who spent 2 hours running, then 3 hours playing volleyball and then "had" to stay up until 1:30 in the morning to study. Well, yah. If you spend 5 daylight hours not studying, you should plan to spend several hours, in the wee hours of the morning, completing your studies.
I had a teacher in junior high who said "This isn't little school, this is middle school." His premise was that we, as students, were responsible for completing our assignments on time and submitting them, and that he had no intention of holding our hand or ensuring that we did indeed complete the assignments. I kind of want to say that to my classmates: this isn't little school, this is Law School!
So, in a nutshell, my classes are going great. It might be a stretch to say I love studying for about 5 hours every day outside of class, but I get 'er done. I am also really enjoying the content of the courses, so the studying is more enjoyable than when I had to cram biology into my cranium.
I did have a minor snaffu with my parking situation that I know you will all get a chuckle from since it didn't happen to you (and my many thanks to Andy for rescuing me from myself, as usual):
I have a little magnetic card about the size of a credit card that is my parking pass to get in and out of the parking garage. I got into my car yesterday, and, quite responsibly, I pulled this card out before putting the car in gear so that I could have it in a handy spot when I arrived at the gate to exit. I then proceeded to drop it, and it slid between my parking break and under my center console: read, out of sight and out of reach unless you dismantle the car. So, I panic, then I decide that I might be able to reach it if I, in fact, dismantle the car. I have a screwdriver in my emergency road side kit, so I took to unscrewing the parts that hold the center console together and to my car. Long story short, after nearly an hour of huffing and puffing to try and get to this thing, I surrender. I manage to convince the parking attendant to let me out and he tells me "You should try to get it out of there." Thanks for stating the obvious.
I get home, certain that if there were two extra hands, this thing could be retrieved, and I was right. Andy found some strange tool with a long bendable arm and tiny retractable claws that looks like aliens would use it to implant tracking devices via probe, and manages to pull the thing out in a matter of about 5 minutes.
Moral of the story: no good deed goes unpunished. I wanted to have little pass handy to avoid holding up the line of cars trying to leave the garage, and instead wasted hours of my time and energy. I think the other moral here is I can have all the education in the world and still stand in my own way because I'm a klutz.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Day 2-Evaluating Success
Nothing totally profound happened today, but I have been called upon to complete one more assignment for the course I completed last week, Foundations of Justice. We discussed at length, often in the form of how not to be a lawyer, how to be good lawyers, and good members of the profession, and somehow still be good people. Lawyers get a bad rap for being, well, not very good people. We discussed whether something being legal also makes it right. And we read a charming article about the detrimental affects that being a lawyer can have on your physical and mental health, your relationships and on your happiness. Outlook not good. So how do we avoid that? One question I was asked to ponder for my assignment is:
By what criteria will you be able to judge if you are a success 10 years from now?
That is, to avoid getting sucked into the rat race for more money, more power, more glamour, more windows in your office, identify now what will measure your success. Or more simply, set these goals so that you don't forget that at one time, something simpler was your wildest dream and when you have arrived at that, you can be happy and content that you are a success and you don't need more.
I am finding this question difficult to answer because my 5-year or 10-year plan has always been aimed at getting to law school. I have some ideas of what I'd like to do after, but my success has always been tied up in getting to exactly where I am at this very moment. So, now what? By what can I measure future success? Here's my thoughts so far:
1. I have always said that when I'm not a poor college-student, I will send money to PBS stations and tell them they can keep the gift.
2. I have always joked that when I'm a rich lawyer, I want my own jet, or helicopter. I'm not picky. A prop plane would probably suffice. I don't even want to fly it (Andy will, of course.) I just want the freedom to live wherever I really want my home and still be able to get to the office for work without a grueling commute and get to a civilized city that has Target and a real grocery store. Ok, this is probably more like the 45-year plan, but just so you know, it's in the back of my mind.
3. I want to tithe. I have not ever felt like I could give 10% of my money to church or charity without probably getting evicted.
4. I want to own my own home and have a yard to garden in. I want to paint the walls whatever color I choose, and have carpet that isn't white or beige! Who picks such ridiculous carpet when you know that it gets stained? Especially when you are renting a property to total strangers! Obviously, they've never met me. I'm growing fond of the navy scrap of carpet in my father-in-law's basement. I'll bet he has NEVER vacuumed it, and you can't tell!
5. I want kids, or the possibility of kids. I want a job for me, and a job for Andy, that supplies us with enough money to be stable, and enough time to be good parents. This is a long ways down the road, Mom, so don't worry yourself. See Goal 2. about the jet.
6. I want time to do good things for other people. I don't just mean volunteering or mentoring, or doing pro bono legal work. I want time to do all those things, and still have time to bake cookies to send to wherever my friends Amanda and Sierra are living (because we all know it won't be anywhere near enough to come by my house to just eat the cookies) and to help friends move, and to take casseroles to people when they are suffering or under stress.
7. I want to be happy. In the one of my favorite movies, one character asks another "How often are you happy in your marriage?" She responds, "Every day. Not all day, but every day." I want to be happy not all day, maybe not even every day, but I want to have an overall sense that I am happy. I know from experience that this happiness may not come from just one place, and it certainly will not mean that I am happy with every aspect of my life. Overall, now, I am happy. I am also the kind of person who can't seem to hide when I'm very unhappy with even one part of my life, so I think I will continue to be happy as long as I listen to that voice saying "The unhappiness with this part is dragging down the other parts. It's time to fix it."
I welcome all your comments in response to the question, too. How will I know success in 10 years?
By what criteria will you be able to judge if you are a success 10 years from now?
That is, to avoid getting sucked into the rat race for more money, more power, more glamour, more windows in your office, identify now what will measure your success. Or more simply, set these goals so that you don't forget that at one time, something simpler was your wildest dream and when you have arrived at that, you can be happy and content that you are a success and you don't need more.
I am finding this question difficult to answer because my 5-year or 10-year plan has always been aimed at getting to law school. I have some ideas of what I'd like to do after, but my success has always been tied up in getting to exactly where I am at this very moment. So, now what? By what can I measure future success? Here's my thoughts so far:
1. I have always said that when I'm not a poor college-student, I will send money to PBS stations and tell them they can keep the gift.
2. I have always joked that when I'm a rich lawyer, I want my own jet, or helicopter. I'm not picky. A prop plane would probably suffice. I don't even want to fly it (Andy will, of course.) I just want the freedom to live wherever I really want my home and still be able to get to the office for work without a grueling commute and get to a civilized city that has Target and a real grocery store. Ok, this is probably more like the 45-year plan, but just so you know, it's in the back of my mind.
3. I want to tithe. I have not ever felt like I could give 10% of my money to church or charity without probably getting evicted.
4. I want to own my own home and have a yard to garden in. I want to paint the walls whatever color I choose, and have carpet that isn't white or beige! Who picks such ridiculous carpet when you know that it gets stained? Especially when you are renting a property to total strangers! Obviously, they've never met me. I'm growing fond of the navy scrap of carpet in my father-in-law's basement. I'll bet he has NEVER vacuumed it, and you can't tell!
5. I want kids, or the possibility of kids. I want a job for me, and a job for Andy, that supplies us with enough money to be stable, and enough time to be good parents. This is a long ways down the road, Mom, so don't worry yourself. See Goal 2. about the jet.
6. I want time to do good things for other people. I don't just mean volunteering or mentoring, or doing pro bono legal work. I want time to do all those things, and still have time to bake cookies to send to wherever my friends Amanda and Sierra are living (because we all know it won't be anywhere near enough to come by my house to just eat the cookies) and to help friends move, and to take casseroles to people when they are suffering or under stress.
7. I want to be happy. In the one of my favorite movies, one character asks another "How often are you happy in your marriage?" She responds, "Every day. Not all day, but every day." I want to be happy not all day, maybe not even every day, but I want to have an overall sense that I am happy. I know from experience that this happiness may not come from just one place, and it certainly will not mean that I am happy with every aspect of my life. Overall, now, I am happy. I am also the kind of person who can't seem to hide when I'm very unhappy with even one part of my life, so I think I will continue to be happy as long as I listen to that voice saying "The unhappiness with this part is dragging down the other parts. It's time to fix it."
I welcome all your comments in response to the question, too. How will I know success in 10 years?
Monday, August 24, 2009
First week: day one
At the risk of becoming a over-blogger, I had so many interesting experiences today that I'm going to blog about them, and maybe even blog every day this week.
First, I had the first absolutely mortifying experience of being late to class. The first class on the first day of law school. Those of you that know me well are saying "I'm so shocked! Kelli is never late!" with more than a smidgen of sarcasm. Yes, I'm notorious for tardiness, yet all last week I was perfectly punctual and often early for all my classes. And to make matters worse, upon noticing my late arrival to class, Father Whitt (my professor for said class is a priest who wears the full length linen robe) hand delivered the syllabus to me and me alone in the 8th row at the very back of the room. I, and all my classmates watched him climb 7 flights of stairs to my seat. The horror was sufficient to make me decide that I will now leave one and one-half hours to get to school, even if it means I arrive very early. Never again.
That said, I think I will love that class. Father Whitt and I seem to have like minds. My favorite quote from today's class was "It is amazing the heroic lengths to which students will go to avoid ordinary work." He gave the example of writing crib notes on one's thigh instead of just studying for the exam. I think it struck a note with me. It seems more and more that people are willing to go out of their way to create an "easier" route to avoid having to do what everyone else considers part of the facts of life.
I also discovered that I can, in fact, sprint from my class to my car in the parking garage, and back, and still have time to go down two flights of stairs to my locker, and back to class in 15 minutes. See the aforementioned story about my tardiness. Since I knew I would be late, I decided not to further make an ass of myself by carrying my lunch, my thermos of coffee, my 6 books for every other class except, ironically, the one I was running to, and 3 weeks worth of snacks I bought to keep in my locker. So, I sprinted between classes to retrieve all these items and place them in my locker.
I also discovered that there is a Starbucks that I had never seen across the street from campus. I noticed someone with a fresh iced coffee, and, because I'm basically shameless, I ran him down to ask how far away Starbucks was. I dashed there and back before class began, and on the way I was taking in the afternoon breeze and noticing all the other great shops and restaurants right around campus, I realized I don't hate it here. Many people asked if I would stay here in the Twin Cities after school, to which I responded "If I hate it there, I'll move back right away, but I am afraid I won't hate it there." And my fears have come true. It's actually pretty cool here. I don't love it yet, but, alack, I don't hate it.
First, I had the first absolutely mortifying experience of being late to class. The first class on the first day of law school. Those of you that know me well are saying "I'm so shocked! Kelli is never late!" with more than a smidgen of sarcasm. Yes, I'm notorious for tardiness, yet all last week I was perfectly punctual and often early for all my classes. And to make matters worse, upon noticing my late arrival to class, Father Whitt (my professor for said class is a priest who wears the full length linen robe) hand delivered the syllabus to me and me alone in the 8th row at the very back of the room. I, and all my classmates watched him climb 7 flights of stairs to my seat. The horror was sufficient to make me decide that I will now leave one and one-half hours to get to school, even if it means I arrive very early. Never again.
That said, I think I will love that class. Father Whitt and I seem to have like minds. My favorite quote from today's class was "It is amazing the heroic lengths to which students will go to avoid ordinary work." He gave the example of writing crib notes on one's thigh instead of just studying for the exam. I think it struck a note with me. It seems more and more that people are willing to go out of their way to create an "easier" route to avoid having to do what everyone else considers part of the facts of life.
I also discovered that I can, in fact, sprint from my class to my car in the parking garage, and back, and still have time to go down two flights of stairs to my locker, and back to class in 15 minutes. See the aforementioned story about my tardiness. Since I knew I would be late, I decided not to further make an ass of myself by carrying my lunch, my thermos of coffee, my 6 books for every other class except, ironically, the one I was running to, and 3 weeks worth of snacks I bought to keep in my locker. So, I sprinted between classes to retrieve all these items and place them in my locker.
I also discovered that there is a Starbucks that I had never seen across the street from campus. I noticed someone with a fresh iced coffee, and, because I'm basically shameless, I ran him down to ask how far away Starbucks was. I dashed there and back before class began, and on the way I was taking in the afternoon breeze and noticing all the other great shops and restaurants right around campus, I realized I don't hate it here. Many people asked if I would stay here in the Twin Cities after school, to which I responded "If I hate it there, I'll move back right away, but I am afraid I won't hate it there." And my fears have come true. It's actually pretty cool here. I don't love it yet, but, alack, I don't hate it.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
I have arrived
Andy and I have now been in
Minnesota for one week. Thanks to you all for all your good thoughts, prayers and support. The trip was long, hot and difficult (we had some "issues" with the cat not being very cooperative.)
So, I know you are all wondering, "How's law school?" (this middle picture is me after my first day-and look, I'm still smiling after 11 hours!) The answer is that it's great so far. I really love the school, which I knew I would, and I've met some great classmates (there 174 total 1st year students, so I'm still working on meeting everyone) and I have already finished two classes this week! We even watched an excerpt of the movie "Legally Blonde" in class one day. I felt right at home.
Next week is called First Week (I've added a "part II" determination, since I don't think you can logically have 2 "first weeks.") I start the classes I'll be taking for the rest of the semester and which will be graded. I'm on campus (yes, on a Saturday) getting cracking on studying for Monday already. I hope to be taking Sundays off from studying as a rule, which means homework on Saturdays.
The first picture is of my locker. I had to go out and buy a combination lock for the first time in what I think is 10 years. I love having a place to dump off my many books, and I keep extra coffee in there for reloading my caffeine and some snacks, and I'm planning to bring in some decor once Andy and I unpack and find all of our stuff.
Which probably brings you all to your next question: "Where are you living?" Right now, we are staying with Andy's dad (Mike) about 40 miles outside downtown, where the law school is. We are still figuring out where we'll be living permanently, and Andy is still looking for work. The upside is that we don't have to pay for food or shelter. The downside is that Mike's culinary skills are somewhat limited, so I've eaten pizza and hamburgers for every meal this entire week (even at law school functions, which mystifies me.)
Overall, things are great. I'm really enjoying law school so far. I have had several moments this week when I have thought, "I'm going to be a lawyer in three years!" I have also marvelled at how natural it feels to be in school again.
The last thing I want to note is that I'm kind of busy. You probably guessed as much. So, best way to get a hold of me is email: kellirae.riley@gmail.com If you would like to call me, and I would love to hear from you, the best time to call is after 5pm (Central Time) on weekdays, or any time on weekends. I'm going to be studying on weekends, but not all day, and probably not at the same times, so just call and I'll try to catch up with everyone. All my love to everyone.
Kelli
Friday, August 7, 2009
The last day at work
I was recounting with a friend recently about our work experience. She said "I've had a lot of jobs." I was about to say "I really haven't had that many," but then I started counting. Today is my last day at my 10th job, and that's if you don't count babysitting. I have lifeguarded and taught little ones to swim, sold countless trendy outfits at a clothing store, cold-called hundreds of lawyers to complete surveys, helped people pick souveniers at a shop in Boulder, filed stock trade tickets, taught Spanish to kindergartners, set up for worship and planned student events (I even modeled for a life-sized cardboard cut-out to promote an event,) and now, until the end of today, I have assisted over 5000 volunteers and staff from over 1000 non-profits get food to those in need.
Of course, I've left all of these 10 jobs, some more gracefully and voluntarily than others. This week, I cleaned out my office (a first for me, since none of my other positions have ever required an office.) I wrote my last e-newsletter and said my farewell. And while I've been planning to leave since March, it was all a little bit sad. I think this may be the only job I've had where, upon my departure, I believe I will be missed, and that my contribution to the mission here was worthwhile and important.
At the same time, I am clapping and jumping up and down like a school-girl because I am leaving to do the one thing I've wanted to do my whole life: go to law school. I can hardly contain my joy about that, and at 5:00 pm today, I won't have to anymore!
Of course, I've left all of these 10 jobs, some more gracefully and voluntarily than others. This week, I cleaned out my office (a first for me, since none of my other positions have ever required an office.) I wrote my last e-newsletter and said my farewell. And while I've been planning to leave since March, it was all a little bit sad. I think this may be the only job I've had where, upon my departure, I believe I will be missed, and that my contribution to the mission here was worthwhile and important.
At the same time, I am clapping and jumping up and down like a school-girl because I am leaving to do the one thing I've wanted to do my whole life: go to law school. I can hardly contain my joy about that, and at 5:00 pm today, I won't have to anymore!
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