M.S.E.L. Students Blog

Today is the coldest it has been since I have moved up here. The temperature was –10 degrees at my house when I woke up this morning and that was without the wind chill. The weatherman said it could feel like –30 degrees in some areas with the wind chill. In case you are not from up north I can tell you that temperatures like that make you want to crawl back into bed and go back to sleep.
But, it is not all bad news up in Vermont. The other day I found out that I got officially accepted in to the JD program for next fall! I am really happy about that, but at the same time I wonder if I am a bit crazy to want to subject myself to 3 more years of HARD work, stress, and little sleep. I guess that means that I really want to be a lawyer.

I guess that also means I better start getting use to all the lawyers are the scum of the earth jokes. I guess there are lawyers who sold their soul. Those are the lawyers that chase ambulances and have commercials all the time trying to get you to call a 1–800 number in some state to get compensation for “you or someone you love that has suffered from XYZ.” I just don’t see the people who graduate from VLS becoming one of those lawyers.
Sometimes I sit in class and wonder what type of lawyer I will become. Will I become a lawyer like those in the cases that I read for class? Who knows? All I know is that I will pursue a career that I can be proud of, and not because I am making a lot of money, although I hope to, but because I am fighting for the good guy.
What I have also learned is that who the good guy is can be subjective. Sometimes in class we do role-playing or hypothetical exercises, and about half the time you get assigned to a side you wouldn’t ordinarily argue for. What I have found is that in those situations, it is very easy to turn the bad guy into the good guy, just because (1) you want to do well on the class assignment and (2) you don’t want to loose the argument. It can be a bit freaky to see how easy it is to argue for something you completely disagree with.
All I know is that I hope not to get turned around in my professional career and represent a side I completely disagree with. I have told my friends and family that if they ever see me becoming one of “those” lawyers, they have my permission to kick me in the butt and ask me what the hell do I think I am doing. Hopefully it will never come down to that.

It is January. The fall semester flew by fast. Near the end it was just a whirl of exams, papers, and course outlines. All in all I faired well last semester. I did well in all my classes, which is good because that is what admissions will use to determine if I will be accepted in the JD program next year. That’s right, I am a glutton for punishment. I actually want to do this for three more years.
I am taking 5 classes this semester, so I am sure this semester will be a butt kicker as well. The first week was a little rough – adding courses, dropping courses, trying to get a seat in Watersheds, which, by the way, is still packed. Today there were 5 students sitting in chairs borrowed from another classroom taking notes on their laps. Today is the last day for drop/add and there were students in that class that were still on the waiting list.
The best part of starting a new semester is that I had three weeks of break prior. I had the best time. My husband and I stayed here over the break because he had to work. I on the other hand had nothing to do. I was one lazy person. I slept in, drank too much, and watch crap on TV. I also finally had a chance to get the house cleaned up and make a real dinner every night. No more cereal for dinner!! My brain and my body really needed the chance to rejuvenate.
Now that classes have started back, winter has finally decided to show up. It is damn cold today. I woke up this morning and it was –5 degrees. I still think the temperature is right around zero. I called my friends back home (in the warm south) to tell them and they just laughed. At least there is snow on the ground so I don’t mind the cold that much. I just hate it when it is cold and there is no snow.
Happy New Year everyone!

I really don’t have a lot of positive things to say today. The days are getting shorter and the temperature is dropping steadily. Today the sun sets at 4:29pm. Tomorrow it sets at 4:28pm. I feel like a seasonal depression is setting in.

Out of curiosity I checked the weather back home and right now at 4:13pm it is 72 degrees in Wilmington, NC. I miss 72 degree days. Yesterday the temperature reached 60 degrees and everyone was shocked. The local weather forecasters were all saying to soak it in because that is the last time we will see temperatures in the 60s for months (meaning until May). Right now it is only 40 degrees outside and it is suppose to drop into the low 30s by tonight.

Of late I have really been homesick. I would give anything for a Fish House shrimp burger on Wrightsville Beach. In case you don’t know they make the best freaking shrimp burgers ever; so, if you are ever in the area, I recommend you stop in and order one. Hell, any fresh seafood would be good right now. I talked to some friends the other day and the ocean surface water temperature at the beach is still 70 degrees. It is still warm enough to go swimming!

This is also the first time in many many years that I will completely miss the false albacore, and speckled trout season. No fishing for me right now, just paper writing.

Just one month to go till the semester is over. Well, at least until classes are over; we still have exams. There is so much still to do, but so little time.

I am done bumming everyone out. Hopefully next time I will have something a bit more positive to say.

Last Friday, I escaped to the Dartmouth Library. I needed to find a place where no one knew who I was so I could study undisturbed and undistracted. I guess the students at VLS are too friendly! Apparently I am not the only VLSer to seek studying refuge at the Dartmouth Library. Rumor has it that staff and the administration also find there way to Dartmouth when they have to get something done.

Well, crunch time is upon us. The semester is winding down, and that means papers, presentations, and exams. I just don’t know how I am going to find the time to do everything, but the 2Ls and 3Ls reassure me that somehow everyone finds a way to get it done.

I am dreading my Ethics paper. I just don’t like asking those questions, and for 20 pages, Yuck! But, my goal is to at least have a very rough draft by the end of this weekend. That may be too optimistic, but I am going to give it a shot.

In addition to crunch time, winter is almost here. At least it is here at my house. I live on top of Brockle Bank hill and we have had snow many times over the past couple of weeks. A couple of Sundays past, we had 5 inches! According to the locals I live in the snow belt. That means we will get snow before the folks in Royalton and we will get more snow. Right now it is nice, but I think I may feel differently about that come February. To give you a general idea of the elevation difference, basically I live exactly 10 miles from the school and the drive home is uphill the entire way.

So to recap, I am cold and stressed. Oh, and sleep deprived!

We might see snow tonight! They are not forecasting anything major, just some light flurries if that. To tell you the truth, I wouldn’t mind seeing a little snow. I have always felt that is it is going to be cold it might as well snow. Let’s see if I still feel that way next year!
Apparently, because the wooly worms have a wider then usual black stripe, this is supposed to be a very cold winter. The other day they were all over the road, and I felt so bad driving home because I knew that I wasn’t able to dodge all of them. Every time I looked in my rearview mirror I saw at least one flying through the air (kicked up by my tires).
On to another topic- Fall Break. I had so much fun. I stayed here and was able to get school work done and have some fun I caught up on sleep, went hiking, and picked tons of wild apples. My husband and I created a huge mess in our kitchen making applesauce and other wonderful baked goodies with the wild apples. Everything turned out great and was delicious. I filled my belly and our freezer. I definitely overdosed on apples over the weekend, but they were sooo good!

I went to my first yoga class on Tuesday morning. The class was awesome. Lynne Hadley, a resident of Tunbridge, teaches the class at her home. Her and her husband built a small addition to their house and it serves as Lynne’s yoga studio. It is a beautiful room with large windows on all the walls, so it provides an excellent view to accompany your sunrise salutation. I really can’t think of a better way to start my morning. I am already looking forward to class next week.
We don’t have classes on Monday and Tuesday next week. It is Fall Break!! Many of my friends are going home for the break, but as home is 1000 miles south, I will be staying here. I am not complaining. It gives me time to catch up on reading and reorganize my notes. I also have set a personal goal to get a good portion of my semester paper for Environmental Ethics written. Hopefully I will get all of that done and still have time to have some fun. I hope to go hiking on Monday. A friend is taking me to some great trails near Woodstock. Mostly, over this break, I hope to be able to spend some quality time with my husband. I have been so busy that I feel like I never get to see him. We joke with each other that I will see him in 4 years.

Talking to other students that have spouses or significant others, the general consensus is that we all feel like we are neglecting our partners. I guess that goes with the territory of being in law school. Time management is very difficult. Between classes, homework, student organizations, study groups, work study jobs or other jobs, there is hardly time in the day to make sure you eat let alone spend quality time with the one you love. I feel that as the semester progresses that I am gaining a better handle on managing my time. Hopefully by next semester I will have figured this all out.
Enjoy the fall foliage. Apparently this week is the peak of leaf season. Watch out for all those leaf peepers on the road.
Till next time.

Fall is officially here and classes are in full swing. I have come to the realization that I will be legally blind in 4 years with all this reading. Where do I get 4 years from you ask? I want to do the JD program next year. My husband swears it isn’t possible to read all day, but I have found that it is. I feel that all I do is read. Even my kitties are frustrated with all my reading. When I am home, I am reading instead of loving on them. They have started climbing on top of my text books and my laptop to try and get my attention. It is pitiful. Good thing I am interested in what I am reading. I have come to the realization that I need to manage my time better and make sure that I am doing activities for me that are not in any way related to school. I have decided that I need a scheduled activity so I can’t put off “me time” for later. I am going to start taking yoga on Tuesday mornings from 7-8:30 in Tunbridge. Hopefully yoga will teach me how to breathe and relax. I feel like school has thrown me out of balance so I hope that yoga will teach me how to center myself. I have also realized that it is essential to take your vitamins and eat well everyday. Law students are so busy that we sometimes forget to take care of ourselves. Food is essential to nourish our minds so we can think. Cold season (and I am not talking about the temperature) has also arrived. Vitamins can do wonders for your immune system. I try to remember to take a multi plus extra C, B, and Zinc every day. I cannot afford to get sick and miss class. I am going to go and grab lunch now so I can nourish my body. It is sushi day at the Co-op! Later.

I have made it a month at VLS, and so far things are going great. Classes are not as bad as I thought they might be, but keeping up with all the reading can be a challenge. Overall I love all of it and I am glad that I made the decision to attend VLS and move almost 1000 miles north. That’s right 1000 miles! I am a southern girl.

I was in the local co-op the other day eating lunch and I started talking to an older woman who was eating next to me. We got on the topic of the weather and I was commenting on the fact that I can’t believe the leaves are starting to change color. (At home the weather is still 95 degrees with 100% humidity, so the heat index is approximately 110-115 degrees.) She told me that she has been living here 30 years, and that she still can’t believe how early fall comes every year. She asked me if this was going to be my first winter up north, to which I replied yes. She laughed so hard at me that food fell out of here mouth! Apparently I am in for a long winter of freezing my hind end off. She told me that once the storms (not snow, storms!) start coming, they don’t stop until May (May—that is crazy!). She says that the weather pretty much alternates between snow, sleet, and freezing rain. I kept thinking what have I gotten myself into. Back home it is not uncommon to be able to wear shorts in December. Later that day I got onto campmor.com and started checking out winter boots and other winter clothing.

I knew it was going to be cold and snowy; I just didn’t think that it was going to be that cold and nasty or that it would last till May. At least all that cold weather will make me want to stay inside and study. 

But winter isn’t here yet and the weather is beautiful. So I am going to quit typing and go outside and soak in some sun.

Till next time.