Nichole Rousseau-McAllister

A Day in the Life of a 1L

After reading Emily’s post on what it’s like to be a 2L evening student, I thought it might be interesting for readers to see what the life of a 1L day student is like. I was exhausted reading about Emily’s day—congrats to her for living it!—I promise mine is not nearly as packed (or exciting).

I’m blogging about my Tuesday, which tends to be my busy day. Like Emily, I’ve also noted times where students might do things differently.

***

7:00AM—Alarm goes off and it’s still dark outside. Lovely. I’m getting ready for school, fixing my lunch, and making sure everything is in order for the day. I like to take my time and watch a little TV too, so I usually have Saved by the Bell on in the mornings (nothing like remembering how easy high school was!)

9:00AM—Off to school. Class doesn’t start until 10:00, but I like to be early.

9:10AM—At school and sitting in the Legal Research Center. I usually catch up with friends and other pod mates for a bit and check my email. Other people grab coffee and a baked good, catch up on reading, or play ping pong

10:00AM—Class! Civil Procedure, can be a toughie, but we usually get a ten-minute break. We’re lurking in Erie territory,  and today, I’m called on to brief a case; happily, it goes off without a hitch.

12:00PM—Class is over and we’re out for lunch. I have 2 hours until my next class. I’m off to the LRC to eat, but one great perk about Lewis & Clark is there’s always a free lunch to be had somewhere. There are so many lunch time events going on around campus—from Career Services first years’ panel or informational meetings on judicial clerkships; meetings for NEDC, IPSO, International Law Society and the Women’s Law Caucus; to skills workshops or other panels—lots of the programs entice students with free pizza, sandwiches, drinks, cookies, etc. Not only is it a great way to get some food, but it’s also a wonderful way to stay involved and learn about what’s happening on campus. While I’ll spend my break in the LRC, other students will head to the library or Wood Hall to catch up on reading or to get ahead.

2:00PM—Back to class, this time for Contracts. We’re covering consideration and promissory estoppel, which is heavy stuff so we’re taking our time through this section.

3:20PM—Class is over and I’m done for the day! I spend a few minutes chatting with friends and then we all depart, some head to the library/Wood Hall to read, others hop on their bikes and head home. I trek over to the parking lot and run a few quick errands.

4:30PM—Finally home. I went to the grocery store (I usually try to do this on the weekends, so I can keep my time focused on studying, but I didn’t make it this weekend) and to the post office. I’m going to spend some time putting away groceries, make a light snack and pick up around the house. And then I’ll start studying.

5:15PM—…Maybe I’ll take a quick nap first.

6:00PM—Ok, really should open the books now. The good news is I’ve already read Thursday’s Contracts assignment and I’ve done half of Thursday’s Civ Pro reading (I like to try to keep at least a day ahead on my readings). Our Wednesday Torts class is rescheduled for next week, so I don’t have to work on that at the moment, either. Part of the reason why I like to keep ahead on my readings (being able to keep your head above water is reason enough though!) is that I also have an internship. My internship offers me great flexibility, so I can work from home if I can’t make it to the office that week. Once I finish up my schoolwork, I’m going to spend a couple of hours on this week’s assignment for my internship. I’m usually drafting memos or writing case briefs, so most of tonight’s work will be research based.

9:00PM—Whoops, time to eat dinner!

9:20PM—And back to work…

Midnight—Time to go to bed. My cut off point is usually midnight, unless I absolutely have to get something done. I’m a bit of a night owl, so I get the most work and my best work done in the evenings, hence my schedule is heavy toward the night hours. Some students are like I am, but not everyone is this way. My friends who study at the library after class will usually be there from the end of class (3ish) until 8pm. If they study straight on through and they’re done at 8, it’s doing the same amount of work I do, though I start later and end later. 

11 November 2009

Explore Portland!

I think of this week as the Week of No Return. Extra time has become increasingly short as the assignments and readings have become longer and more complex. We just reached the semester’s mid-point and everyone, including myself, is beginning to get into a flurry, raiding the supplies for extra notebooks, pens, highlighters, sticky notes, and power cords and buckling down to begin outlining for final exams. Outside of school, I also do pro bono work with a community organization and have an internship with a non-profit group, so time is always at a premium for me. Regardless of how busy school is getting it, I’ve found my work outside of school to be not only personally fulfilling, but also a great way to practice and apply the skills I am learning in class.

In an effort to escape the boiling pot that law school can sometimes be, my friends and I have adopted the weekly tradition of “Explore Portland.” Explore Portland is our Thursday night ritual (though we should probably change the name from “Explore Portland” to “Eat Portland”). We’ve ticked a number of Portland hot spots off our list, including: Last Thursday on NE Alberta, Podnah’s BBQ, the Laurelhurst Theater, King’s Burritos, Pok Pok, and next week we’re adopting a Halloween theme and visiting Portland’s Haunted Houses. This week we dined at Delta Café and Bar for a taste of the good ol’ South. There were hush puppies in a pond, chicken fried steak, biscuits and collared greens, and plenty of sweet tea to go around. (photo courtesy of Lindsay Ray).

Law school is intense, wonderful, crazy, enriching, and frustrating; it’s an emotional experience. I’ve learned in my short time here (nine weeks in!) that it’s important to take a step back every once in awhile, and for me, that’s Explore Portland. It’s a designated evening each week, where I take time leave the law school bubble (admittedly, many lame jokes about negligence and duties owed abound at Explore Portland dinners), to take time for myself, and to enjoy being in Portland. Stepping back from my studies for one night a week, isn’t going to set me back; to the contrary, I see it as a chance to recharge my batteries and reflect and embrace the law school experience. 

Delta Cafe and Bar

23 October 2009