Wow! I got on a train in August (the train of law school) and it went 1000mph until December 10 at noon when I finished my last final! It was absolutely the most fun!! I love school, and all the reading! Criminal Law was the hard class--because it was so sad reading the cases. Contracts was the most fun--mainly because my professor is just highly entertaining and makes contracts more fun than any other class. The kids are incredible to be around! I've met students from all over the place. Some from very sad backgrounds themselves, and their stories of how they have made it are just amazing and encouraging!
Layne had a tough semester as well. We spent many nights studying and studying. Frozen dinners became a staple, with mom's cooking here and there. Wash piled high, and our house had never been dustier! We crashed for the first week after exams!
Hope to blog more, but if 2nd semester is anything like 1st--or worse, then it won't be till May!
susan
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Thursday, September 2, 2010
THIRD WEEK AND LABOR DAY WEEKEND!
Well, it's almost the end of our third week. Layne and I have both been studying a ton. She gets home and starts her homework with me right next to her. It's very fun. The other day I was getting texts from my school friends. She just couldn't understand what I was doing on the phone. You see, I have never been much of a phone person or a texter. Nope. Don't generally text at all. So in the course of a meal I got a bunch of texts and she finally threw her hands down and said, "MOTHER, what are you doing!?" I said, "Just texting." Her, "Texting WHO?" I said, "My friends. My SCHOOL friends!" Nanny Nanny Boo Boo. I now can sit and do that irritating texting while someone is talking too!! It was quite the teaching moment. I think she couldn't believe I was actually texting.
What a wonderful, fun time I am having! Being around the kids...I mean...young adults is just priceless. I have met such interesting people. Last weekend I had our study group over. Several people were just too swamped with what was due Monday to come. Frankly, we still don't quite know what we need to study or how to do a study group, but this will come. The profs keep saying after Labor Day things are going to be much different. Translated means it's going to get really fast and really tough. So we are all preparing to get as much ahead as we can this weekend.
One of my profs is just like Madea. I have laughed and laughed at her hysterical comments in the class. She needs to be in Hollywood writing comedy! Another professor is just as funny. The library is the hangout, especially for section 1. One of their professors looks around in the atrium and if you look back at him he assumes you don't have much to do sitting out there so assigns you work. He has everyone in that section pretty nervous. I was worried he might start assigning work to other sections as well...
Food is great at House of Java. That's the coffee shop in the atrium. The coffee is superb and Horatio is surely a staple character there with his jazz music going every morning bright and early.
The 2L's and 3L's are incredibly helpful. They are always willing to sit and talk and help you figure out how to study or prepare for exams. Everyone is so willing to help everyone else. I think that is a unique thing at my school.
Well, I'm preparing for a tennis match tonight and then a weekend of work!
What a wonderful, fun time I am having! Being around the kids...I mean...young adults is just priceless. I have met such interesting people. Last weekend I had our study group over. Several people were just too swamped with what was due Monday to come. Frankly, we still don't quite know what we need to study or how to do a study group, but this will come. The profs keep saying after Labor Day things are going to be much different. Translated means it's going to get really fast and really tough. So we are all preparing to get as much ahead as we can this weekend.
One of my profs is just like Madea. I have laughed and laughed at her hysterical comments in the class. She needs to be in Hollywood writing comedy! Another professor is just as funny. The library is the hangout, especially for section 1. One of their professors looks around in the atrium and if you look back at him he assumes you don't have much to do sitting out there so assigns you work. He has everyone in that section pretty nervous. I was worried he might start assigning work to other sections as well...
Food is great at House of Java. That's the coffee shop in the atrium. The coffee is superb and Horatio is surely a staple character there with his jazz music going every morning bright and early.
The 2L's and 3L's are incredibly helpful. They are always willing to sit and talk and help you figure out how to study or prepare for exams. Everyone is so willing to help everyone else. I think that is a unique thing at my school.
Well, I'm preparing for a tennis match tonight and then a weekend of work!
Friday, August 20, 2010
End of First Week!!!!
Ok, well, first week is just about over. Two classes today and I'm home for the weekend. Layne has had a great week as well. Of course, with the hectic mornings she is now convinced the only way to survive is for me to buy her a car! That way, transportation won't be an issue.
I have met some of the neatest kids ever!! From all over the place! Southern University Law Center has pulled together an awesome Class of 2013! The spirit of the faculty around here is just amazing. The teachers (though they can scare the p out you) are out for your good. Their desire for everyone to succeed is just wonderful. They are open, accessible and most of all, begging you to come in and get help whenever you need it. At the moment, I'm thinking I'll be busting their doors down.
The funny thing is the way the kids get all their info texting. Of course, as a 50-year-old I'm out of the loop. So one person can panic or hear wrong assignment work and (hee-hee-hee) they are up all night doing needless work that was not really assigned. I come to school all rested because I'm out of the loop! I have the feeling I could come up with some pretty great pranks!
Torts is the hardest class. She made us sit alphabetically. HORRIBLE! I am in the middle of a row up top. Now, she won't allow you to breathe let alone get up and go pee. So the more I thought about that the more I had to go, and the more I couldn't concentrate because I was stuck in the middle, which gave me more anxiety, which really made me have to go. I bolted out the door as fast as I could when the class was over!
I am truly looking forward to studying with Layne all weekend, church (need prayer!), and some much needed sleep!
I have met some of the neatest kids ever!! From all over the place! Southern University Law Center has pulled together an awesome Class of 2013! The spirit of the faculty around here is just amazing. The teachers (though they can scare the p out you) are out for your good. Their desire for everyone to succeed is just wonderful. They are open, accessible and most of all, begging you to come in and get help whenever you need it. At the moment, I'm thinking I'll be busting their doors down.
The funny thing is the way the kids get all their info texting. Of course, as a 50-year-old I'm out of the loop. So one person can panic or hear wrong assignment work and (hee-hee-hee) they are up all night doing needless work that was not really assigned. I come to school all rested because I'm out of the loop! I have the feeling I could come up with some pretty great pranks!
Torts is the hardest class. She made us sit alphabetically. HORRIBLE! I am in the middle of a row up top. Now, she won't allow you to breathe let alone get up and go pee. So the more I thought about that the more I had to go, and the more I couldn't concentrate because I was stuck in the middle, which gave me more anxiety, which really made me have to go. I bolted out the door as fast as I could when the class was over!
I am truly looking forward to studying with Layne all weekend, church (need prayer!), and some much needed sleep!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
FIRST DAY - ORIENTATION
Wow! What a fun day. My eyes teared up when the Chancellor said, "Welcome Class of 2013!" I met a ton of people - nobody older than me - yet. Already have homework in Civ Pro. The day was long. We got out around 4:15 or so.
Drove to my tennis match for playoffs of my mixed doubles team. We lost all three courts and are now in 2nd place with one more game to go. If the top team wins all three courts it's over. But if we win all three courts and they lose a court, well, then we could be in to go to State.
I missed Layne all day. I wished she could have been there with me to experience the day. But she was having her own fun at her 2nd day of 11th grade. She worked on a Calculus spiral and was a bit bummed about her grade. We were bummed together. But my team is awesome and I thought we all did great.
Tomorrow is another day of orientation.
Big stress is the parking and having to get there early to catch a shuttle to the Law Center building. You can't be late to class.
All in all a great day and lots of wonderful people to get to know over the next 3 years!
Drove to my tennis match for playoffs of my mixed doubles team. We lost all three courts and are now in 2nd place with one more game to go. If the top team wins all three courts it's over. But if we win all three courts and they lose a court, well, then we could be in to go to State.
I missed Layne all day. I wished she could have been there with me to experience the day. But she was having her own fun at her 2nd day of 11th grade. She worked on a Calculus spiral and was a bit bummed about her grade. We were bummed together. But my team is awesome and I thought we all did great.
Tomorrow is another day of orientation.
Big stress is the parking and having to get there early to catch a shuttle to the Law Center building. You can't be late to class.
All in all a great day and lots of wonderful people to get to know over the next 3 years!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Teen in 11th Grade
Layne officially starts her 11th grade year today. Last night I looked over her book critique on Garrett Epps book, "To an Unknown God." Great book and pertinent to my own future studies in law. The book is about the battle for the right of Native American peyote users to use peyote in their worship services. The case went to the Supreme Court twice and established a more concise understanding of our religious freedoms. She did a great job on the paper...book was a little bit too much fluff intermixed with the case.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Why I Am Nervous
1. My tennis team is in playoffs.
2. I really want a wheeled backpack and can't figure out why I care what kids in their 20's will think.
3. My tennis team is in playoffs.
4. Layne has work she needs me to check over...and I'll have lots of studying.
5. My tennis team is in playoffs.
6. I'll eat like I used to when studying.
7. I won't eat like I used to but will forget to feed my daughter and myself.
8. My tennis team is in playoffs.
9. Some of the books look BORING.
10. My tennis team is in playoffs and I don't know if the lineup is right.
11. What if I missed the Lord's red flags?
12. Playoffs start tonight!!!! YIKES!
Friday, August 6, 2010
6 Days and Counting
Okay, my mixed doubles tennis team is now in the playoffs! As Captain of the team, this is a great way to get rid of some of the butterflies with Law School. Well, I still have butterflies about the tennis, but they are not as severe as those that pop in when I'm thinking about the commitment to three years of school.
Layne is reading a great book by Garrett Epps. "To An Unknown God." It's about the attacks on our religious freedoms. I was reading some out loud to her to which she replied I was a "slow reader." Nerves jolted big time. If I'm a slow reader how will I survive my first year? I told her everyone reads slower when they read out loud...I'm hoping.
My stack of books grows daily. Amazon was the cheapest place. I'm not interested in books with lots of highlighting and notes from other students. Unless there was some way to determine if the former book owner had straight A's. If this were noted in Amazon notes about the book, it could possibly go for double the price...used and marked in!
Still thinking about a backpack. Saw one that's called a Brain Bag. Another for those with bad backs called an Airbag. Most everyone says don't buy a wheeled backpack as you'll look like a nerd.
I'm already a nerd: Single, Mother, 50. I should get the wheeled....
Susan
Layne is reading a great book by Garrett Epps. "To An Unknown God." It's about the attacks on our religious freedoms. I was reading some out loud to her to which she replied I was a "slow reader." Nerves jolted big time. If I'm a slow reader how will I survive my first year? I told her everyone reads slower when they read out loud...I'm hoping.
My stack of books grows daily. Amazon was the cheapest place. I'm not interested in books with lots of highlighting and notes from other students. Unless there was some way to determine if the former book owner had straight A's. If this were noted in Amazon notes about the book, it could possibly go for double the price...used and marked in!
Still thinking about a backpack. Saw one that's called a Brain Bag. Another for those with bad backs called an Airbag. Most everyone says don't buy a wheeled backpack as you'll look like a nerd.
I'm already a nerd: Single, Mother, 50. I should get the wheeled....
Susan
Thursday, August 5, 2010
The countdown begins! 7 days until Orientation at Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana! I'm nervous, excited, butterflies in the stomach, and did I say, nervous?!
My name is Susan and I just turned 50 in July! Although I had been accepted into the part-time night program at Southern, I didn't find out until last week that I could go into the full time day program. Three years instead of four. Since I'm no spring chicken, one year mattered...a lot.
My reason for only being able to enter school in the day program is my precious daughter, Layne. At 16 she's the priority in my life, the joy in my life, and the greatest blessing I could ever have hoped for. She's going to be a junior this year and there's just no way I'd leave her to herself all night, every night while I went to school. So we prayed and prayed I'd be allowed to go day. I got my schedule in the mail and there it was! Day classes! With her 4 AP classes and my schedule, well, our house will now be the official study dorm. I told her we'll be looking forward to A+'s with the amount of studying that will be going on.
My name is Susan and I just turned 50 in July! Although I had been accepted into the part-time night program at Southern, I didn't find out until last week that I could go into the full time day program. Three years instead of four. Since I'm no spring chicken, one year mattered...a lot.
My reason for only being able to enter school in the day program is my precious daughter, Layne. At 16 she's the priority in my life, the joy in my life, and the greatest blessing I could ever have hoped for. She's going to be a junior this year and there's just no way I'd leave her to herself all night, every night while I went to school. So we prayed and prayed I'd be allowed to go day. I got my schedule in the mail and there it was! Day classes! With her 4 AP classes and my schedule, well, our house will now be the official study dorm. I told her we'll be looking forward to A+'s with the amount of studying that will be going on.
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