500 Days of Summer

I have seen a number of movies this summer (including Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, The Ugly Truth, The Hangover, The Proposal, Public Enemies and Away We Go, to name a bunch), but BY FAR, the best I have seen is 500 Days of Summer.

It's the most realistic depiction of life and relationships that I have seen in a movie in a long time. It really shows how the ups and downs of relationships and how, even though you might think someone is the only one for you, they might not be. I love the idea that it you can just be in the most random place and meet someone who will be your "soul mate" (if there is such a thing, which I'm still not convinced of). Even more intriguing, however, is the idea that there is just some indescribable factor that "the one" has that other people you care a lot for don't have.

I highly recommend checking this one out. The narration might seem a little annoying to some (though I personally enjoyed it) and there's a kitschy dance (though definitely entertaining) musical number in the middle. There's a lot of humor and the two leads put in incredibly charming performances that I can see myself coming back to watch again and again.

The Doomsday Key by James Rollins

James Rollins' Sigma Series is some of my guilty favorite pleasure reading and the newest installment, The Doomsday Key, reminded me why I love hanging out with the Sigma Force characters. I love that the book brings us back to Gray, Seichan, Rachel, Monsignor Verona, Kowolski, Painter, Monk, Kat, and Lisa each time. I love these little glimpses we get into their lives, as they strive to keep the Guild from getting their hands on important and deadly historical and scientfic artifacts.

Rollins is a master at weaving science and history together, and puts in just enough romance to satisfy the girly side of me and enough action to fulfill the rough-and-tumble side. I also love that there's always true history and science forming the background of his stories, so the reader is always learning.

Definitely give these books a try if you want to lose yourself in a race between good and bad as they move towards historical and scientific truths.

Rapidly Approaching

As we near the end of July, law camp is imminent. Friday is my last day of work at the libraries and then it's up to New York for 6 days to see friends and family before coming back to Maryland, grabbing my stuff, and moving to my new mini house in law school town. Right now the apartment is getting pretty clean but there are boxes EVERYWHERE, as I've been packing and steam-cleaning and scrubbing kitchens and bathrooms. The dust that gets kicked up is killing me, since I've got a crazy dust allergy.

My friend, who is taking over my current apartment, is moving in on Friday, so I've consolidated all my stuff in one half of the room, so that we can get all her stuff in.

People keep asking me if I'm excited, but honestly, I find moving too much of a pain to be focused on being excited about starting law school. I did receive a letter from my "law office" -- our Legal Writing and Research class, and it looks like we will both interview our first client and write our first memo during law camp. I guess we get things off with a bang.

I also have most of my books, all of which I found pretty good deals for. The only two I don't have yet are ones that were just published this year and which don't have used copies available anywhere. I'll just have to suck it up and order them in the next day or so, but the Torts book is upwards of $100 since it's a new edition -- blech!

Anyway, after two more days of week, one week of family time, and one week of assimilating to my new apartment, my law school adventure will begin. My best friend from home is coming down to VA with me to help me set up the apartment and get settled in -- though I imagine it's our trip to an amusement park that is the real reason she's coming. Either way, it will be nice to have some company as I get started in a new place.

School Books

Now I knew going into law school that the books would be expensive. And they are. However, I feel like I've been able to scout out pretty good prices for all of my books.

What I find really disturbing, however, is that there are 8 required books for the Legal Research/Writing course at my school. I know a couple are necessary and will be useful for throughout law school, for example the Bluebook Citation Guide. But EIGHT? REALLY?

To those law students out there in the universe, do your schools require so many? And more importantly, did you actually use them all?

Study Schedule

I should just admit it: I'm a planner. Now some people might thing that this isn't a bad thing. With me, however, it's not just a general plan for what my days will look like. In undergrad, I used to take my syllabi and map out my reading for each night for the entire semester before classes even started. Then, each night I would have to do the reading before going to bed.

I had thought I'd mellowed in the three years since then. Getting my MLS turned me into a lazy learner; I rarely read. And why would I, when the readings were then reiterated to us in class and the professors provided 70+ slides for each class that also repeated the material? I'd only do what I needed to get the assignments in.

Ever since I got my IL Fall Schedule, I've been trying to figure out what my days will look like. On average, how many hours a day will be required of studying, or how many hours per class session? Obviously, this differs for everyone, but is it really about 3 hours per class session, as suggested by Law School Confidential? How much time does Legal Research and Writing take up?

These are just some things I've been thinking about lately. I cannot wait for school to start so this blog can be more about mocking law students (none of whom are any stranger than I am, I'm sure) and the law school experience.

For the time being, I'm chugging away at my two jobs and looking forward to 5:00pm on July 31st, my last day. Packing is taking up the majority of the rest of my time...2.5 out of 5 bookshelves packed. I ran out of small enough boxes for books -- they get heavy so fast, so I've moved on to cleaning out the rolltop desk for the time being.

Til next time.

Fall Schedules

Fall schedules were released this week. I have to say I'm fairly pleased with mine, although I may be the only nerd at law school who likes having an 8:30 class three days a week (MWR). I'd be up anyway, so I might as well be in Civil Procedure.

My other classes are at 10 o'clock (every day but Monday) and 2 o'clock (MTR). Along with Civil Procedure, I have Torts and Criminal Law, as well as the required IL research and writing class. I'm really glad that I'll be done by 3:30 everyday. Of course, I have to work in my eight work hours/week, too.

Now that I can sort of visualize that what my weeks will look like, I'm starting to get somewhat excited to start. Of course, this means, with my move now only a month a way, I need to get started on packing. My books alone will take hours to pack.

Okay, I'm off to finish watching Wimbledon and then get some more summer reading in.... because, before long, I imagine there won't be a lot of time for pleasure reading. Flaubert, here I come!