Thursday, October 27, 2011

First Blood... Mid-term in Property

Today was our first real graded work of the semester.  We had a mid-term in property over Estates and Future Interests.  It will only be 30% of our grade in that class.  So, I guess it's possible to bomb it and still do well in the class, overall.

I think I did adequately prepare for the thing.  Strategized everything well.  Went into the test with everything I need.  I also usually test well.  However, I usually don't do well on ultra-detailed stuff and that's kinda what this was.  Most attorneys can remember learning things like the Doctrine of Worthier Title, the Rule in Shelley's Case, and the Rule Against Perpituities.  They're sort of like a tough logic problem that you apply to various estate grants.

So, how did I do?  I don't think I messed anything up.  I knew the material.  If I missed something, it was missing details in the question.  Trouble with that is, I wouldn't know that until/unless somebody else pointed it out to me.  I just won't know how I did until I get the results back.

Part of it also, is that it depends not just on how I do, but how everyone else does, too, since this is graded on a curve.  I really don't think I flunked, but I could realistically see getting the thing back with anywhere from a C to an A on it and I wouldn't be shocked. 

No rest for the wicked, though.  I need to plunge into my Memo, which is basically the bulk of my grade in Legal Research and Writing. 

No class tomorrow, though.  I am looking forward to a few days away from school.  I just got my schedule for the Spring and it blows.  Classes all 5 days a week, including a 3 hour, 20 minute gap two days a week. 

Next Fall, though, I'm busting my butt to try and get all my classes squeezed into two days a week.  I also hope they have an interesting elective that only meets once a week on Tuesday nights.

Oh well.  I'm tired, but need to complete a citation workshop before I turn in to bed.  Should only take 20 minutes or so. 

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Crunch Time

Halfway through week 9 and it's officially crunch time.  I got my final memo materials today.  That's basically the final exam for my legal research and writing class.  It's 70% of the grade.  Need to get a good grade on it to get a good grade in the class.

Also, in property, our midterm is next Thursday.  It's just on estates and future interests.

I'm still sorta exhausted from the trip to Texas.  I'm pursuing a transfer to the IRR, which means I won't be an drilling reservist anymore.  I hate to do it.  My military service was one of the aspects of my life I was most proud about.  However, I lost money every drill because I was travelling to Texas at my own expense. 

The other big problem was that this left nobody to watch my son if his mom had to work.  So, although I really hate the idea, my military career is over.  I never intended to stick around for retirement.  Just wanted to be here to deploy if the troop levels got thin.  These days, they're lowering headcount.  I may as well make their job easier.

Not sure how smoothly the transfer will go.  I've come to distrust military administration, but with any luck, by Christmas or so, the whole situation will be resolved.

Logan's football season ends this weekend.  That is happening at just the right time.  I need to hunker down with the books and having 2 hours worth of football practice most nights was more than I should probably have dealt with.  I just felt that it wasn't fair to the head coach not to get help and although a few other dads showed up here and there, and one in particular showed up pretty regularly, most practices, they really did need my help.  Probably could have survived without it, but 10 year olds need a lot of guidance.

I'm still tired and sleep deprived from my trip.  I'm also probably ever so slightly behind at school.  Starting next week, though, I should have more than enough time to catch up.  I'm eager, yet somewhat anxious about next week's mid-term.  That and the memo are the only graded assignments I'll have until the final exams.

Things just got serious. 

Monday, October 3, 2011

Halfway There

This is week seven, pretty much after tomorrow, I'm at the midpoint of the semester.  I turned in my first memo, which will not be graded, but will be critiqued.  It is basically the first assignment I've turned in this semester.  The prof is meeting with us throughout the next couple of weeks to provide feedback on how we did.

So far, so good.  I do wish I weren't coming here five days a week but I think that's something they do deliberately to 1Ls.  This will be much smoother next year when I'm only here 2 or 4 days a week. 

I still have so much work to do on my outlines.  It's not that I'm falling behind at all.  I just wish I were a little further ahead and more on top of things.

I go to Fort Worth for drill at the end of next week.  I don't think I'll be able to attend either the November or December drill.  November drill will be right before the big memo is due for legal writing.  That's 70% of the grade for the course.  December drill is right in the middle of final exams.  Again, no way. 

I'll have to talk it over with my commander and XO this weekend.  It may very well be that I can't do Navy reserve and law school, both.  If push comes to shove, it'll suck, but I'll stick with law school.  I never really intended to stick it out in the reserves and retire.

In the mean time, I'm really tired.  3 more weeks of Logan's football season.  So, there's an end in sight, there.  However, baseball Fall workouts have started.  I hope they don't do more than one day a week of that.  Those usually end sometime at the end of October or the beginning of November.  However, in the Spring, right after New Year, the indoor baseball workouts start.

I really don't want to be that involved with Logan's baseball team, since things will be ramping up just in time for Spring final exams, but it doesn't look like the parents for that team are very involved at all.

Just taking it a day at a time, a week at a time.  Time is flying by.  I have no doubt I can finish law school.  At this point, though, I have no idea beyond that. 

Just gotta grunt it out and do it.  I'm not really in a different boat than my classmates, except that my time is a bit more constrained.  We'll see what's what when the first semester grades are posted.