Immunization Blues

So moving to another state is proving just as difficult as it sounds. Law school is requiring an immunization form to be filled out by each incoming student. I’ve had all of my immunizations but my pediatrician is no longer in business (possibly not even alive), and my undergrad university LOST MY FILE!!! So far I have called three Primary Care Physicians to see if they can test for positive titers(?) (proof of my immunizations in my blood) and two doctor’s are closed and the other referred me to the health department. After calling the health department I was told that they don’t test for MMR and polio titers, only tuberculosis titers. At this point I’m going to SCREAM. I realize that I don’t have to fix this over night but I have one month! I have one month to find a doctor, to recommend a lab to wait for my results to complete this form and to send it to the law school.

Add to this the fact that I had to have trooper’s medical file copied for his new pediatrician, send immunization forms to his new school and have a medical evaluation filled out.

I have one month to finalize my divorce and to change my name with Social Security Administration, driver’s license, and hope that it doesn’t affect the distribution of my financial aid. Meanwhile I am sitting behind a desk at my job waiting for time to pass so that I can finally start resolving some of these issues.

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Distractions & Plan of Action

I have had a series of distractions the last couple of weeks. Mostly due to the fact that I am leaving an awesome city behind and I want to enjoy every moment I am here. I’ve been (admittedly) doing way too much partying. This is great for some people, but it always seems to take a lot out of me. It takes me days to recover from a night of partying. A very helpful TLS poster, (who went through 1L at my school an subsequently transferred out) told me this about drinking & partying that I plan to take to heart:

“It’s really easy to break the curve if you don’t go out drinking regularly! About 70% of (insert law school I am attending) drinks really heavily. “

I really didn’t start drinking until I was 23. I feel no desire to consume alcohol. I do it for the social aspect of it. Considering the effect it has on me and the fact that it may directly/indirectly impact my grades.,I am promising myself that there will be ZERO alcohol when I move to my new city ( or at least until after my last final exam in December.)

This does not mean I will not participate in social activities, it does mean I will not drink.

Onto whatever little 0L progress I have made so far…

I have decided to issue deadlines for myself to keep me on track since I am running out of time.

1. LEEWS: I got through the first two modules of LEEWS (2 out of 8). I feel like I rushed through the second module so my intention is to go back and redo this module before I move forward. My plan is to finish LEEWS this week. I would like to complete LEEWS before I start Law Preview so I can compare and contrast methods during my week in Law Preview. I will also outline LEEWS for my 1L reference after I complete the course. Deadline: June 27th

2. LAW PREVIEW: Law Preview sent me the course book and apparently I need to read half of this 100 page book before the course starts. Geeez, what have I gotten myself into!? After finishing LEEWS, I plan to focus exclusively on Law Preview. The course starts July 12th so I have two weeks after I finish LEEWS to knock it out. Deadline: July 11th

3.GTM: I’m half way through GTM. I read the beginning and ending of the book for useful study methods I can use to hit the ground running on day 1. I have not read the middle because after trying…I understood very little. I feel that I need to get a good grip over legal concepts before I genuinely understand what the author is trying to convey in those middle chapters. My plan is to revisit GTM after my week in Law Preview and outline GTM (for my reference) chapter by chapter when I’m done with the book so I can easily reference it throughout my 1L. Deadline: August 1st

4. GTFGTLJOYD:  I have read nothing but amazing things from the book “Guerrilla Tactics for Getting the Legal Job of Your Dreams”. Since my plan is to stay in the DC area I’d like to have a game plan for finding my 1L summer job in DC from day 1. Having no ties to this city, I can use whatever help I can get my hands on.                            Deadline: August 8th

As law school approaches, my goal is to bring myself back into study mode while simultaneously easing my anxiety regarding what I can expect in law school. I do not expect (necessarily) that my 0L efforts will be rewarded with an A. My sole expectation is collect some good study methods so that I am not 100% clueless on Day 1. Let’s shoot for only 90% clueless.

So you’re telling me there’s a chance…YEAH!

A couple of months ago I received an email from the dean of my law school that 14 rising 1Ls would be chosen by a v25 firm to receive a scholarship to attend a Law Preview course for FREE. See LP. The cost of the 6 day program is $1200?

Candidates wishing to be considered were required to fill out an application and complete a scholarship essay on diversity. I honestly had no hope of being selected but you cannot hope to hit the ball if you don’t go up to bat. Sooo I spent a full weekend last month writing the required diversity essay and submitted it mid-month. In the meantime I took the opportunity to research the firm and I discovered that they hire 1Ls!!!! Wow! This is a potential networking opportunity, if this firm cares enough to sponsor a Law Preview course, and on the off chance that I actually do well 1L year, there could be some opportunity to network for a 1L spot in they have any for summer 2011. (Recalling the scene in the movie Dumb and Dumber where the girl tells Jim Carrey that there is a one in a million chance that she would ever date him – his response – ‘So you’re telling me there’s a chance!!’) . lol

On Friday I spoke to a fellow rising 1L and this person told me that they were selected for the scholarship!!! I was not surprised that I was not chosen.. with only 14 students it must be very competitive. I congratulated the student and mentally wrote-off any hope of receiving this scholarship. At the very least I hoped that I had not said something stupid in my statement to the firm that would in any way preclude me from applying to their 2L summer class. (I envisioned it going something like this:  “Oh here’s the silly girl that sent us that ridiculous diversity statement back in 2010” – followed by pretentious office laughter).

Well… yesterday I was walking into the court house to wrap up some last minute family issues concerning the trooper before I leave the state and my phone rings. AND GUESS WHAAAAAT!?

I GOT THE SCHOLARSHIP!!!!!!

Cross out Sum & Substance from my list below for my menial 0L substance review, I’ll be attending Law Preview next month!! This may or may not be beneficial to my 1L studies but at the very least it will give me networking opportunity to have a one and a million shot to make contact with the firm.


Hour Glass and Prep

The Hour Glass and the Trooper

It is staring at me in the face. I have this constant hour-glass resting on my shoulder continuously reminding me that the days are flying like hours. Moving to another state is just as overwhelming as it sounds and perhaps even more so when you are accompanied by a little trooper. The little trooper needs a school, a back-up sitter, a pediatrician, his own bedroom, a consistent regimen, and lots of attention. All of this rests in my hands. I’ve made great progress since January and as the date draws closer I feel more confident about my decision to pursue this endeavor and my ability to see it through. Execution in T minus 2 months.

0L Prep

Despite of the fact that many have cautioned against it (0L prep), just as many have sworn by it. So I’ve made my decision and decided that I would rather err on the side of trying than living in any post-mortem/exam regret. So here is my plan:

  1. GTM – Recommended by everyone on TLS
  2. LEEWs – Recommended by “Arrow” on TLS
  3. Sum & Substance (overview of 1L classes), follow-up on Cali.org  – Recommended by “MarkTwain” on TLS | Law Preview (updated 6/09) see this post.
  4. Design a hybrid strategy from the following users: Wahoo1L, Arrow, xeoh85, Scribe, JayCutler’sCombover

You may notice that this list is much less content based and much more useful for exam strategy. That said, I am really itching to get started and hit the ground running when I get into law school. I know that I will be just as lost as every other 1L but at the very least I won’t have the nagging doubt in the back of my mind that I could have done something to help organize or direct my confusion in some way.