Second semester is progressing nicely…as far as classes go anyway. I still have no summer job. I still don’t have grades, which means many of my applications are incomplete. I got an offer to work for a county prosecutor’s office in New Jersey, but that would mean living with my parents and commuting with my mom all summer since I stupidly sold my car last year in preparation for law school. I have nothing against my parents, but it would be impossible to live in their house for three whole months with no car and therefore no freedom. I happen to have been born to the most over-protective parents in the universe and the fact that I’m 25 (and rapidly approaching 26) seems to have had no effect on their hovering tendencies. (I am referring to them in the plural, which unfairly casts my father in this light. He’s actually always been quite reasonable. It’s my mom who still waits up for me when I go out.)

Constitutional law is a lot of work. And I don’t just mean the reading. I have to use my brain more than I’m generally comfortable with. And the professor expects us to have a working knowledge of American history. I suppose that isn’t too unreasonable a request considering I majored in history and concentrated in American…but that was years ago. I forgot everything I learned in the college the moment I traipsed across that platform, grabbed my diploma, and shook the college president’s hand. Actually, I probably started forgetting everything when senior year started. But anyway, I kind of like the class. I definitely like the professor. She’s very bubbly and in love with her subject.

Property is all right. The cases tend to be short and to the point. I guess the problem isn’t that property isn’t interesting, it’s that I just don’t care. The professor is great though. He’s very lively.

But criminal law is the best. It’s at 8 in the damn morning Wednesday through Friday, but it’s totally worth it. My professor is a real-live sitting judge and he is hilarious.

But in general I’m kind of over the whole law school thing. Don’t get wrong, I’m still glad I’m here, I still like it and all. I wouldn’t rather be doing anything else right now. Well. Except maybe actually practicing law. But after working hard all first semester by staying on top of my reading only to be met with exams that had little to do with anything I learned, it’s hard to stay motivated to actually do my reading at all this semester. There’s still the fear of Being Called On, but it just doesn’t have the same force it did last semester.

And I’m over the whole student lifestyle too. I was never one of those losers who wished they could be back in the protective womb of college or – God forbid – even high school. I loved the Real World. I hate being a student. Aside from the obvious poverty factor, the student life is a very self-involved one. You’re not contributing to any product or service. It’s all about you, you, you all the time. Granted, I’m my most favorite thing to think about, but I can’t wait to get back to work.

Actually.

I’m probably looking at this all wrong. I have the rest of my life to work. I should consider this a vacation of sorts. I mean, the worst vacation ever, but a vacation nonetheless.

Edited to add: A shout out to my friend Jorge! (He chose his own alias. I would’ve picked a better one.) There. I did it. :-p