It's "that time" of the quarter again...

And yes by "that time" I don't actually mean the time in which I am subject to extreme mood swings, prone to break outs, highly covetous of chocolate and salty comfort foods, and secretly fighting the urge to don a flowy white dress and walk the shoreline of an abandoned beach... ok, maybe I do. I will, however fight the urge to turn the average academic quarter into a well charted analogy for the female menstrual cycle, despite the surprising aptness it would provide.

Instead perhaps I'll go for the patter on-again-off again relationship analogy: Every quarter starts with hopes, new commitments and unfettered optimism that it will be better this time. This time - so I claim - I'll keep current with all my readings, outline as I go, get 8 hours of sleep every night, exercise regularly, eat right, start the bureaucratic job/internship/financial aid stuff early and effectively, and otherwise cultivate a positive learning environment. I will be my best law-student self!

And then we find ourselves here at the T minus 3 week point. I strive to begin my outline, realizing that "my notes" consist of a disproportionate amount of nonsense words, empty files, and little hearts surrounding the phrase "Mrs. Justice Stevens" inscribed over and over again. My paperwork has been piling up and seeping in through every corner - I'm not entirely sure *what* I have left to do because I'm afraid that if I open the door to check it will all come pouring out and crush me (I'm envisioning that scene from Brazil where the man is eaten by paperwork). My ridiculously prudent diet of perfectly balanced lean proteins, nuts, fruits, hand prepped vegetables and obscure but healthy whole grains has evolved into a more of a "cereal-microwave-protein-bar-and-soda" milieu. I'm up to about a two pack a day (gum) habit.

The nice thing about being a rising 3L is that while all these indicia of pure insanity remain, it's no longer distressing. I know the work will get done - so no matter the challenges I know it'll all work itself out. No matter that for reasons absolutely nobody can articulate, my Huskey card no longer gives me into any area of the lawschool (yet works perfectly fine everywhere else on campus and at the cafe and vending machines within the law school, a fact that does not deter the law school people from claiming that the problem is clearly my card while the card people counter that the problem is clearly a computer issue at the lawschool) shortly after I was supposedly "given access to the clinic areas" so I can work/train for the mediation clinic job that I've accepted despite the fact that I have yet to know at all if I've been identified as eligible for work study (a requirement for the job)... it'll all work out.

All in all, this has been a comparatively pleasant quarter. I got to play make-believe a lot in Negotiations, took lots of workshops in mediation that I would have taken even if I weren't getting credit to do so, got more credit to have lunch with my other clinic member and director and chat about topics we'd again probably have chatted about anyways, got even more credit for work that could (wood-knocking ablaze on that FAFSA nonsense) end me up with a sweet job next year, and have yet to reach the despair, disdain or that I may often reach for a class this far into any quarter, but particularly spring quarter. Since evidence is a mastery class with lots of homework and quick feedback (praise the powers that be), I also know exactly where I stand from any given grade (14 points to go for an A!). While Admin Law promises to be a bit more of a dramatic race to the finish  - I've at least begun an outline that involves a pleasantly multimedia approach (I find that for topics involving constitutional law, glue sticks are not just helpful, but absolutely requisite). 

But perhaps to affirm why this is a pretty decent quarter, my wrote us this email yesterday:

I have [finally!] finished grading all of the Evidence motions, questions and objections.  They may be picked up from Academic Services AFTER 2:00 PM.  As a group, they were exceedingly well done.  They reflect an incredible amount of time and effort, and a subtlety of analysis not often found in motion briefs from "real" attorneys.

As much of a pain it is to read and grade all of the papers, the overall understanding and quality displayed reconfirms my view that often arbitrary, 3 or 4-hour end-of-class exams are neither educationally sound, nor do they allow students to fairly demonstrate their knowledge and ability -- particularly when coupled with a mandatory curve.

Although I can't say that I am looking forward to grading your final Hearsay motions, I will be very happy if they are of similar quality.

None of this is to say that I won't be an irrational, ice-cream guzzling wreck for the next couple of weeks, but ... eh, nothing much to complain about.