Evaluating...

Only three more weeks of this semester left. I can't wait! I'm sure I'll be working at a law office during Christmas break, but at least I'll have the evenings and weekends all to myself and not have to worry about doing homework or writing papers or studying.

It will be a huge sigh of relief to get me ready for my final semester of law school. And then LIFE. I've never been more excited to work full time. I'll have my own income. MY income. That doesn't come from a government student loan.

I have so many ideas about what I want to do. I feel like law school has been this really odd prison of sorts. I have to do my time to be able to live free.

There have been good things about law school.
1. At my first school (I tranferred the end of my 1L year), I made a beautiful group of friends. I really miss them. Dawn, Erica, Mike, Melissa, Travis, Penny, and Stephen. Also Minnellis (who I had been friends with in undergrad first. Minnellis is my Puerto Rican sister). I feel like I had more time to socialize there and to make good friendships.
2. At this current school, I've made friends as well. But I don't feel like it's the same as it was before. I don't know if it was the transfer putting me into an already established social atmostphere or what. But I have made friends here. Amy, Meredith, Hannah (who just got engaged! whoot whoot!), Clennon (who I was already friends with from undergrad), Kerri, Anna, Kasia, Roman (and his adorable wife Heather), and others. But I still really miss my first law school friends (especially Dawn). I don't know why the atmosphere here is so different and less conducive to social relationships here. It doesn't really make sense.
3. Another good thing about law school is that it has forced me to think and learn in a completely different way. I think logically and in compartments. I always have to an extent, but I'm more of a list person now than I ever was.
4. Law school has also taught me how to communicate more effectively. I think about how my sentences are structured and what my words mean before I even say them.
5. I've learned to make better arguments without "arguing." I guess that would go under the communication as well.
6. Law school has made me realize so much about myself. I think I know who I am now and know what I want and like more. Sure, there are huge areas in my life where I have no idea what is going to happen, but I'm learning to not worry and stress about it. Things will fall in place and happen when they are supposed to happen.
7. I've learned to appreciate my family so much more. When I hardly ever get to see them, the time that I do have with them is so much more precious that I could ever have imagined it being before.
8. I'm much less emotional than I was before law school. I haven't decided if that's a good thing or not. I guess it's a good thing that I am more able to keep my composure, but I don't think that it's a good thing that I often feel "cold" or "indifferent" about so much. I'll need to work on finding a good balance.
9. I've become more opinionated about many things, but I've also learned to keep many of my opinions to myself. I've learned to be more "tactful," I guess.
10. I've learned that I am naturally a restless person with an old soul. I don't know how that's going to work into my future life, but I'll just have to wait and see.

Although I consider law school overall to have been a highly negative experience, I can definitely see the good that is coming from it.

If I think of anything else, I will definitely have to add it to the list later.