In law school there is never enough time.
Time takes on a very different meaning here and you begin to realize that you value your time much more that you ever did before.
Yet in that valuation of time you realize that despite how much you value your time…it really isn’t your time to value.
It’s the law professors, the law school groups, the legal internships, and the scholarship deadlines time.
And despite being sensitive to your time, you can’t really be sensitive…because everything is time sensitive.
The preservation of non-law school related friendships and relationships depend entirely on whether or not you can find time, to invest the time, that is needed to make sure that those interactions stand the test of time.
Yet whether or not you have said time is wholly dependent upon how you have spent your time that day, that week, or that month.
If you have spent your time trying to read ahead to give yourself a little breathing room to apply for jobs, scholarships, fellowships, etc. Then maybe you will have time to reach out to friends and family miles away.
If you have sacrificed sleep time, giving yourself this edge then perhaps you will not reach out, because you won’t be able to fit talk time into the schedule of deadlines and nap time.
After 1st semester you begin to question the point or purpose of study time a little bit more. Though you know it when you come in, you realize the actual truth of the idea that law school grades come down to one 3hr test (per class). All the study time during the semester that one does so that one can answer questions when on call in class really doesn’t matter, and as some of my classmates found out or discovered you can do a pretty good job of teaching yourself a whole semester of material right before the test and perform well.
So to that extent it makes you want to make sure that you take personal time, to ensure that you are eating right, exercising, networking, and having fun.
Something that seems much easier in theory than in application.
The time constraints that are on us as a law students are such that we are almost all opposed to any sort of commitment, whether it be to volunteer opportunities, study groups, relationships, the gym, or anything you can think of.
Despite us knowing that we will only be here for a short time in our lives, we all fully understand the future implications in regards to how we spend that time.
There was a time where weekends, spring breaks, holidays, and summers meant a time to be care free, now they almost all mean a time to prepare for some future tests or job opportunities, and perhaps (if we are exceedingly lucky) catch up on some much needed nap and family time.
All in all though, I think that all the stress, rigor, challenges, and overwhelming sense of urgency make us or rather will make us highly efficient.
And I suppose that when it is all said and done, that we will definitely understand how to appreciate a good time, and how to not take for granted the time we get to spend with friends and family, and in pursuit of dreams…
As they say time is of the essence and once one fully understands that one will fully be able to embrace the journey and that comes with it.
Life only comes around once, make sure you appreciate the time you have.
2 Comments
Cristina posted on February 19, 2011 at 2:35 pm
“Despite us knowing that we will only be here for a short time in our lives, we all fully understand the future implications in regards to how we spend that time.”
So true! You did a good job of putting into words exactly what everyone is feeling. It’s kind of crazy to think how different life is now from how it was just a year ago. I feel like every hour of every day is assigned to a different task–job application, reading assignment, writing, call relative, grocery store, gym, etc.
Nice job, Brandon! 🙂
Jean D posted on February 27, 2011 at 9:22 pm
My father used to say that for middle-aged people, the most precious commodity that everyone actually wants more of is more time in their day, whereas for young people, the most precious commodity is money. He was sort of correct about middle age, but he omitted to say that a very precious commodity at all ages is family and relationships. But you already know that.