Last Week in Law School

One of the reasons I started this blog was to reach out to others about Husband’s upcoming journey through law school. I thought that with all the time that he would spend studying and in class, I should have another outlet for both creativity and support. I had been reading blogs for a long time before that (and even back onto LiveJournal days) but this was the first one I really put forth and created on my own (let’s ignore the wedding planning that happened on LJ, mkay?).

I wanted to share our story about the stresses and ups and downs of being in law school in the Midwest. With only 12 posts in 3.5 years, I’m not so sure that actually happened. In reality, the law school experience has been sprinkled throughout the whole of my blog, since it’s really been infused through our whole lives for the past three and a half years. It’s been something that we have lived with, day in and day out, month in and month out, for a very long time.

I really can’t believe it’s coming to an end.

Husband has completed his classwork for the semester, and had his last class as a full time graduate student last Thursday. Saturday started the reading period, and he’s in the middle of completing a few papers plus studying for a few exams. Come December 17, everything should be done and turned it. We have two weeks to relax, and then in the beginning of January, the online bar prep begins for a week and then switches to in-class bar prep for the rest of the month and into February.

It will seem just like law school, but more intense, if that’s possible. At least that’s what I’ve been told. I won’t see much of him in the first two months of 2013 as he prepares for the bar exam at the end of February. It will take place in the idyllic city of Jefferson City, Missouri! Hah. Well, it’s not really a vacation since he’s not going to do much of anything but studying and taking the exam.

We’ve got a Disney trip planned for March to celebrate his taking of the bar exam (yay!) and then, joy of joys, he begins his first job in March. I am ridiculously proud. My husband is absolutely brilliant and I couldn’t be happier for him. It’s what he wants to do, for a great company, with a wonderful set up for us.

We have a lot to be thankful for in this last week of law school.

The end is near!

The end of finals, that is.

Tomorrow morning, Husband will take his properties exam – the last of four exams over the past two weeks.

The laundry is piled up, the kitchen is a mess, we haven’t spent more than twenty waking minutes with each other in almost two weeks, but we’re almost there.

He’s spent the majority of his time when not sleeping in the law library prepping for all these crazy tests. Property will be one of the hardest ones – two hours of closed book multiple choice questions followed by a two hour essay (he’s allowed to use his notes for that one).

Basically, that’s my idea of hell.

Ugh. I wish we were like one of the other law school couples I know – and know that the end of finals means a bit of a break for a months before the craziness starts again.

Unfortunately, Husband and I aren’t so lucky. He has two weeks off, then a family wedding in Orlando (and a quick side trip to Disneyworld!) and then he’s back for his MBA orientation.

And with that small break, he’ll be going to school 8 hours a day three days a week and twelve hours a day the other two days of the week.

I think it’s going to be like finals week all summer. God save us.

This Week in Law School: Getting Back to Basics

After a nice long Christmas vacation, Husband had two weeks of classes and then the Barrister Ball, so really, he hasn't had time to concentrate on school this semester.

This past weekend he buckled down and really spent some time in the law library to review his notes and get a head start on the week. I'm so proud of him, because he got about a third of his work done for the whole week, plus reviewing last week!

He's determined to really keep on top of work this semester, so I guess that means I'll be a single woman again - he'll be studying so much that most of the housework falls to me. At least I can spend some good time with my Google Reader! I've been crazy busy at work the past few days with a big event, and my blog reading has suffered. I hope to get that "1000+" number down in the coming week.

So it just goes to show you that every semester is a new beginning and allows you to start over! Even though some of your classes continue... hmm.

Husband will finish his 1L year and then start his MBA in May. Different school, but same game! Should be nice for the variety, though.

Barrister Ball or, as they like to say, Law School Prom

We had the pleasure of attending Law School Prom over the weekend.

I really love any excuse to get dressed up and eat a fancy meal and then dance ALL night. The event was at a swanky hotel here in St. Louis known for their good food and amazing service. Needless to say, we were not disappointed!

We were treated to cocktails and appetizers followed by a three-course meal. Being the event planner I am, I guessed the meal before we were served - and got two out of three dead on! The problem was the dessert. I called cheesecake but we ended up with a fancy version of a twinkie and a ding dong! Not kidding, it was a lemon pound cake with raspberry sauce or a chocolate mud pie thing with whip cream. We just laughed about it, but they were actually pretty good.

Later in the evening, a friend of Husband's ordered a few bottles of champagne for the table [who knew that you could even DO that at an event like this?!] so combined with the four-hour open bar, we had a pretty good time.

Needless to say that my husband was adorable and all his friends are just so much fun.

We were seated with many of his law school friends, a few that I knew and a few that were dying to meet me. I felt so loved! With my crazy schedule in the last few months, I wasn't able to go out with his group as much as I would have liked and so hadn't met some of the regulars. They call themselves the "D-Listers" - named after their section letter.

There are some other unflattering pictures of me dancing but I don't think I'll show them here. I'll leave this post with just a rosy memory of the evening of drinks, dinner and dancing.

Can't wait until next year!

In the home stretch…

Husband is officially in the final weeks of law school. Well, the first semester anyway!

Unfortunately, we had to make a tough decision last week. Husband and I won’t be spending Thanksgiving together. I know. IT SUCKS! [And not just because we won’t be doing our Black Friday shopping together!]

Because his exams start the Tuesday after the holiday, a trip to Kansas City just wouldn’t allow him enough time to prepare for the exams. And after all this money and time spent on his education [and it’s only the beginning!], I want him to do as well as he can, so I’m removing any distractions to that end!

As so begins the not-seeing-husband for the next few weeks. I’m going to be single again for the time being! :)

This Week in Law School – Halfway There! (sort of)

At the end of the week, Husband will have finished half of his first semester of his 1L year.

Six weeks have just flown by! I can’t believe he’s done with a quarter of his first year of law school.

Since he is working towards his JD/MBA, he needs to actually apply for his MBA admission. He’ll be taking the one year full time program, which will allow him to finish the JD degree quicker because some classes count for each program. That deadline for admission is coming up pretty soon, so it’s application-writing time again!

Goodie! Another time for writing… and waiting… and then probably wait some more.

We hope to hear back from the business school by Thanksgiving or Christmas – and then he can start planning the next step. If all goes according to plan, he’ll enter the MBA program two weeks after his 1L year ends in May.

Which basically means I’ll see even less of Husband come next May. Kind of a bummer, but worth it in the long run.

Work hard, play hard

I’m pretty sure Husband has spent more time out with friends than he has in class. And that’s saying something!

Out of his 14 classes, 11 of them are before Wednesday afternoon. That means, by the middle of the week, he’s zonked and just wants to get something to eat and drink all night.

Many of his classmates are from out of town so Husband has been the unofficial tour guide to the city. He’s been taking the 1Ls out to the great stops in St. Louis – O’Connell’s, Humphreys and Imo’s.

We haven’t made it to Ted Drewes, Bailey’s Chocolate Bar or The Fountain, but there are plans. Oh believe me, there are plans! Most of these places are simply must-sees in St. Louis – Ted Drewes especially. It’s a classic!

But it’s good for him to hang out with friends and relax. The classes are hard (they should be!) and he’s reading upwards of a thousand pages in cases in each week. Something about grabbing a beer and laughing at the end of the day makes facing that large textbook a little easier.

We survived the first week… God only knows how many more to go!

Husband had a great first week of law school!

He had a bunch of homework, and spent the weekend going over the professor’s power point presentations for the week.

He has three people in a study group and as soon as they get a fourth, they’ll have a complete one. He also spent a bunch of time socializing with other people in his group and making friends!

It’s kind of odd that he has this whole new world with new people and learning new things. I hope I can keep up with him.

The good news is – he still wants to be a lawyer! I told him that’s a good thing because we have a lot riding on his education.

We did it!

Husband started law school yesterday. He was at SLU for most of the work day, starting at 8 am with contracts and going throughout the day with all of his other classes.

He called me when he was done with class and he still wants to be a lawyer! So yay!

This Week in Law School - Orientation

So after the bills have been paid, books have been purchased and we’ve even bought Husband new boxer and socks, it’s come time.

Time for orientation. He took a tour of the law library today and made two friends! Oh, I’m so proud!! :)

He has an orientation party tomorrow evening and then major orientation-type stuff on Wednesday and Thursday.

Did you know that all incoming 1Ls into SLU Law must take the Student Oath? It’s even administered by a judge. We have no idea what the oath consists of, but it’s pretty funny to see it as an agenda item in his orientation packet. I guess that’s because he’s training to be an officer of the court? I can’t wait to hear what he has to promise to do!

And so it begins… he’s excited, and I’m wondering how this is going to affect us as a couple. I’m preparing myself for the fact that I won’t see him a lot and that I can’t ask him to help out as much around the house. God help us all! These next three and a half years will be interesting…

This Week in Law School: Did you know that money doesn’t grow on trees?

Apparently, it doesn’t. Who KNEW?!    

Hubs went to campus this morning to buy his law school books. We knew it was going to be painful, as he had scoped out the prices a few weeks ago. But it had to be done.

I think the publishers of these books think the pages are lined with gold. Almost all of his books are over $150, and I think most of those are used prices! He was able to find mostly used books, thank goodness. Or else we’d  have to sell his kidney. But I think he needs that.

We thought ahead and guestimated the costs of these books and added them in to our loan request. Or else we’d be up a creek!

So Hubs still has to go back in the next week or two and get the remaining three books on his list. Turns out they didn’t have all of them in stock. I’m guessing that means those will be new and won’t have the used option. Oh well – it’s only money!

Can you believe the hidden costs of going back to school?

This Week in Law School: Schedules

Apparently, SLU Law divides its class into sections and gives each section its own schedule. Hubs was assigned section D. And it sucks.

He's got Legal Research and Writing every M-W-F at 8 am. The other icky part? He has every single one of his five classes on Mondays. Basically, he'll be in class all day on Monday. But the schedule is ok overall. It'll give him time to do his work study job at the International Center answering e-mails, plus time to hang out and study in the library.

We're thinking of taking the plunge and actually carpooling. It'll save some gas, and we get to spend 15-20 minutes together each way! He'll be so busy with studying that it may be the only time we get to see each other. I'm kind of excited about that one.

News will be forthcoming about where we'll be living come January - we're looking at condos both in the north and southern counties around St. Louis. We've only been out twice, but we already have narrowed down the options. I know we'll just find the perfect one soon. There isn't any rush, but I'm anxious to pick a place! I'm always like this when we move.

This Week in Law School – A Different Kind of Test

Before leaving for the Land of the Mouse last week, Hubs wanted to clear off some Law School items from his to-do list. There is still a lot to do – but the main items this week were loans and medical records.

We signed our Master Promissory Note online with Wachovia – and were pre-approved for our requested amount on the Stafford and the Grad Plus. Yay for being able to pay for books in August!

In any case, Hubs sent SLU the requested copies of his immunization and medical records to the Law School. Not sure why they needed another copy of these records – he did go to the same school for undergrad. Couldn’t they just call the Business School and ask them for a photocopy? Oh well.

After our vacation, Hubs had an e-mail from the school that said they were missing a few pieces. But that wasn’t all. Turns out he needs to have a new TB test and a tetanus booster in order to release the hold on his accounts. Apparently you have to have a recent TB test and the booster, well, given Hubs’ boyish activities, I’m sure he would benefit from the extra protection.

It’s off to the doctor for my dear husband. Let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope that the insurance pays for these! SLU wanted to charge us over $100 for them!

So for this Week in Law School – make sure that you know what kind of documentation is needed for your school. You might need a medical test and who knows how long it may take to get those done. They’ll keep a hold on your account while you take the tests, and therefore won’t be able to register for classes until you do!