1L Experience: Happy to Be Here

The Class of 2007 seems to be enjoying Law School quite a bit. How do I know? Because when we ask for blog posts, we get things like the following, from 1L Jason Krigel: "I became a law student only five weeks ago.  Since then, I have been almost constantly busy.  I received no shortage of warnings about the rigors of the first year of law school.  What I've discovered so far, however, is that these grim portraits of legal education don't quite describe the experience, at least not at University of Chicago.  If I focused exclusively on going to class and completing my reading assignments, I would have ample time to sit around and catch up on the current season of Project Runway.  Unfortunately for Heidi, my vegging-out time has been dramatically curtailed.  It's not that I am living in the library with my textbooks - although there is certainly plenty of work to be done.   Rather, I can't help but take advantage of all the opportunities that this school affords.

"I hate to sound like a shill for the Admissions office, but I truly am excited to be here.   In a typical week, I expect to have conversations with my professors outside of class, to debate with my classmates between lectures about public policy issues (It's true; we're all nerds), to attend a lunchtime lecture with a member of Congress or a visiting legal scholar (a lesser known benefit to law school are the speaking programs during lunch where food is provided - a frugal student can eat for free three or four days per week), to attend the weekly "Bar Review" on Thursday night where law students meet at a different Chicago bar, to grab a quick dinner with fellow law students in Chinatown, Pilsen or one of the dozens of other great Chicago neighborhoods.  Of course, the experience will be what you make of it.  But I am constantly impressed by my classmates and the law school.   

"If you are reading this blog as a means of procrastinating from writing your admissions essay, I advise you to get back to work on those apps.  The effort is well worth it.  (Of course, this rosy picture may be put to the test if they invite any 1L's to write for the blog in four weeks when we are all in the middle of studying for final exams.)  Good Luck!"