the beginning of the end

The 2011 spring semester has started. This is my last semester of law school, hopefully. To be very frank, I'm done with school. As much as I enjoy the idea of setting my own schedule, that freedom has largely been undermined by my need for experience. This semester, as always, I've committed any available time outside of class to extern.

credits:  cheesyflix.com

Once again, I'll have to face the obstacle of constantly transitioning between work and school, which is, for some reason, very difficult for me. When I study, I do it rather awkwardly. For whatever reason, I understand the material better if I binge study and rest, on and off. For example, I will study a particular subject for hours, then rest for long periods of time , as opposed to balancing my time studying throughout the day or week. I guess this allows my brain to soak it in and understand on a subconscious level. Whatever the science says, this is my ideal style of studying. Let me just make clear here that I used to beat myself up for "resting" and I would force myself in front of the desk. But I soon discovered this to be counter-productive, and that, in fact, during my "resting" period I was actually thinking deeply about the material (like a mad man, I wake up in the middle of the night more often than I would like because my brain is, I believe, trying to make sense of everything).

However, working obviously takes time. And since I cannot afford to refrain from studying, I will dedicate my "resting/soaking in" time to work, simply because I need more experience (side note: the pains of attending law school directly out of college - I HIGHLY recommend working beforehand, or obtaining a useful degree if the financial circumstances are ripe). Thus, the problem is clear: I have time to binge study, but no more time understand the material because I have to work.

Study or Work. Must do both! But this day marks the beginning of the end of such a time.