First week as a 3L - Check!

Life as a 3L has began. As I walked down the breezeway Monday morning, I felt really excited! A new year means new books, new professors, new school supplies, and sometimes, even new clothes! It also means that I get to see all my old friends and get to look forward to meeting new ones. My schedule is pretty good and I don't have any really early morning classes. That is great because it gives me an opportunity to go to the gym and work out before I get to school (a great stress relief for the intense workload law school is all about). On Wednesday night I had Judge Levy for Criminal Procedure II and he said something that really touched me. "St. Thomas students are different!" At first, we all laughed. He explained the reason he drives 250 miles from Orlando every week to teach class here in St. Thomas is because of how well we all get along and help each other. That's when I got it. He is absolutely right, and that is one of the things I love the most about St. Thomas. I feel like we are always helping each other. I always have friends around me who I know will be my friends far beyond the three years it takes to graduate. There isn't a time when I have asked someone for help that they haven't come to my rescue; Whether it was with answers, outlines, supplements, or even to just listen to me complain about just how hard Civil Procedure or any other course I was having trouble with (that week!) was. Judge Levy told us law students in other schools hate each other and even hide hornbooks and supplements from each other during finals in the library. I don't know what I would have done if I was with people like that. All those nights when I couldn't figure out the elements of a particular tort, contract issue, or some obscure property principle and I ran around asking my fellow students for help. Even those in my section were always more than willing to help me. Even now, when I post on facebook that I think a certain class is hard I have friends who send me messages asking for my e-mail to send me an outline. If that is what it means to be different, than I honestly couldn't be more thankful for the opportunity I was given to attend this school and my good instincts in choosing St. Thomas over any other school. Here's to being different!

Till next time,
Aimee S.