Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Is It Catching Up If I've Never Done It Before?

I never use this thing as a vehicle to update others as to what is going on in my life; it seems to just be a place to share things I like with others. However, I am sitting in class right now, feeling EXTREMELY bored, and I thought I would take the chance to share some of the recent and upcoming excitements of Sierra's and my life (yes, that is right...it is now a life--one, singular life--not two). Also, I am hoping for any insights that others may have, especially regarding the schooling question, found boldly italicized below.

First of all, in August I graduate from UNLV as an English major. I walk on Saturday, May 9, 2009. This thing pleases me beyond your ability to imagine (no offense to your imaginationary skills, but we are talking some SERIOUS please-age here). I initially chose English because I love reading and I wanted to both improve my songwriting skills as well as see if I had any story writing skills. I guess that for most part, I accomplished that mission; I saw drastic improvement in my songwriting, gained some experience in story writing, and read some great (and lame) books along the way. I certainly have my complaints (as I assume all students do), but UNLV has been a good school and I am pleased with the education I received here. UNLV has one of the top creative writing programs in the nation, and I felt greatly blessed to have been able to take a few poetry and short story writing classes durign my time here.

Now, the plan is to go on to law school. From August to December, I will be deeply entrenched in an LSAT prepcourse. I need to rock that test to make up for my less than stellar GPA--it's not terrible but not exactly exemplary either. I will apply to BYU, UNLV, UofU, probably a school in AZ, a couple of schools up in the Pacific Northwest, and at least one school back East. My grandfather, father, and uncle all attended the same law school in D.C.--American University's Washington College of Law--so there is some sentimentality for me in the idea of continuing that legacy. Plus, we'd get to live back East for a few years (which adventure would please me), I'd get to study law in the nation's so-called "breadbasket of law" (so called because I called it so), and, perhaps most excitingly, I'd be able to see my favorite sports team: DC United. However, the drawbacks would be: the cold during the winter (not a big a deal to me, but might matter a little more to Sierra), the higher cost of tuition, the much much higher cost of living (the big beef), the distance from family (although my sister and cousin live back East, and it would be lovely to get to spend more time with them, especially my sister who has lived in the Boston area for WAAAAAY too long--we miss you, Bec), and the high crime rate (again, more of a concern for Sierra than for me but a valid one nonetheless; I can't have my baby feeling unsafe).

Any other law schools that I should apply to? (<--notice the aforementioned "boldly italicized question" being asked here. This is the part where you get excited to post a comment and give an answer) I feel like I'm just not very aware of what is out there. I have felt so swamped with school and work for so long that I just haven't made the time to do an in-depth search. In other random news, the weekend after I graduate, Sierra and I are upgrading from the tiny one bedroom apartment in which we have lived since we got married (almost a year and 8 months), to a two bedroom right across the "road," which really literally means the building right across from us that is about 20 feet away. We'll have a lot more space for jsut a tiny bit more moolah each month, so it ought to work out well. Most excitingly (especially for Sierra--that is not a feminist comment; she really is excited) is that our kitchen will be MUCH bigger. Right now we have a walkway with a stove and a sink. The new apartment will actually have space for me to do sweet spins and counter stalls.

Well, I shall spare you from any more rambling. Thanks for joining in. Maybe I'll get Sierra to hop on here someday and chip in a little magic sauce. Also, please take me up on that offer to post a comment with recommendations on a law school. My current GPA (I still have about 27 credit hours to finish before it is all said and done, so it will change) is about a 3.5, but it will be lower when they average the grades (instead of replacing them, because the geniuses that run the law school admissions board/council decided that someone who retakes a course to replace a low grade shouldn't be allowed to have that first poor grade erased/forgotten about; ALL of the grades should be factored in. Jerks). On the last LSAT practice test that I took back in November, I got a 164. So let's pretend that my GPA stays about what it is right now, but my LSAT score goes up to a 168. What schools would you recommend for THAT range, comrades?

9 comments:

Matt said...

Here's a proposition for you. You give me $3,000 and I'll teach you everything you need to know about law in 6 months. Of course, the 3,000 doesn't cover Room and Board
you'll have to pay for me to live in your new apartment with you while I teach you. The good news is that class hours are only Monday and Thursday. The bad news is that the class lasts 24 hours on each day. Midnight to midnight sounds bad but you'll get used to it. Trust me John, these other Law Schools are ripoffs compared to the education I can give you. In addition to Law Education, my course also includes extensive classes about Lost, The Jonas Brothers, Kazoo Playing, Typing with your hands crossed (Left hand on the Right, and vice versa), and childbirth.

If you don't say yes then there is a serious problem with your decision making and I will lose a lot of respect for you. By the way, the tuition is non-refundable and I already billed you.

Matt said...

By the way, I just decided to call my school

The Matt Hanks School for Artists and People Who Want to Be Artists, Not Lawyers.

Its an elite school and I don't want people to just google Matt Hanks Law School and think they can get it. It's invitation only.

elopingcamel said...

I'm not sure who to report you to Matthew, but you better believe that some day there will be a report with your name on it somewhere in a file cabinet and probably guarded by trolls.

Mrs. Ordinary said...

What are your priorities? Top tier, alumni network, proximity to family (or something else), weather, cost (and not going into debt), cost-of-living, teaching ideology/methods/curriculum, number of midgets who matriculate each year...

elopingcamel said...

Pretty much the midgets are the only real requirement.

Mrs. Ordinary said...

Then you should definitely go to UC Berkeley.

Stefu said...

I would be very happy if you were to come to BYU Law School! We miss you guys already!

elopingcamel said...

Well then talk to your peeps there Stefu. Set it up. I can promise a 100% return on your investment in my future. You scratch my back and I'll scratch you.

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