Far sooner than I would have suspected, the last day of our first term classes arrived. My little countdown clock, off by a couple of hours anyway, is ticking rapidly to a close.

Each of my profs wrapped up their subject matter, wished us the best, and received their applause. Two classes were shorter than normal--I think we were either too little prepared or just too shell-shocked to take up the allotted Q&A time--and one ran a little over. Whatever, I just haven't gotten used to the idea that nothing new is forthcoming, that everything is now preparation for the exam.

It's a different point of view from my undergraduate years, in which all knowledge was cumulative, and everything led to one enormous set of final exams that could test anything in the course. In studying for those exams, the first textbooks I ever used were still relevant, and my first days reading Japanese history formed building blocks for my last.

I feel this is more discrete and packaged, which is no better or worse, but quite different. More to the point, I feel as saddened by the thought of this ending as I am apprehensive of the exams to come. So much of this term was just struggling to understand not what law is, but what law school is. I'd be better prepared now if my class notes from September were as good as my notes from the last week. So much of what I thought or assumed in my study practices are not in fact what I needed. It's not entirely a point for despair--I'm not doomed--but just a vague feeling of regret, of not having done enough, or not having done what has been done well. It's a highly-condensed packaging of the idea that youth is wasted on those without the experience to appreciate it.

Exams are coming, and comment may get scarce for a few days. Then again, blogging is one of my ways of centering myself, so you may get tired of my yapping. In the meantime, I shall descend into outlines. Via my friend at Ambivalent Imbroglio, I give you Mixtape Marathon's poetic description of the highly condensed evil contained therein. More practically, I give you Scheherazade's Study Tips for 1Ls, which are practical as much for keeping you sane as for passing your classes.