I just returned from my meeting at the beautiful Sage Bistro on campus. It's the locale for our Friday night banquet that's happening during Orientation Week and my favourite lunch spot on campus (when my dad is paying). It got me really excited for Orientation Week which is less than two weeks away! Besides the rolling mountain landscape and the Pacific backdrop, I could picture all the connections that are going to be made in that room shortly. Some of the people that I met during Orientation Week have become some of my closest friends and I'm excited for all of you to meet one another and have the same experience over fresh spaghetti bolognese, four cheese ravioli and tiramasu! (Yes, I just finalized the menu...)
Another event that's been in the forefront of my mind lately (and not because it's hard to plan) is "The First Lecture with Anne Giardini". Besides being the president of Weyerhaeuser, an active member of her community and mother of three children, she's a best-selling author. I bought her latest novel "Advice for Italian Boys" last week-end and have been enjoying reading it while picturing her hectic life as she wrote it and worked full-time. If you need a good read before school starts, I definitely recommend it or perhaps her other novel "The Sad Truth about Happiness" which I haven't had the pleasure of reading...yet!
If you have any questions about any of the Orientation activities/events/schedule or pasta give me a call (604) 827-3552 or email: orientation@law.ubc.ca
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Monday, August 10, 2009
Summer sun something's begun...
Besides being my go-to karaoke song, "Summer Loving" from Grease is an apt title for this post because that is precisely what I'm doing right now, loving my summer. Not only do I get to look up drink specials at work (as part of my job--honest), it's allowed me the flexibility to go travel for a few weeks (well, that and my student loans...), which brings me to the real point of my post: summer jobs.
A lot of people start law school already stressed out about where they are going to work that summer. The first few weeks of September and the Career Services Office is teeming with first years wanting to know about summer positions. I'm no CSO expert (but don't worry--you'll meet the real experts during Orientation Week) but I can shed a little light on some of the opportunities that are open to first years for their summer jobs.
My job: my job is wonderful and I would highly recommend it to anyone and everyone, but unfortunately there's only one job, so I can't really go about doing that. If you love to plan events, enjoy working with people and have lots of energy it may be perfect for you. This year there were two other jobs open at the faculty--Student Services Assistant and Careers Services Assistant, but this may change from year to year. If you do get the opportunity, definitely apply for these jobs as they're fun and allow you to get to know the faculty and staff in a different capacity.
Research Assistants: lots of professors are working on projects and research and many need research assistants. These jobs are often posted on the Career Services website or can be established in a more casual capacity by going and talking to a professor whose area of interest aligns with your own.
Fellowships: a few law firms offer fellowships where students get to work alongside a professor and become immersed in his/her research.
LSLAP: Law Students Legal Advice Program offers around 20 full-time summer jobs. These jobs are obtained in a job-draw usually held around early April. You get ballots for the job draw by volunteering with LSLAP throughout the year. LSLAP summer students almost always get to go to court and get a lot of first hand experience with real legal issues...and there's also a great camping trip involved...
ProBono, Canadian Journal of Family Law, Law Revue: are some other student organizations that offer summer positions. Again, these positions may be obtained by general job postings OR from students volunteering with these organizations throughout the school year and then being a priority for any summer job that comes up.
Summer jobs are really the least of your worries right now as a soon-to-be 1L, but if you want more information our amazing Career Services office has lots of info on their website or in person: www.law.ubc.ca/careerservices
If you have any questions about drink specials, orientation week or anything else for that matter give me a call (604) 827-3552 or email: orientation@law.ubc.ca
A lot of people start law school already stressed out about where they are going to work that summer. The first few weeks of September and the Career Services Office is teeming with first years wanting to know about summer positions. I'm no CSO expert (but don't worry--you'll meet the real experts during Orientation Week) but I can shed a little light on some of the opportunities that are open to first years for their summer jobs.
My job: my job is wonderful and I would highly recommend it to anyone and everyone, but unfortunately there's only one job, so I can't really go about doing that. If you love to plan events, enjoy working with people and have lots of energy it may be perfect for you. This year there were two other jobs open at the faculty--Student Services Assistant and Careers Services Assistant, but this may change from year to year. If you do get the opportunity, definitely apply for these jobs as they're fun and allow you to get to know the faculty and staff in a different capacity.
Research Assistants: lots of professors are working on projects and research and many need research assistants. These jobs are often posted on the Career Services website or can be established in a more casual capacity by going and talking to a professor whose area of interest aligns with your own.
Fellowships: a few law firms offer fellowships where students get to work alongside a professor and become immersed in his/her research.
LSLAP: Law Students Legal Advice Program offers around 20 full-time summer jobs. These jobs are obtained in a job-draw usually held around early April. You get ballots for the job draw by volunteering with LSLAP throughout the year. LSLAP summer students almost always get to go to court and get a lot of first hand experience with real legal issues...and there's also a great camping trip involved...
ProBono, Canadian Journal of Family Law, Law Revue: are some other student organizations that offer summer positions. Again, these positions may be obtained by general job postings OR from students volunteering with these organizations throughout the school year and then being a priority for any summer job that comes up.
Summer jobs are really the least of your worries right now as a soon-to-be 1L, but if you want more information our amazing Career Services office has lots of info on their website or in person: www.law.ubc.ca/careerservices
If you have any questions about drink specials, orientation week or anything else for that matter give me a call (604) 827-3552 or email: orientation@law.ubc.ca
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
A mature student's take on law school
Special guest blog entry by Laura McPheeters
You've read on this blog about the trike race, beer-ups and small groups. You've heard that the social aspect of law school is extremely important and that you will make your best friends here. Many law students on the good side of 30 fully participate in all of that and have large circles of friends. On the other hand, many don't have the time or inclination to do more than attend class and read or study in the library, and they still have a rewarding time at school.
I have three young kids and I've already been to graduate school and had a career. I am a part-time student, so I'll be around longer than most. In three years so far, I have yet to see the trike race or set foot in a beer-up. Nevertheless, I have made friends in school through participation in classes, moots, clinical programs and the Mature Law Students' Association, a loosely-knit group I started up two years ago.
For what it's worth, here is my advice to incoming mature law students. Stay focused on what you want from school. If you want a social whirl, go for it. If you already have a full and busy life, then use your time efficiently at school. Go to class, go to the library, go home. You won't be the only student who doesn't go to the beer-up. Don't worry, you'll meet great people through the clinics, moots or other activities that you choose to spend your time on. Get to know your small group even if you don't see them outside school; it's good to have allies at school if, let's just say, your hard drive dies and you lose several months' class notes because you've been lazy about backing up. Voice of experience speaking...
If you have any questions about being a mature or part-time student, please email me, Laura, at elderlylawstudents@gmail.com. Welcome to law school!
You've read on this blog about the trike race, beer-ups and small groups. You've heard that the social aspect of law school is extremely important and that you will make your best friends here. Many law students on the good side of 30 fully participate in all of that and have large circles of friends. On the other hand, many don't have the time or inclination to do more than attend class and read or study in the library, and they still have a rewarding time at school.
I have three young kids and I've already been to graduate school and had a career. I am a part-time student, so I'll be around longer than most. In three years so far, I have yet to see the trike race or set foot in a beer-up. Nevertheless, I have made friends in school through participation in classes, moots, clinical programs and the Mature Law Students' Association, a loosely-knit group I started up two years ago.
For what it's worth, here is my advice to incoming mature law students. Stay focused on what you want from school. If you want a social whirl, go for it. If you already have a full and busy life, then use your time efficiently at school. Go to class, go to the library, go home. You won't be the only student who doesn't go to the beer-up. Don't worry, you'll meet great people through the clinics, moots or other activities that you choose to spend your time on. Get to know your small group even if you don't see them outside school; it's good to have allies at school if, let's just say, your hard drive dies and you lose several months' class notes because you've been lazy about backing up. Voice of experience speaking...
If you have any questions about being a mature or part-time student, please email me, Laura, at elderlylawstudents@gmail.com. Welcome to law school!
Friday, July 31, 2009
Boxes and boxes and boxes...oh my!
As I sit here at my work computer dripping in sweat, I cannot begin to imagine how hot the movers have been these past few weeks. In case you haven't been around the Lower Mainland, we're in a heat wave that's comparable to the one I experienced in Israel this past May! Conveniently, this is when the Law School has planned the BIG MOVE!
Our lovely "Curtis" building (named after the first dean of UBC Law) has been the home to UBC Law for the past 30 years. I'm sure it was a lovely home in the seventies and probably the eighties as well. But come the 21st century and this home was more of a shack, a shack that didn't have enough computer outlets, looked like a cement bunker and necessitated blankets and down vests in some of the classrooms during winter.
The Law School has successfully fundraised millions of dollars to build us a new mansion! So Curtis is going down and we're moving to University Centre Lower Level (next to the Rose Garden, with a view of the ocean, and almost enough outlets for our computers!) for the next two years. All information pertaining to the move can be found here: http://www.law.ubc.ca/current/move_info.html
If you have any questions on avoiding dehydration, UBC Law or anything else give me a call (604) 827-3552 or email orientation@law.ubc.ca
Our lovely "Curtis" building (named after the first dean of UBC Law) has been the home to UBC Law for the past 30 years. I'm sure it was a lovely home in the seventies and probably the eighties as well. But come the 21st century and this home was more of a shack, a shack that didn't have enough computer outlets, looked like a cement bunker and necessitated blankets and down vests in some of the classrooms during winter.
The Law School has successfully fundraised millions of dollars to build us a new mansion! So Curtis is going down and we're moving to University Centre Lower Level (next to the Rose Garden, with a view of the ocean, and almost enough outlets for our computers!) for the next two years. All information pertaining to the move can be found here: http://www.law.ubc.ca/current/move_info.html
If you have any questions on avoiding dehydration, UBC Law or anything else give me a call (604) 827-3552 or email orientation@law.ubc.ca
Monday, July 27, 2009
Prep time
Lately I've been getting some questions about whether/how new students should prepare before coming to UBC Law. Well, my best advice (disclaimer: I am a law student and not part of the academic services) would be to lie on the beach. There was nothing I was more thankful for last December, than the fact that the summer prior to starting law school I took the time to lie on the beach in Greece and read trashy chick lit. (Yes, I love Sophie Kinsella--who was a lawyer by the way!)
In fact, picturing myself lying on the beach was part of my calming visualization techniques I used when I was scared before an exam was about to begin. I was very thankful that the summer beforehand I had given myself a plethora of experience on which to draw from. So for now, enjoy this wonderfully warm BC weather (if you're in the area) and grab a patch of sand.
In fact, picturing myself lying on the beach was part of my calming visualization techniques I used when I was scared before an exam was about to begin. I was very thankful that the summer beforehand I had given myself a plethora of experience on which to draw from. So for now, enjoy this wonderfully warm BC weather (if you're in the area) and grab a patch of sand.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Trike races and ice cream on your faces
Law school is shockingly social. I drank more beer (scratch that--ciders) than the sorority-filled days of my undergrad. Every other Friday there is generally a beer garden for the law students, where we can get together and talk about the Oakes test and other nerdy law subjects that no other group of people would ever consider as socially appropriate conversation while a beer is in hand. And beers don't always have to be in hand either...sometimes it's ice cream sundaes. There are trivia afternoons where you form teams with your professors and compete (viciously) against other student/professor teams, while ice cream drips down your chin. And then, sadly, but socially none the less, are the study days/nights/mornings (sometimes consecutively), when you spend all day and night in the library together, whispering amongst the study carrels and ordering sushi or pizza to be delivered to the library and as you eat it together for dinner/breakfast? There are also dinners at law firms, Canadian Bar Association mentoring banquets and plenty of sports teams to join.
There are a few law social events that are specific to UBC Law, so specific in fact that any other person at UBC walking by would fear deeply for the future of the legal profession in BC. I'm referring to the annual Trike Race. A tradition so ingrained at UBC Law that many of our profs will regale you with stories of their trike race days as UBC Law Students. This event consists of teams of four chugging a beer and then racing one another on tricycles while the rest of the law school pegs them with water ballons. The kicker is that this year, there was still snow on the ground as they competed.
Check out a list of some of the social events here: http://www.law.ubc.ca/orientation/extra_curricular/social.html
If you have any questions about social events, tricycles or UBC Law in general, please give me a call: (604) 827-3552 or email: orientation@law.ubc.ca
There are a few law social events that are specific to UBC Law, so specific in fact that any other person at UBC walking by would fear deeply for the future of the legal profession in BC. I'm referring to the annual Trike Race. A tradition so ingrained at UBC Law that many of our profs will regale you with stories of their trike race days as UBC Law Students. This event consists of teams of four chugging a beer and then racing one another on tricycles while the rest of the law school pegs them with water ballons. The kicker is that this year, there was still snow on the ground as they competed.
Check out a list of some of the social events here: http://www.law.ubc.ca/orientation/extra_curricular/social.html
If you have any questions about social events, tricycles or UBC Law in general, please give me a call: (604) 827-3552 or email: orientation@law.ubc.ca
Monday, July 13, 2009
The New Facebook
For someone who loves to stay on top of all things current, you'd think I'd have a better grasp on current affairs. But sadly, I know a lot more about Brittany's latest saga than what is happening in Iraq. Since starting law school (no, we'll tell the truth--it all started last year when I was going to an interview and knew I'd be asked about current affairs, so along with facebook every morning I checked The New York Times and The Vancouver Sun) I've started to keep up with more than just Perez's blog.
It took me a while to get caught up with the world. A while, and some embarrassing questions to my father which resulted in him asking me on what bubble I'd been living for the past 22 years. But now I'm hooked. www.vancouversun.com is my new facebook and I get the New York Times headlines emailed to me every morning.
What's hooking me to these wordly affairs is more than not just looking vacuous amongst friends and parents. What's hooking me is that every other story on the front page of the Vancouver Sun has an element that is law-related and that I've probably touched on in class. For instance, Vincent Li's verdict was being released just as we were learning about why people would be held not criminally responsible for reason of a mental disorder in criminal law class. Two years ago the most I could have told you about Kyoto is that it's a place in Japan and you could probably find sushi there; now, I've studied a case on a non-profit group that brought the government to court for not adhering to their obligations under the Kyoto Protocol. Whether I find these subjects innately interesting or inexorably boring, I now have the knowledge to understand what is happening in this world on a deeper and more technical level, such as the logistics behind Chris Brown's court case.
If you have any questions about Perez Hilton, Law Orientation Week or anything else be sure to give me a call (604) 827-3552 or email orientation@law.ubc.ca
It took me a while to get caught up with the world. A while, and some embarrassing questions to my father which resulted in him asking me on what bubble I'd been living for the past 22 years. But now I'm hooked. www.vancouversun.com is my new facebook and I get the New York Times headlines emailed to me every morning.
What's hooking me to these wordly affairs is more than not just looking vacuous amongst friends and parents. What's hooking me is that every other story on the front page of the Vancouver Sun has an element that is law-related and that I've probably touched on in class. For instance, Vincent Li's verdict was being released just as we were learning about why people would be held not criminally responsible for reason of a mental disorder in criminal law class. Two years ago the most I could have told you about Kyoto is that it's a place in Japan and you could probably find sushi there; now, I've studied a case on a non-profit group that brought the government to court for not adhering to their obligations under the Kyoto Protocol. Whether I find these subjects innately interesting or inexorably boring, I now have the knowledge to understand what is happening in this world on a deeper and more technical level, such as the logistics behind Chris Brown's court case.
If you have any questions about Perez Hilton, Law Orientation Week or anything else be sure to give me a call (604) 827-3552 or email orientation@law.ubc.ca
Thursday, July 2, 2009
We are family...I got my whole small group with me...
The other day I met a group of friends for drinks at a patio in Kits. We talked easily for three hours, even though, from an outsider's perspective we may not have a lot in common. One of us was about to get married, another was divorced with two children (one in university and the other in high school), some of us were working for the summers, while others have been relaxing on the beach. Some of us are social hummingbirds (their wings flutter much faster than their butterfly cousins) while the rest prefer to keep low profiles, but the crazy glue-like bond that got us on that patio and talking easily for over three hours is law school.
The group of people I was with were all members of my "small group". Small groups are how the law school divides up the first year class. It's like a homeroom class with a twist--the twist being that you never, ever leave one another's side for over eight months. You have every class with every member of your small group; needless to say, you get to know one another very well.
Love 'em or hate 'em (and as with family, it's often both of those emotions mixed together), the members of your small group are going to be an integral part of your first year of law school. The people on the patio, and many others, were the people that I would phone when I didn't understand an assignment, or how to cite a case properly, or what a case was saying, or what my prof was saying (okay, so there was a lot of law school that I didn't understand...) The people on the patio made the difference for me between going home and crying after a hard day and going out for drinks and laughing after a hard day. The people on the patio and I will be lifelong friends because of the year that we shared together. They are my law family and I hope you are looking forward to meeting yours too!
If you have any questions about small groups, Orientation Week or anything else, feel free to give me a call (604) 827-3552 or email orientation@law.ubc.ca
The group of people I was with were all members of my "small group". Small groups are how the law school divides up the first year class. It's like a homeroom class with a twist--the twist being that you never, ever leave one another's side for over eight months. You have every class with every member of your small group; needless to say, you get to know one another very well.
Love 'em or hate 'em (and as with family, it's often both of those emotions mixed together), the members of your small group are going to be an integral part of your first year of law school. The people on the patio, and many others, were the people that I would phone when I didn't understand an assignment, or how to cite a case properly, or what a case was saying, or what my prof was saying (okay, so there was a lot of law school that I didn't understand...) The people on the patio made the difference for me between going home and crying after a hard day and going out for drinks and laughing after a hard day. The people on the patio and I will be lifelong friends because of the year that we shared together. They are my law family and I hope you are looking forward to meeting yours too!
If you have any questions about small groups, Orientation Week or anything else, feel free to give me a call (604) 827-3552 or email orientation@law.ubc.ca
Friday, June 26, 2009
A set schedule...
So far, my summer has involved a lot of scheduling. For a girl who has consistently lost her agenda every year from kindergarten up until first year law, it has been a bit taxing. The other day it took me six hours to make the good copy of the Orientation Schedule. I informed my boss that my poor scheduling and Excel skills had caused the law school to have to pay me over one hundred dollars to simply draft a schedule...I'm a slight deficit.
Lack of ability aside, it's not my work that's my biggest challenge. In fact, figuring out my course schedule for next year is going to take me longer than it would take me to master Excel (and I can barely turn on my computer at this point in the game). There are so many second and third year courses to take. There are clinics and "black letter law" courses and externships and social justice seminars and if you're reading this and are unsure of what these things mean don't be disheartened...we don't really know either! All I know is the other day I spent about four hours making my course schedule perfect (which obviously includes a weekday off), and then I looked at the exam schedule and had a conflict. It was only after a very large glass of wine that I could go back to the computer and try to remedy my mistake.
Which brings me to my next and wonderful point. As first year law students, your schedule will be made for you. When I first heard about this I was annoyed actually. I had been picking my own courses since grade 9; who was the law school to tell me what I should be taking?! Well, UBC Law and every other single law school in Canada has a set curriculum for first year law students. As aggravating as it was that the law school was forcing me, the BFA Major, to take contracts (which turned out to be my favourite class--thanks Professor Bakan), the set schedule is prettier than my favourite pair of Stuart Weitzmans. Instead of figuring out what goes where and when, you sit back, schedule in hand and waltz from class to perfectly scheduled class, while enjoying your Mondays off. If you're interested in your schedule and the first year core curriculum, all the information can be found right here:
http://www.law.ubc.ca/current/jd/timetables/index.html
I definitely encourage you to take a look at your schedule and the first year curriculum, so unlike me you can show up to Constitutional Law with a slight idea of what a constitution even is (or follow in my footsteps and don't...it was one of my highest marks...go figure!)
If you have any questions about your schedule, Orientation Week or UBC Law in general please don't hesitate to contact me at (604) 827-3552 or orientation@law.ubc.ca
Lack of ability aside, it's not my work that's my biggest challenge. In fact, figuring out my course schedule for next year is going to take me longer than it would take me to master Excel (and I can barely turn on my computer at this point in the game). There are so many second and third year courses to take. There are clinics and "black letter law" courses and externships and social justice seminars and if you're reading this and are unsure of what these things mean don't be disheartened...we don't really know either! All I know is the other day I spent about four hours making my course schedule perfect (which obviously includes a weekday off), and then I looked at the exam schedule and had a conflict. It was only after a very large glass of wine that I could go back to the computer and try to remedy my mistake.
Which brings me to my next and wonderful point. As first year law students, your schedule will be made for you. When I first heard about this I was annoyed actually. I had been picking my own courses since grade 9; who was the law school to tell me what I should be taking?! Well, UBC Law and every other single law school in Canada has a set curriculum for first year law students. As aggravating as it was that the law school was forcing me, the BFA Major, to take contracts (which turned out to be my favourite class--thanks Professor Bakan), the set schedule is prettier than my favourite pair of Stuart Weitzmans. Instead of figuring out what goes where and when, you sit back, schedule in hand and waltz from class to perfectly scheduled class, while enjoying your Mondays off. If you're interested in your schedule and the first year core curriculum, all the information can be found right here:
http://www.law.ubc.ca/current/jd/timetables/index.html
I definitely encourage you to take a look at your schedule and the first year curriculum, so unlike me you can show up to Constitutional Law with a slight idea of what a constitution even is (or follow in my footsteps and don't...it was one of my highest marks...go figure!)
If you have any questions about your schedule, Orientation Week or UBC Law in general please don't hesitate to contact me at (604) 827-3552 or orientation@law.ubc.ca
Monday, June 22, 2009
Imposter Syndrome
Law school has this funny tendency to make you feel like an imposter. You may be experiencing it right now, as you tell people your plans for next year and they suddenly treat you with respect and admiration, which if you're anything like me you're really not used to as you did an undergrad that forced you to join the "I picked a major I like and one day I will live in a cardboard box" group on facebook. You may counter with, "Well, I did really well on my LSAT score" or "I had high enough undergrad grades to compensate my horrible LSAT score" or "My parents wanted me to go." The amount of respect that I received when I told people I was going to Law School versus the amount of respect I got by telling people I was working toward a Bachelor of Fine Arts was palpable.
Enjoy it right now. Soak it in along with this beautiful West Coast Sunshine (if you're lucky enough to be in Vancouver for the summer). Because from the day you start law school onward, people are going to assume that you are a lawyer. I've had family friends ask me about a clause in their will, another tell me about the horrible conditions in their mother's nursing home and ask how we could sue them and people ask me for advice about the rental of a two million dollar building. The best advice I could give any of these people is to go and get real legal help. I know nothing. All I know after my first year of law school (never mind after my first month) is that I really and truly know nothing.
The great, albeit shocking part of UBC Law is that from around the third week of school forward, we UBC Law students get the chance to play lawyer. Law Students Legal Advice Program is a non-profit student run group with which approximately one third of the law school is involved. You'll learn all about it during Orientation Week and I highly recommend that everyone join, as there is no better way to start learning something. It involves helping low-income clients access the legal system and some students have even ended up going to court within their first few months of law school! But don't worry--court isn't mandatory. If you don't want to go you can pass the file off to someone who does, and trust me, there will be many, many of us who do. And the advice that you'll be doling out...it comes directly from our real and fabulous supervising lawyers' mouths!
So for now, enjoy the feeling of admiration from your friends and family which will quickly turn into legal neediness from the moment that you step into this building. If you have questions about LSLAP, Orientation Week or anything else be sure to email me at orientation@law.ubc.ca or give me a call at (604) 827-3552.
Enjoy it right now. Soak it in along with this beautiful West Coast Sunshine (if you're lucky enough to be in Vancouver for the summer). Because from the day you start law school onward, people are going to assume that you are a lawyer. I've had family friends ask me about a clause in their will, another tell me about the horrible conditions in their mother's nursing home and ask how we could sue them and people ask me for advice about the rental of a two million dollar building. The best advice I could give any of these people is to go and get real legal help. I know nothing. All I know after my first year of law school (never mind after my first month) is that I really and truly know nothing.
The great, albeit shocking part of UBC Law is that from around the third week of school forward, we UBC Law students get the chance to play lawyer. Law Students Legal Advice Program is a non-profit student run group with which approximately one third of the law school is involved. You'll learn all about it during Orientation Week and I highly recommend that everyone join, as there is no better way to start learning something. It involves helping low-income clients access the legal system and some students have even ended up going to court within their first few months of law school! But don't worry--court isn't mandatory. If you don't want to go you can pass the file off to someone who does, and trust me, there will be many, many of us who do. And the advice that you'll be doling out...it comes directly from our real and fabulous supervising lawyers' mouths!
So for now, enjoy the feeling of admiration from your friends and family which will quickly turn into legal neediness from the moment that you step into this building. If you have questions about LSLAP, Orientation Week or anything else be sure to email me at orientation@law.ubc.ca or give me a call at (604) 827-3552.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Ripping out pages...
Many prospective students have asked both Jon and myself what the competition is like here at UBC Law. The big question seems to be, "So, do classmates really rip pages out of library books that you need?" Our answer, "No, we rarely use library books."
The rumours are rampant out here on the world wide web. I can't speak for anyone else's experience but my own, but what I can say is that use of library books aside, UBC Law students are a friendly bunch. I did my undergraduate degree at UBC and know all too well what it can be like being one of 60,000 students at a large campus, but I can assure you that at UBC Law you get to divide that number by a thousand and you instantly become part of the community of 600...or is it divided by 10,000?
People say that law school is actually akin to high school, but I personally think it's more like kindergarten. We're read stories all the time, we get recess (you will soon grow to love the half an hour break between the first two classes of the day), and our knowledge of the subject is definitely comparable to a group of kindergarteners learning how to read.
The great thing that comes with our prior education, whether it be high school or elementary school, is the community that forms. I came to law school uninformed and on a whim, and I have been nothing but shocked at how friendly my colleagues have been. Older students often go out of their way to make first years feel welcomed and informed. I was sitting in our interaction area one day a few months ago chatting with my friend about how I knew nothing about transnational law, and a second year student overheard, asked for my email and sent me his CAN from last year. Law school isn't just a program, it's an experience and those who are going through the experience together have a bond, as corny as it may seem. Recently I was traveling and whenever I met another law student, we instantly had twenty things to talk about and compare.
I owe my friends from my first year of law school much of my sanity, my marks and my memories. Without them, law school would have been a lot of scary hard work, but with them it was a lot of work that became pretty fun. So I can assure you, whether you find it closer to kindergarten, high school, your undergraduate program or none of the above, UBC law students won't be ripping pages out of books any time soon...or blocking important links to cases for that matter.
If you have any questions or comments about book theft or other things, give me a call or email at (604) 827-3552 or orientation@law.ubc.ca
The rumours are rampant out here on the world wide web. I can't speak for anyone else's experience but my own, but what I can say is that use of library books aside, UBC Law students are a friendly bunch. I did my undergraduate degree at UBC and know all too well what it can be like being one of 60,000 students at a large campus, but I can assure you that at UBC Law you get to divide that number by a thousand and you instantly become part of the community of 600...or is it divided by 10,000?
People say that law school is actually akin to high school, but I personally think it's more like kindergarten. We're read stories all the time, we get recess (you will soon grow to love the half an hour break between the first two classes of the day), and our knowledge of the subject is definitely comparable to a group of kindergarteners learning how to read.
The great thing that comes with our prior education, whether it be high school or elementary school, is the community that forms. I came to law school uninformed and on a whim, and I have been nothing but shocked at how friendly my colleagues have been. Older students often go out of their way to make first years feel welcomed and informed. I was sitting in our interaction area one day a few months ago chatting with my friend about how I knew nothing about transnational law, and a second year student overheard, asked for my email and sent me his CAN from last year. Law school isn't just a program, it's an experience and those who are going through the experience together have a bond, as corny as it may seem. Recently I was traveling and whenever I met another law student, we instantly had twenty things to talk about and compare.
I owe my friends from my first year of law school much of my sanity, my marks and my memories. Without them, law school would have been a lot of scary hard work, but with them it was a lot of work that became pretty fun. So I can assure you, whether you find it closer to kindergarten, high school, your undergraduate program or none of the above, UBC law students won't be ripping pages out of books any time soon...or blocking important links to cases for that matter.
If you have any questions or comments about book theft or other things, give me a call or email at (604) 827-3552 or orientation@law.ubc.ca
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
CANing
When I was little and my mother was in a domestic mood (which didn't happen very often, let me assure you), we would go to one of the many berry patches in Richmond and stuff our faces and baskets full of berries. We'd then go home and my science experiment of the week would be learning how sugar and berries can solidify into jam. This is the only canning that I know, so you can imagine my surprise on the first day of Orientation Week last year when everything was "CAN" this and "CAN" that. People in my small group were bragging about the amazing CAN they received from a brother's cousin's uncle's friend who got an 80 in this class or that. It was both overwhelming and annoying because everytime the word CAN was mentioned it made me crave my mom's strawberry jam which has become a thing of the past.
CANs in law school are not full of berry goodness. Instead, they are full of classnotes, which aren't quite as delicious. CAN is an acronym for Condensed Annotated Notes. Only law students would come up with such a prestigious title for something that a lot of us have done in undergrad.
CANs essentially take the class notes for the year and shorten them to key points. Some sets of CANs are immaculately edited, with glossaries and indexes. Others, (mine especially) are simply ugly blocks of key notes. If you want to get really fancy, you can find or make a condensed CAN AND a larger CAN for the same course.
Throughout the year you will hear about the pros and cons of using a CAN from the year or four before. I won't even begin to touch on this highly contested subject of "to CAN or not to CAN" but I will provide this key piece of advice that I sadly learned the hard and REALLY embarrassing way: when using a CAN from the year before, ensure that you went over all the same cases in class to prevent your prof from writing "are you using an old CAN?!?!" on your exam...
CANs can be found from upper-classmates, the Law Student Society's website and your uncle who did law school here in the 70's (yes some of the profs are the same). They are usually professor specific but sometimes a CAN from another prof may work for your course if the reading material was the same.
A lot of the professors here will let you use your CANs during an exam. If being able to have all your notes in front of you during your exams sounds too good to be true that's because it really is. If you're relying solely on your CAN to be able to write the exam and haven't studied efficiently, you will run out of time. That's why the best part about CANs is the actual making of them. By making a CAN you are boiling (somewhat like the berries) down your notes to the key facts that are important to remember and know for the exam. If you're relying on someone else's CAN, you won't be able to remember these key facts as efficiently and quickly (and rule number 1 about law school exam writing is that time is of the essence).
During the year there will be plenty of time to learn about the fine art of the CAN, but for now at least you'll be one step ahead of me and not wondering why the law school cares so much about jam during your first day of Orientation. If you have any questions abouts CANs, Orientation Week, strawberry jam or anything else be sure to give me a call (604) 827-3552 or email: orientation@law.ubc.ca
CANs in law school are not full of berry goodness. Instead, they are full of classnotes, which aren't quite as delicious. CAN is an acronym for Condensed Annotated Notes. Only law students would come up with such a prestigious title for something that a lot of us have done in undergrad.
CANs essentially take the class notes for the year and shorten them to key points. Some sets of CANs are immaculately edited, with glossaries and indexes. Others, (mine especially) are simply ugly blocks of key notes. If you want to get really fancy, you can find or make a condensed CAN AND a larger CAN for the same course.
Throughout the year you will hear about the pros and cons of using a CAN from the year or four before. I won't even begin to touch on this highly contested subject of "to CAN or not to CAN" but I will provide this key piece of advice that I sadly learned the hard and REALLY embarrassing way: when using a CAN from the year before, ensure that you went over all the same cases in class to prevent your prof from writing "are you using an old CAN?!?!" on your exam...
CANs can be found from upper-classmates, the Law Student Society's website and your uncle who did law school here in the 70's (yes some of the profs are the same). They are usually professor specific but sometimes a CAN from another prof may work for your course if the reading material was the same.
A lot of the professors here will let you use your CANs during an exam. If being able to have all your notes in front of you during your exams sounds too good to be true that's because it really is. If you're relying solely on your CAN to be able to write the exam and haven't studied efficiently, you will run out of time. That's why the best part about CANs is the actual making of them. By making a CAN you are boiling (somewhat like the berries) down your notes to the key facts that are important to remember and know for the exam. If you're relying on someone else's CAN, you won't be able to remember these key facts as efficiently and quickly (and rule number 1 about law school exam writing is that time is of the essence).
During the year there will be plenty of time to learn about the fine art of the CAN, but for now at least you'll be one step ahead of me and not wondering why the law school cares so much about jam during your first day of Orientation. If you have any questions abouts CANs, Orientation Week, strawberry jam or anything else be sure to give me a call (604) 827-3552 or email: orientation@law.ubc.ca
Friday, May 22, 2009
Oriented
Hey Class of 2012,
That's right, in three short years you'll be graduating with a Juris Doctor in law, but before that can happen, in just 3 months you'll be joining us here at UBC Law. Right now Jon Conlin and I (Marlisse Silver-Sweeney) are spending our summers organizing fun and informative events to get you oriented to your new lives as UBC Law Students. If you have any suggestions or ideas please give us a holler at orientation@law.ubc.ca or (604) 827-3552. We'd love to meet up with anyone to speak 1:1 about any questions you may have about law or beyond (hey, any excuse to get out of the office and into a Starbucks is a good one). Check back here often to see what fun events we've come up with, new information you may need, and what text books you should have memorized by September! (Joking, the great thing about law school is you almost never have to memorize...seriously. Check this blog out next week to learn why.)
Peace, love and legal education,
Marlisse
That's right, in three short years you'll be graduating with a Juris Doctor in law, but before that can happen, in just 3 months you'll be joining us here at UBC Law. Right now Jon Conlin and I (Marlisse Silver-Sweeney) are spending our summers organizing fun and informative events to get you oriented to your new lives as UBC Law Students. If you have any suggestions or ideas please give us a holler at orientation@law.ubc.ca or (604) 827-3552. We'd love to meet up with anyone to speak 1:1 about any questions you may have about law or beyond (hey, any excuse to get out of the office and into a Starbucks is a good one). Check back here often to see what fun events we've come up with, new information you may need, and what text books you should have memorized by September! (Joking, the great thing about law school is you almost never have to memorize...seriously. Check this blog out next week to learn why.)
Peace, love and legal education,
Marlisse
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