I am now a full time law student at the University of Canterbury.
Before classes began I visited campus to get some admin work sorted. Everywhere I went there were young people in bright red university t-shirts engaged in team building exercises.
Examples of this were one student sitting on another student's shoulders or large groups of students holding hands in a giant knot and trying to undo the not without letting go of each other's hands.
You know, the classics.
Those with personal space issues were surely pushed to their limits of their comfort zones.
Nothing makes you confront a social phobia quite like having a total stranger squeeze your head between their knees.
I skipped out on all that stuff along with the first week tradition of getting boozed up.
I am overjoyed to be back in a classroom situation although my mandatory law classes are quite populous and the ability to have lengthy discussions is limited.
I can feel my brain sizzling with excitement when new cases are discussed and people are called upon to explain the rationale for whatever position they take on an issue.
I am concurrently enrolled in the basic first year courses along with two major second year courses (criminal and contract law).
As my schedule stands I end up having the advanced courses where they assume you have the basics before the actual courses where they teach you the basics but I'm managing.
It's also interesting to compare US and NZ law systems.
I've met some great people and would describe the university's atmosphere as very welcoming and supportive.
I have joined the student law society, the Maori student law society Te Putairiki, the Spanish club and, by accident, the Investors Club, the latter being mistaken by me for the law society because they were right next to the law society's tent and I wasn't paying attention. I thought it was a bit strange that the law society would host a competition featuring the NZ Stock Market but I was feeling open minded and optimistic so I went with it.
I skipped the law society's first boozer because I needed to study for a legal research course, didn't want to be reminded of my age in the midst of hip young people skulling drinks and because I'm increasingly comforted by the thought of an early bedtime.
On my first visit I discovered a restaurant on campus called the Shilling Club. Aside from a cool name it was founded in 1978 (as was I) so I felt an immediate affinity for the place.
The name seems to suggest a place where a poor intellectual might get a cheap meal but this is not the case. The food is amazing but the prices will ensure that I only eat there on occasion and even then, I might just have the salad.
Tomorrow I will be going to observe a demonstration at the school's mooting court. I'm thinking of signing up for the campus competition.
I always associated the word "moot" with meaning that a topic wasn't worth discussing because it was pointless or irrelevant but here the term means a subject is open for debate.
I have a feeling that I might be a born mooter but I need to see how it's done first. If I feel confident then I will proceed to enter the competition and moot the hell out of whatever topic they throw at me.
Before classes began I visited campus to get some admin work sorted. Everywhere I went there were young people in bright red university t-shirts engaged in team building exercises.
Examples of this were one student sitting on another student's shoulders or large groups of students holding hands in a giant knot and trying to undo the not without letting go of each other's hands.
You know, the classics.
Those with personal space issues were surely pushed to their limits of their comfort zones.
Nothing makes you confront a social phobia quite like having a total stranger squeeze your head between their knees.
I skipped out on all that stuff along with the first week tradition of getting boozed up.
I am overjoyed to be back in a classroom situation although my mandatory law classes are quite populous and the ability to have lengthy discussions is limited.
I can feel my brain sizzling with excitement when new cases are discussed and people are called upon to explain the rationale for whatever position they take on an issue.
I am concurrently enrolled in the basic first year courses along with two major second year courses (criminal and contract law).
As my schedule stands I end up having the advanced courses where they assume you have the basics before the actual courses where they teach you the basics but I'm managing.
It's also interesting to compare US and NZ law systems.
I've met some great people and would describe the university's atmosphere as very welcoming and supportive.
I have joined the student law society, the Maori student law society Te Putairiki, the Spanish club and, by accident, the Investors Club, the latter being mistaken by me for the law society because they were right next to the law society's tent and I wasn't paying attention. I thought it was a bit strange that the law society would host a competition featuring the NZ Stock Market but I was feeling open minded and optimistic so I went with it.
I skipped the law society's first boozer because I needed to study for a legal research course, didn't want to be reminded of my age in the midst of hip young people skulling drinks and because I'm increasingly comforted by the thought of an early bedtime.
On my first visit I discovered a restaurant on campus called the Shilling Club. Aside from a cool name it was founded in 1978 (as was I) so I felt an immediate affinity for the place.
The name seems to suggest a place where a poor intellectual might get a cheap meal but this is not the case. The food is amazing but the prices will ensure that I only eat there on occasion and even then, I might just have the salad.
Tomorrow I will be going to observe a demonstration at the school's mooting court. I'm thinking of signing up for the campus competition.
I always associated the word "moot" with meaning that a topic wasn't worth discussing because it was pointless or irrelevant but here the term means a subject is open for debate.
I have a feeling that I might be a born mooter but I need to see how it's done first. If I feel confident then I will proceed to enter the competition and moot the hell out of whatever topic they throw at me.
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