[Personal Update] Au revoir, Law School!

I'm finally graduating from 

the hell that is law school!! 

(This is a long rant. You have been warned.)

It has been a wild ride. It definitely has more downs than ups but I'm just glad I'm finally done. Law school has, without an ounce of doubt, strengthened me, pushed me to do more, to think harder and to multitask beyond my wildest dreams. 

Law school is definitely not for the faint-hearted. You'll be crushed, grilled, discouraged and thoroughly humiliated by monster teachers on a daily basis. And by the end of your first year alone, you'll already need prescription glasses due to the amount of materials you have to read, memorize and know by heart. Plus, there are plenty of heart-stopping recitations from terror professors who seemed like it's their personal crusade to get you kicked out of law school.

You'll be treated unfairly. You'll feel so inadequate. You'll feel stupid constantly. You'll think of quitting multiple times. You'll definitely have a handful of failing scores and barely-passing marks. 

If you're faint-hearted, or so egocentric that a failing mark makes you crazy, you won't last in law school. This fact I have seen personally several times.

You have to be thick-skinned. You have to be able to see the silver lining in every failure. You have to be able to brush off insults and still smile despite the toxicity. You have to be able to motivate yourself and push forward even though the odds are always stacked against you. 

You aced a quiz? Celebrate! Reward yourself. You got a passing mark in a subject under a very strict professor? Celebrate! Enjoy small victories, because after all, a war is nothing but a collection of small battles counted together. Take one battle at a time and breathe. 

You have a terror teacher? Stand up straight and lengthen your spine. Chin up. Pretend like you're facing an enemy you refuse to bow down to, and even though you don't know the answer to the question, think. Think hard and don't let anyone know that you don't know. If you really can't dig up a decent answer, say 'I have no idea, sir', but say it clearly. It is not a loss on your part to admit that you don't know. After all, you're in law school precisely because you want to learn.

Bravery is not being able to feel any fear at all. Bravery is being afraid but going against the fear to do what must be done. This is what I have learned in law school.

This April, I'm finally closing a chapter of my life to move on to the next one. I know it won't be easy. I know I've chosen a seriously difficult path, but I have faith that I will get to where I need to be. 

So now, I'm celebrating this small victory. I'm finally graduating from law school. =)