Counting Blessings

I returned to California at around 4:30 a.m. yesterday. My lil' brother graduated from college and I did not want to miss it for the world. His graduation, however, overlapped with my buddy's father's funeral. Originally, (before any dates were determined and set in stone) my buddy asked me to be one of six casket bearers. Things didn't quite work out.

When I read books, I love flipping pages and starting new chapters. But more often than not, I hate finishing books...I hate having to end my interaction with the characters that I have grown to adore. I'll never forget how much I hated Leo Tolstoy during those last few pages of "War and Peace." I wanted to know more about the characters' after their "happy ever after" ending. Ugh, and don't even get me started with Plato's "Republic."

Anyhow. A good ending is a good ending. In fact, the momentous events that emerged in the last week will be amongst the many blessings that I will count in the years to follow. I'm glad that my buddy is safe and at peace. I'm glad that my brother finished college with so many great memories. I'm glad that I'm able to stop and think at this point in my life about people.

Thank you for your prayers. Though it is still too soon, I will eventually be sharing your thoughts and prayers with my buddy.

Prayers

Dear All:

Yesterday afternoon, I wrote a post about being happy. Little did I know or expect the tragedy to follow.

In the middle of my LSAT class, I received a call from a close friend, who informed me that another very close friend's father got shot multiple times by two gunmen in Los Angeles. I was shocked; I didn't know how to respond.

I never drove so fast. If pulled over, I had, I thought, a perfectly legitimate excuse to speed. Roads were taped and blocked. Instinctively, I swerved and parked my car. I ran passed the yellow tapes and police officers. Several officers stopped me....but only for a few seconds...I think my eyes told them everything they needed to know.

I won't forget the embrace between my friend (my brother) and I. His shudder, his tears and his agony. I cannot forget the boiling anger that bubbled inside my gut....I wanted shout, punch and cry all at once. The only thought running through my mind was simply this: "Be strong, be strong, be strong..." The only words that came out of my mouth was this: "Be strong, be strong, be strong..."

It's 2:16 a.m.....it's hard to sleep. I want to pray for my friend and his family. I want to ask you all to keep them in your prayers.

UC Irvine School of Law

Some of you probably already know, but I just got hold of wind that UCI got the "okay" to found its anticipated law school. The school is scheduled to open its doors in 2009.

Although Southern California has several notable law schools (i.e. UCLA, USC, Loyola, Southwestern, etc.), I'm eager to see how UCI's addition will affect pre-law students, employers and law schools. Typically, new law schools don't fair too well. But UCI is likely to be different. Unlike Loyola or Southwestern, UCI's law school has the benefit of being connected to the wider UC system. It will also benefit from its access to the university's other undergraduate and graduate programs. Arguably, prospective law students may prefer this diversity/diversion over stand-alone law schools, like Loyola and Southwestern.

UCLA Law is quite young, and yet within fifty-years it stands amongst the ranks of our nation's top law schools. I presume that the nice living condition and weather had a role in recruiting and retaining some of the top legal minds. UCI is in Orange County, which ain't as crowded and dirty as Los Angeles proper. Moreover, Orange County ain't that far from Downtown L.A. (Southern California's legal hub). In the footsteps of UCLA, I suspect UCI will have no problem recruiting and retaining top law professors, and thus soon after, top students.

L.A. Works Day

On June 2 (Saturday), I'll be joining hundreds of Angelinos (people from Los Angeles) to get down and dirty painting shelters, planting trees and giving face-lifts to inner-city schools.

If you don't have anything planned for that weekend and you just so happen to be within driving distance from Downtown L.A., march on out and join us!

This is my first year participating, but I know it'll be fun meeting new and cool people.

Proud

There are days when I'm extremely happy to be an LSAT instructor. Today is one of those days.

Three (the magic number) of my former students called me out of the blue. Below are excerpts from each conversation...

First conversation:
A: David, David! I got into UCLA!
Me: !#$%#$%$!$%!$!#!%!$%

Second conversation:
B: I decided to go to Yale.
Me: !$!%!!$%!$%!$%!$%!$%!%

Third conversation:
C: I'll be in Columbia this fall.
Me: !!$%!%!$!$%!$%!$%!$%!$%!

(FYI, !$!%!$%!$%!^$!$%!$%!$%!$%! = "Oh my goodness! I'm so happy for you! Congratulations! Let's do dinner!" No profanity at all.)

To be honest, there are times (like right now) when I feel that I'm not doing a good job as an instructor because students are becoming discouraged by their low scores and a few decide not to even show up to class.

But now, I feel that today is definitely a good day!

For those studying for the June LSAT, I want you to know that the above three students started out exactly where you are - stressed and discouraged yet hopeful.

Up your score

There's about 3 more weeks before V-day (Victory Day) - a.k.a. LSAT testing day.

It's just about time for my students to start panicking. Some will wonder, "If I just hadn't worked that extra shift, then maybe my score will be higher." While others will wonder, "I shouldn't be stressing so much because it may be what's keeping my score down."

Given my students' myriads of personality types and backgrounds, it's impossible for me to sit here and exactly diagnose what's keeping some scores down and pushing others up. However, one thing is certain: without practice improvement is just impossible.

Many of my students are the smart types. They come to class and try really hard to understand the concepts and tools for attacking the LSAT. However, once they feel they understand one concept, they feel that they can move on to the next concept. This type of study method may have worked throughout high-school and maybe even college. But the LSAT is quite a bit different, at least for many people.

LSAT requires repetition and practice. Merely understanding the concepts is not sufficient. You need to digest those tools and concepts to make them a part of your second nature. This requires you to actually hit the floor and do the grunt work. For example, think of Chess. It's not enough to merely understand the rules and moves. In fact, winning a few games is not sufficient (e.g. your opponent may have been a not-so-good player). To become really good at Chess, one needs to actually sit there and practice, again and again, until one can react almost naturally to every possible move.

Now, there are those few genius types that are simply great Chess players or awesome LSAT takers from the up-start. These people are very small in number/percentage. Focusing on or comparing yourself to them will not up your score. Most people, including me, need to work hard to improve.

Now here's the problem I see with most students, they practice three or maybe four hours on one concept. They get a decent number of questions right and a few wrong. Compared to where they were before doing the practice, they feel that they have improved. So they never return to practice or review these concepts again.

To improve, one must practice, again and again and again, even the concepts one "thinks" she mastered. In many cases it take only about a day for your mind to forget the concept you just mastered.

To Make A Difference

The power and privilege bestowed upon one possessing a law degree is obviously great. It's easy for law students, even pre-law students, who are so engrained in the learning process to forget what it meant to value the law degree from a layman's perspective. I feel that it's sort of like a diamond - afar from your possession it looks sparkly, shiny and desirable, but upfront, in your possession, you're so accustomed to it that it feels like just another rock.

This morning I am reminded by John Grisham of law graduates' illustrious potential to protect people.

EDIT: Deleted a part of this post.

More options for law students

This morning I found myself grinning at my computer screen. "Uncle Sam Wants You (and Will Pay Off Your Loans)!"

According to this Wall Street Journal article, Congress has voted to pay off $60,000 for lawyers who work in the public defender's office or the prosecutor's office for 3+ years. I think this is a sexy deal!

Though it does not completely bridge the $$$ gap between private and public sector legal jobs, it does ease up (quite significantly) the burden that many law graduates feel when pursuing public sector jobs with loads of loans.

I wish, though unlikely, Congress will increase the amount ($60,000) at a rate consistent with law school tuition inflation.

Advice to a friend

Today I had a great night out with my friends. Some of 'em were my former LSAT students.

One of 'em is struggling with an issue, to which I tried to give the best advice I can give. I thought I'd pose the issue to my fellow bloggers and see if I can get your input.

This former student (we'll call him J) is deciding between two schools: 4th tier school in S. California (his home) and a 3rd tier school in Michigan. He wants to eventually practice law in California (Orange County).

Given his two choices and preference, I advised him to attend the California school. There is no significant difference between a 3rd and 4th tier school. At the regional level, solid networking will take students further than school name/prestige. His only reason for wanting the Michigan school is its higher ranking in US News World Report, while his reasons for wanting the California school include proximity to the city, in which he will eventually practice law, and the already established networks with family and friends in the California legal industry.

What say you? Did I give him good advice?

Around the world in 730 days

I attended a wedding yesterday. It was nice.

During the reception one of the guests took me by my hand to introduce me to her child. My faintest hope that perhaps this nice lady wanted me to meet her daughter wafted away as she introduced me to her son. "David goes to law school! Listen and learn as much as you can from him." The kid looked at me eagerly.

I felt extremely uneasy. For starters, I don't go to law school yet. And what to make of this awkward meeting. My romantic hope for maybe...just maybe meeting my soulmate at this wedding wasn't gonna happen.

"So what school do you go to?"
"I go to NYU."
"Wonderful school. What's your major?"
"Finance. But I was wondering if I should change it because I'm not sure if it'll help for law school."

At that instant my mind began to shoot in 80 different directions: "Why would you change your major for that?; Are you serious?; Why not do what you like?; Why so intent on law school?" It may have taken a while, but one-by-one I managed to organize my thoughts and get each of my questions out and answered.

There are several noteworthy thoughts that transpired during our conversation: 1) he would greatly benefit from seeing the world; 2) he needs a hobby; and 3) he needs to stop caring about the world's eyes.

1) When my friends and I returned from abroad, our first point of irritation was that many Americans (our family and friends) are very narrow minded and narcissistic - the world revolves around my country, my state, my city, my hometown, so why venture out? This kid had the entire, "I want to live and die in L.A.!" mentality - both geographically and figuratively. He was convinced that there was nothing better for him out there, so why bother to explore? While I admired his resolve, I was not altogether convinced that he knew what he was talking about. Judging from his mother's earlier actions, I knew that half, if not all, the things he wanted were, in actuality, his mother's desires.

Going abroad desensitizes these mothers - the physical distance forces 'em to understand that their children are not children.

2) Before applying to law school, I encourage working, traveling, playing, soul-searching, musing, or even reading. In fact, anything short of nothing will do. Most people, like this kid, go directly from Kindergarten to Elementary School, to Junior High, to High School, to College. And most people, when life's path is predetermined, go on auto-pilot - they never bother to feed their passion (btw, this is not unique to high-school/college aged kids). This kid needed a hobby. His "hobby" was studying.

3) Rather than studying what he loves or cares about, this kid does what he feels others love and care about. While I cannot completely discredit the value of playing the "game" (following the herd), there is a point of departure, where the groups desires and my desire differs greatly. To follow the masses in these areas is to kill your passion, and thus yourself. When this kid finally realizes that he's not happy, he may already be 40 years old, living with a woman other people want and love, working a job other people want and love, and associating with friends other people want and love, only to know that he wants and loves none of the above. (I admit I'm being a bit extreme =P)

Here's a challenge for everyone out there thinking about law school. Life is short, why don't you try to travel around the world in 730 days (2 years)? See what you can learn about yourself and the world around you. Pushing law school for 2 years won't kill you.

Timing the Beast!

Lately, I've been getting a lot of questions regarding timing. Running against the clock can be quite stressful and my LSAT students are freaking out.

Whenever I get a, "I can't think straight when I think I'm running out of time," I give students the following analogy:
When you start learning how to swim, you learn, first and foremost, the proper forms and techniques (e.g. how to float, kick, stroke and breathe). You don't worry about how fast you can get from one side of the pool to the other side. LSAT is like swimming. Who cares if the national standard is to finish in 35-minutes; first learn the proper forms and techniques, then we'll worry about speed.

There's a Korean proverb that says, "If you try to catch two rabbits at once, you'll lose both." If you are still struggling with specific logical reasoning questions, games sections and reading comp passages, then don't try to improve both accuracy and speed at the same time cause you'll end up frustrating yourself more. Learn how to attack each question and fix your flaws before rushing.

Chicago forth~

Some of you already know. I will be starting school this fall at the University of Chicago Law School! I'm extremely excited!

My "Journey to Law School" is almost complete. Once I begin school this fall, I will have to think about what to do with this blog (e.g. continue writing under another blog-title, start an entirely new blog, etc.).

Right now I'm packed up to the neck with LSAT teaching/tutoring, trying to make as much money before starting law school. Yet I'm torn. Making money is making money, I'll be doing that for the rest of my life. Not knowing what to do with months of leisure time, however, is something that comes once in a blue-moon. The only other time I felt this care-free, "I can do whatever I want," freedom was right after high-school graduation, but before starting college. That summer I spent all my money traveling around the world.

A part of me yearns to do something like that again. Yet another part of me is holding me down. It seems wiser to cut back on the amount of law school loans I take out by earning more money. Teaching LSAT full-time over the summer can earn me up to anywhere between $13,500-$22,500. That's a lot of money~

Deciding

Interesting blog that my friend forwarded to me.

Everyone is deciding or has decided on which law school he/she will be attending. Congrats! For those waiting to get off waitlists, I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.