This last week was orientation, which in most ways was an experience comparable to my orientation as an undergraduate:
We attended information sessions, which were repetitive or took a hour to explain information that could have been just been passed out in a one page handout (or better yet, emailed).
We heard from the Dean of Students (a mousey Quentin Tarantino clone, both in appearance and mannerisms) that the first year of law school isn't nearly as competitive or strenuous as they say, and later that day our student advisors told us that, in order to secure coveted summer jobs in their second years, as first years they studied far into the night and had no time for any other activities.
We were provided with opportunities to meet our classmates, which meant a minute or so of small talk (Q1: Where are you from? Q2: Where did you go to college? Q3: Why law school?) conducted briefly in between activities and repeated verbatim with new partners throughout the days, in the interim periods having plenty of time for forgetting the names and details of each new acquaintance.
We listened to a series of illustrious speakers representing the school give tedious canned addresses letting us know how great we all are as a class and as individuals and how honored they are to have the opportunity to stand before us and humbly take our hundreds of thousands of dollars.
All cynicism aside, I did meet a few interesting classmates, learned about some activities in which I think I'd like to participate (moot court, for one), and was impressed by the academic credentials and apparent intellectual vitality of some of my professors. I think starting this Monday the real differences from my undergraduate beginnings will become evident; I am anticipating actually being challenged to give my study my full attention.
