Summer School: A New Perspective

For me, summer school will never be the same. This summer I begin classes wide eyed and excited. That's not how most students would face attending school in the summer. Many students dread having to spend another day in school; especially not during summer months where the sun signifies a slow and laid back summer. Not for me. For me and many other brave Cooley students it's a time to gear up for the first year of law school! Come May 6^th, I will take my first class as a full time Thomas M Cooley Law School student. Call me a go-getter but I moved to the city of Lansing two weeks and a few days before the start of classes. I'm even early for the start of orientation. But as I look around my semi unpacked apartment I know I made a good choice in coming early. I found an apartment only blocks from Cooley's main campus. I have gotten a feel for walking to class from home. I have already met a few second term students and a few others who are farther along in their Cooley careers. That way I can look to them for general advice and what to expect from certain professors. I have met with academic advisors, gotten my school ID, updated my address, signed up for direct deposit with the financial aid office and done a few other things in which there was no one hour line to wait in. Law school is no joke and I plan to take it on as ready as possible.

For other folks looking to start law school I would advise you to get as much of a jump on things as possible. Thomas M. Cooley Law School students need to be prepared for the harsh reality of how hard things can get. There are ways to do that without feeling all wound up. Get out there early so you can prepare your mind for the rigors of law school. The last thing you need is to be preparing for school and have to figure out everything associated with moving at the same time. So far I have had tons of students and advisors tell me to be ready to start my educational learning experience all over; expect a different learning environment. I have seen people jump for joy because the term is over. I've heard students praise the Lord for making it through exams. At this point I have even had students from another local school advise that I should have gone to Michigan State University simply because it's 'easier'. With that said I am ready for a new experience. I plan that this time next summer I will be looking back on a successful year.