Sicilians have an approach to life they call “futtitinni.” The term translates to “don’t care,” “don’t worry about it,” or “let it go.” As a 1L trying to juggle academics and career decisions at the same time, this seems like an impossible mindset to maintain. However, futtitinni is not simply about an indifference to life; it refers to focusing on what truly matters. Obviously, grades take significant precedence at this point in the year. I also do not intend to say that we should all take a lot of time for ourselves or relax for the rest of the semester. We are all in the trenches, and that is precisely where futtitinni can play a beneficial role. The term arose out of hardship and daily struggle, not out of periods of prosperity. Nobody expects finals season to be easy, but joy can still exist within this final push.
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Escaping the 2L Doldrums (A Tortured Sailing Metaphor)
“Day after day, day after day,
We stuck, nor breath nor motion:
As idle as a painted ship
Upon a painted ocean.”
‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’ – Samuel Taylor Coleridge, (1834)
Growing up in southeastern Pennsylvania, I remember learning about the so-called ‘age of exploration’, probably an aged moniker today, but hey, this was *gasp* the late-90s. One thing that stuck with me from all those lessons about Christopher Columbus’s supposed ‘discovery’ of the new world, Ferdinand Magellan’s unceremonious demise in Southeast Asia, and Henry Hudson’s ill-fated attempt(s) to uncover a waterway that linked the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and so on, is a rather minor aspect of wind-based sea travel: getting stuck in the doldrums.
Continue readingThe Hardest Part of 1L (It’s Not the Readings)
Arriving at BC Law this past August brought a rush of excitement. I’d known I wanted to be a lawyer all of my life, and had been building toward this step for just as long. After growing up on crime- and law-themed TV shows like Law & Order, I completed two legal internships in college, wrote my senior honors thesis on a legal topic, and worked at a personal injury law firm for two years after graduation. So when I was admitted to the so-called “Disneyland of Law Schools,” it was an answered prayer—like a dream come true.
Continue readingWest Coast, Best Coast? Finding Home at BC Law
I recently asked one of my friends here at BC if he ever gets homesick and he responded with a definitive “no.” While I do think he was being purposefully facetious just to irk me, I did take a moment to consider how I’ve been more prone to homesickness than many of my peers. Most of my law school friends are from the area, with their families and close friends nearby. Meanwhile, my parents and many of my high school friends are back in Oregon, whereas the majority of my college friends from USC stayed in California.
Continue readingWant Some Great Advice for Finals Prep? We’ve Got It
We have a special edition of the Impact Blog today: two bloggers for the price of one! I teamed up with 1L blogger Isabella Calise to discuss some common 1L questions regarding finals (I not only survived my 1L finals, but I volunteered as a proctor with the Student & Academic Services office during my 1L year).
Continue readingWhy Fall As A 1L Doesn’t Have To Be So Scary
It’s easy to focus on the chaos of 1L fall; there’s so much to learn and seemingly not enough time. But somewhere between the stress and the multiple Lexis tabs open on my computer, there’s a lot to love about being a law student this time of year.
Continue readingIs Life Forcing a Change of Plans? Don’t Panic
Nothing anyone says can really prepare you for the purgatory that is your first year out of college. To borrow a phrase from one of my close friends, there were days during my post-graduation period where looking for positives felt like “fishing for king salmon in a street puddle.” I had moved back to my hometown in Oregon, something I had vowed I would never do. All I’d ever wanted was to leave, and there I was, right back where I had started.
Continue readingThe Wonders of Code Classes: A 2L’s Perspective
We are deep in the thicket of fall semester, and the changing leaves and cooler temperatures have made me reflect on my 1L fall experience a year ago. I enjoyed my classes. I found some cases and subjects more engaging than others, but when it came to distilling the rules and concepts, there was little excitement.
Continue readingLessons from a Jesuit Education: Growth, Purpose, and the Practice of Law
Because, I, too, once didn’t know what a Jesuit education entailed. Now, I can’t imagine who I’d be without it.
By way of background, I’ve been a Catholic school kid pretty much my whole life—since second grade, technically—and I actually liked it. When my parents offered to switch me to the local public school after we moved when I was nine, I chose to stay where I was. I wanted to keep wearing my jumper and tie (yes, girls could wear ties too) and keep going to religion class.
Continue readingThe Life of a Showgirl? No, the Life of a 1L
Last Friday, Taylor Swift released her highly anticipated 12th studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl.” In honor of this milestone coinciding with the first full month of law school coming to end, let’s take a look at how 13 (if you know, you know) of Taylor’s lyrics relate to the life of a first semester 1L…
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BC Law: Impact 