University of Houston Law Center Admissions

Thursday, September 07, 2006

In the beginning...

1L Mandy Hussain writes about her first couple of weeks in law school:

Two and a half weeks in and I’m handling things better now. The first two weeks I was doing reading and briefing from the time I got out of class until I went to bed around 12 or 1 and then I was up at 6:30; well, at least Sunday – Tuesday nights. But by the time Wednesday came around I was so tired that I would go to bed pretty early even though I only had one class on Thursday and Friday.

Here’s my class schedule, by the way, so you can get an idea.

Monday:
9-10:20 AM – Civil Procedure
1-2:20 PM – Torts

Tuesday:
9-10:20 AM – Civil Procedure
1-2:20 PM – Torts
2:30-4:30 PM – LARC (Legal Analysis, Research and Communication – basically a legal writing class)

Wednesday:
9-10:20 AM – Civil Procedure
1-2:20 PM – Torts
3:00-4:20 PM – Contracts

Thursday:
10:30-12 – Contracts

Friday:
10:30-12 – Contracts

Don’t get all freaked out if you have no idea what a brief is or what Torts is or even Civil Procedure. I only knew the basics about briefing a case, and I still can’t define to you in exact terms what a tort is. I know what it is, but verbalizing it is still difficult.

On Monday – Wednesday I have about 2.5 hours free where I’ll study. Either I’ll finish briefs/reading I didn’t get to the night before or I’ll review for classes. Right now we’re a day or two behind in my Civ Pro class, so I’ll get to campus around 8 every morning and review what we’ll go over in class. My goal at the moment is just to stay on top of my homework and possibly try outlining. I don’t feel like I’ve got a good enough grasp on the general concepts and how things fit together to make a great outline, but I’d rather start now and scrap it later than start from scratch later.

Now that things are settled more, I’m going to bed when I want and just learning to balance having a social life with school. I’ve met some great people, and I reconnected with a friend from high school that’s in my section. My section is also beginning to bond, and the majority of them sound like great people I’d like to get to know better. Some people worked before law school, and some are straight out of undergrad like me. We come from so many colleges, both in and out of state, and so many majors. Everyone’s got different experiences, but we’re all here for the same purpose.

We had a practice exam in Torts today, which scared me to death, but it was no big deal. It was just to get our feet wet, and it showed me that I knew more than I thought. The professors here – at least the ones I have – are really helpful; they are definitely there to teach and will answer any questions you have.

Law school is a lot of work so far, but I love every minute. I already have a favorite class – Contracts, but they’re all interesting. I’m going to organization meetings and seeing what I might be interested in joining, and I’m still taking it all in. After the LSAT, I really was debating whether I wanted to go to law school. I know I made the right choice in not only deciding on law school but also on deciding on UH. It’s definitely the perfect fit for me.
-Mandy (1L from Section C)

Friday, September 01, 2006

Ready...Set...Go!

The 2007 application is now posted on our website and we begin accepting applications today! Keep in mind that we have a modified rolling admissions policy; we'll begin reviewing files (and making admissions decisions) prior to the application deadlines, so it's to your benefit to apply early. We receive applications from so many impressive applicants every year, so I'm sure this year will be no exception.

Do you have questions about UHLC or the admissions process and would like speak to us in person? Can't make it down to the great city of Houston? Well, we'll come to you! Or at least meet you half way. View our travel calendar to see when we'll be in your area.