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opinions
The Happiness Project: New Year’s resolutions
for neophytes, sophomores, and sages
CASS DA RE
Editor-in-Chief
Welcome back kids. It’s that time
of year again, cue the song from Billy
Madison: : ”Oh back to school, back to
school, to prove to Dad that I’m not a
fool...” Feel free to sing along if that
makes you feel any better about the end
of the winter break. Pack up the decorations, recycle the empties, and get in
line at the MDC; vacation is sadly over.
However, this time isn’t just the end of
something great, but the beginning of
something better, like the use of
overbearing clichés to discuss the
New Year.
What would January be without of course a riveting dis c u s si on a b o ut New Ye a r ’s
resolutions? Many of you, in
your deep rooted cynicism of
failed attempts of years prior,
your growing annoyance at over
crowded gyms in January, or
simply a desolate view that January 1st doesn’t really mark anything, but the inevitable passing
of time, will not make any resolutions. For the more optimistic,
you may secretly or socially make
promises to yourself or others,
likely in the vein of self-improvement and likely borne of some unhappiness or disappointment from the year
prior. A third group, and probably my
personal favourite, made general sweeping proclamations, champagne or apple
cider in hand, to “be better,” “do good,”
and “make a difference.” You know who
you are.
Whatever camp you fall into, you have
something very important in common
with each other, the simple fact that
you (albeit regrets, murmured curses,
and secret dreams of becoming a rock
star) are a law student. Like resolution
makers, there are three easily divisible
categories of law students. No, I don’t
mean the keener, the curve coaster, and
the “D’s get degree-ers.” I’m referring
to the f irst year neophytes, the second
year sophomores, and the third year
sages. In hopes of making this calendar year a little happier than the last,
I recommend digging up some resolve
The Obiter Dicta
to make these law school year specif ic
resolutions.
1L: The newbies, the neophytes, the
“ is law school over yet, because I’m
done” darlings.
In 1967 Cat Stevens wrote “The First
Cut is the Deepest.” While the song is
about the scars of a breakup, the sentiment applies to the f irst semester of law
school. What you have just experienced
is as bad as it gets, naturally this may
make you apprehensive about the second
semester, but it will not (and will never
again) be that hard. You may feel out
EVERY YOGA STUDIO ON JANUARY 2.
of your depth, like you still haven’t hit
your stride (I promised clichés didn’t
I?), or that you really should have gone
to grad school. You’re not alone in those
feelings. They may in fact be a prerequisite for second year, but that’s not in
the off icial handbook.
In a few weeks, your grades will be
posted and you’ll have to relive the
memories of f irst semester exams all
over again. For those who will be presented with possibly your f irst B or C,
which will be the overwhelming majority of you, this is also normal, and not
the end of life as you know it or your
career as you imagined it.
This year, resolve to: Cut yourself
some slack. You’re at Osgoode, no one
said it would be easy, but no one said
you have to be so hard on yourself.
2L: The sophomores, the survivors,
the job seekers and f inders, and resume
grinders.
Second semester of second year pres-
ents a trap for the unwary. You made
it through f irst year, last semester
was still challenging, but dare you say
“easy?” You figured out what a summary
is, and how to use it. You’re involved,
you signed up, showed up, and are welladjusted law students. You went through
the craziness of OCIs, and whether or
not you landed a job, you weathered the
storm and came out a more experienced
interviewee, ready to network through
the industry. The danger of the second
year second semester is the false sense
of security that you’ve made it. You
haven’t. Even if you have a job lined
up for the summer, this is not your
golden ticket to the rest of your life.
Circumstances change, promises are
broken, and nothing is ever guaranteed until you sign on the dotted
line; and even then, there is always a
loophole. Didn’t you learn anything
in Contracts?
This year resolve to: Stay in the
game, and don’t lose perspective of
the bigger and long-term picture.
3L: The sages, the seniors, the
“I’m full of advice” angels.
It’s so close yet so far. The light
of graduation is starting to peer
through at the end of an arduous
tunnel. Of course, then there’s the
bar (Part I), convocation, then the
bar (Part II), then articling, and then
getting called to the bar, but basically
we’re almost there,