What follows is the account of the opening days at the University of Windsor law school.

 Starting At Both St. Thomas University School of Law in Miami (Home of the NBA Champions) and the University of Windsor

“On the first day of orientation at St. Thomas University School of Law in Miami Florida I entered the sea of “1 L’s”, as they call first year law students, not knowing what to expect and searching for a friendly face.  I was extremely nervous about the ‘unknown’ not only in regards to the law journey that I was about to embark on but also in trying to acclimatize myself to studying law and living in another country.  I kept calm by reminding myself that although this was not the traditional way for a Canadian to obtain a law degree, I had committed myself to attending law school in the Fall of 2006.
 
I would say that my experience during orientation was intense.  It was like we were all lined up for the start of a race and when orientation began we were off in what seemed to be a mad dash for the finish line.  Whether it was who was first to purchase their books; to trying to make early contact & impressions with professors; and to who understood the material and briefed their cases the best, all amounted to a sense of major competition amongst fellow students.

During orientation they basically tried to scare us to death.  They warned that law school was nothing like our undergraduate experience, and that the increased workload would mean that we would have to sacrifice our personal lives. It was also a shock to be exposed the Socratic Method of teaching, where we were expected to be prepared for class with briefs etc. and those who were not and were called on were either embarrassed or asked to leave the class.  Needless to say I was always prepared.

Although this was a difficult experience it was great preparation for when I returned to Canada where I had be accepted to study law at the University of Windsor.  My orientation experience at Windsor has been extremely positive.  The school presents a real sense of ‘community’, where the faculty and staff are approachable and seem both confident and genuinely committed to seeing each first year student succeed. The student body is also quite remarkable (both first year and upper year students) and I am excited at the prospect of working and learning from them over the next three years.

Although there is no denying the amount of work and effort that is required for first year students, Windsor also emphasizes the importance of maintaining a balanced lifestyle with social activities.  The school has organized social activities so that students can bond with fellow classmates and help make the transition to first year law student as smooth as possible.  The numerous volunteer and clinical opportunities offered through the school are also a way for students to be involved outside the classroom while gaining real world experience.
 
It can be intimidating to realize that everyone in law school is extremely bright and intelligent, which has led me to doubt my own abilities at times.  However, over the last few days I have realized that feelings of fear and anxiety are not unusual, and that as first year law students we are all in this together.  More importantly, I realize how fortunate I am to have been afforded this privilege to study the law and serve my community and this is something I will never take for granted.”

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