Higher education

Law school is really quite unlike any other experience. It's certainly unlike anything I've ever done.

One can naturally draw comparisons to high school and college. First, take college. Where I went to college, people were paid to babysit me. Sure, they were called "Residence Life" staff, but they were basically babysitters. I should know, I was an RA for two years. If you screwed up, or if life wasn't treating you well, at least a dozen people who weren't necessarily your friends knew about it, almost instantly. Not only did they know about it, but they had to talk about it with their superiors — it became an issue for the whole building. In law school, you are most certainly an adult, and you're treated like one. If you have a problem, you go to the counseling center. (Advantage—law school.)

In the college classroom, at least at my small liberal arts school, professors knew everyone's names within the first week. If you didn't say something in class, people noticed. Here, it's when you do say something that you get noticed — and not necessarily in a good way. The more you talk in class, generally, the less people like you. There is no bonus for class participation. If you're talking, there's a good chance you're holding up the rest of the class. (Advantage—college.)

In high school, people gossiped about each other and made special friendships that lasted for a semester or maybe even a year. In college, people got drunk and hooked up on the weekends and people laughed about it. (Hmm, these two are actually the same as law school.)

In high school and college, there were popularity contests called student government elections, and the prettiest people won. In law school, they're still popularity contests but at least smart people win. (Advantage—law school.)

In law school, the professors have really, really big houses and invite you over for drinks and good food. In college, the professors live down the street in modest houses and invite you over if they like you a whole lot. In high school, you egg your teachers' houses. (Unless, of course, your dad is a teacher. Advantage—law school.)

In high school, you wonder why some people even bother coming because all they do is copy other people's homework. In college, you wonder why some people bother coming because all they do is get drunk or high or skip class everyday. In law school, everyone is incredibly motivated and people rarely miss class. There is money to be made. There is a world to change. Let's face it — if you've made it to law school, you actually enjoy homework. There's just no way around it.