Two weeks in, ten weeks out (Suzanne)

You know, I am really going to have to work on making more concise posts. I did a word count on several recent ones. 1500 words. That’s more than many of our new first years are writing for their essays. But I am the kind of person who likes gory details. And there must be people like me out there. So, I am going to be as concise as possible in dumping every single thing that has been going on in my life this semester into one post, under some lovely easy to navigate headings:

Academics
This semester, I am taking:

Art Music and Postmodernism
Musicological Research Method
Practical Study 3-1 (clarinet)
Administrative Law
Property Law

I have six hours of classes on Monday and Thursday, two hours on Wednesday and Friday Tuesday [EDITED: thanks, Vincent!], and a one hour clarinet lesson on Friday. Which is 17 hours, higher than an arts student, lower than a science or engineering student, and about the same as a med student which really puzzles me because all the other sciences have way more contact hours and surely med students should be worked harder than any of them.

I had 140 pages of reading for administrative law, 80 pages of reading for property, and 30 pages of reading for Art Music and Postmodernism this week. I also have a chapter of a book to read for Musicological Research Method, but I read the whole book a few years ago so I think I’ll just go off my memory of what the introductory chapter says. For the uninitiated, that is a lot of work. It is also very dense reading. It is mildly interesting (cases about ownership disputes over pickled two-headed fetuses [you can’t own dead bodies, but apparently you can own a pickled two-headed fetus that you are displaying as an art exhibit, go figure], the Haneef case, and cases on possessory title, better known by its layman name of “finders keepers, losers weepers”) but since the focus of the cases is on interpreting legislation and/or property theory, it is very much technical, nitty gritty stuff that you have to read either slowly or twice. I can read the fifth Harry Potter book (~700 pages) in about half the time that it would take me to do my readings for the week (~250 pages – although these are usually closer to 400 pages because many consist of two pages reduced onto one side). I also have about 12,000 words worth of essays to write this semester, but spread across my four essay-based subjects that’s actually pretty light (it consists of 9 little assignments, two big ones, and a take-home exam).

Older law students will tell you to not put Admin Law and Property in the same semester because the two are the hardest subjects in the curriculum and have awful workloads. Guess who can’t do that due to Melbourne Model curriculum changes?

Yep.

So basically I am drowning in work, but then there are no surprises there.

Also, for any shocked prospective first years out there, remember that not only am I a third year, but half my course is now postgrad-only. In fact, the postgrad course is identical to my current course except with 25% more work and the bludge introductory subject cut out. And presumably, smarter and more mature peers. But really, I can’t tell the difference between the JDs and the LLBs, other than the fact that the JDs actually want to be here.

As for music classes, they’re really interesting and intellectually stimulating but after two years of law I find that music history lectures run way too slowly and have too many explanations of concepts that the students in the subject really should look up themselves. Oh well. It’s nice to have a class where I’m not surrounded by furious typing noises and hushed whispers of ‘what did she say about adverse possession?’.

Music
Still going strong with that practice. Admittedly I now only practice 2-3 and not 4 hours, because I am not on the performance track any more, and also because I have 200 freaking pages of law to read. Also, I have a new clarinet. It is pretty.

I may be playing in the pit of Melbourne Model: The Musical too, if I can get the rehearsal schedule to work with everything else I’m doing.

My advanced age
A few of my law friends are applying for clerkships. Several of my music friends are gone and graduated. Everyone and their dog is turning 21. I feel old. But not too old to attend all those 21st birthday parties!

My other activities
Music O-week, mentioned last post, went pretty well. We have 400 new members. Unfortunately we had to cancel Music Camp because our Activities Officer was in a car accident (she’s OK) and her car was basically written off, so we don’t have enough transportation to run it because VSU means we can’t afford a bus. In other MSS news, we have lots of new members, which is great!

The Melbourne Journal of International Law is currently recruiting law students. I encourage any law students to join it. We give free food and we have more reasonable hours and more interesting articles than the Law Review. Applications due uh… tomorrow. But we’ll be recruiting again next semester.

Money, Employment
If you know anyone looking for a clarinet teacher, I’m looking for work. I am also for hire as a freelance musician.

I also have a couple of research assistant applications going in the event that I don’t find work as a clarinet teacher.

Life (I do have one!)
The house is going swimmingly, we’ve been doing lots of elaborate cooking. I’ve made buttermilk pancakes with homemade blueberry jam, pasta with red wine sauce, Provencal-style vegetable stew with fennel and olives, beetroot and goat’s cheese risotto, spinach and feta omelette, chocolate mousse, chocolate cake, and blue cheese and candied walnut salad. I’ve also been going to many housewarmings and birthdays because all my college friends have been moving out and I know lots of people who are born in March. I’m also making an attempt to go to more guest lectures and concerts, especially if they’re free, because there are so many of them and lots of them give away free food as well as intellectual enlightenment (I am a massive foodie). Also, I renewed my swimming pass so I’ve been swimming a lot.

Anyway, other than all the work, all is well. And if it pleases my readers, that concludes my 1000 word submission.