THE COMING of the New Year brings people a lot of positive vibes and
energy. Suddenly, people can forget about the awful things that happened in the previous year and become really hopeful that the New Year will be much kinder to them.
To reinforce this sense of rebirth, people make a list of their New Year’s resolution and wishes. Though often this turns out to be a meaningless exercise because most of the items in the list are either too ambitious or too imagined, still it evokes inspiration for them to do better this time around.
Law students are not immune to this practice. In fact, they are the type who - year in
and year out - would always gripe and wish some miracles would happen to make their
life in law school less miserable.
So let us dig into the minds of law students and list down what they could possibly wish or resolve to have this New Year. As a caveat, the list below is merely a thought product though it can also be taken seriously.
Let us count it down like we do in the song “12 Days of Christmas”.
12. An iPad that can be borrowed or rented from the Library
The iPad is fast-becoming a must-have. The convenience it offers, most especially for students, cannot be ignored. We can have all the information we need in our hands with this device. It is pricey yes and we can’t afford it, but if we can borrow or rent one in the school library - that would be the coolest thing ever.
11. A Download and Upload Station for data and images
The idea is to have a repository of relevant electronic data and images that students can access anytime. This would mean less paper, less spending on photocopies, and less bulk to carry. This would also encourage sharing of files among students, virus included.
10. An electronic law book that can recite provisions in sing-song fashion
Isn’t it a wonder how we can memorize song lyrics in no time while a single codal provision we have been reading many times over cannot be retained in our head? So to make it easy for students, inventors should come up with a law book that does not only contain written words but can also sing them with an upbeat melody. Then we can all sing through and enjoy the recitation.
9. Eyeglasses with a see-through feature
Obviously, law students need keen eyes to read books. But we need more than just keen
eyes to save us from a hellish recitation. We need superhero vision to answer the grilling questions of terror professors who impose a close-book policy in class. Eyeglasses that see through book covers (not clothing) would really be helpful, especially if there are no sympathetic classmates near you.
8. Harry Potter’s Invisibility Cloak
We all have our share of embarrassing moments in class - those times when we just want to disappear from the world for a while. So Harry Potter’s Invisibility Cloak can come in handy if we can import one from Hogwarts. We can also use it to go near the Professors and see what they write in our class cards - to make sure they are not just doodling hearts or cartoon versions of them like we do.
7. A fast-forward remote control
Law is per se a boring subject. It is only when we inject facts to it and analyze its application that it becomes interesting. Still, a Professor or a classmate can make its study boring all the time. To cure this ennui attack, a remote control with fast-forward option should be devised akin to Adam Sandler’s in Click sans the ageing effect. This could save us daydreams and drools.
6. A seatmate with an on/off button
When the going gets tough in class, it is nice to have a seatmate to talk to. Someone who we can vent our frustrations to, elicit sympathy from, or gossip with. But there comes a time when a seatmate over-reacts or gets overexcited and starts to speak non-sense that it becomes an irritation. We will then wish we can turn on and off our seatmates for our selfish convenience.
5. A lecture-inducing tablet for Professors
How many times have we prayed that the Professor would come in late, realize he or she does not have enough time to cover the topics for the day, and just decide to give a
lecture in class so there will be no recitation? And how many times have that prayer been answered? Then imagine if we can just make an over-the-counter purchase of a quick-dissolving tablet that would induce a Professor to give a lecture. Isn’t it that they love bringing cups of coffee or whatever in class? Perfect.
4. “Lying In” Clinic
No, this is not the one for child birth services but one for students who cram for exams or recitations that they do not have time to eat, go home, or take care of themselves. They would just check themselves in at the clinic and have themselves inserted with needles for intravenous fluids. Presto! You can now study all you want without much disturbance. Bring in a nurse and the whole experience can be really amazing.
3. A full-time personal stylist
We have heard complaints of a dearth of beauties and hunks in law school. These are, however, not matter-of-fact statements but are simply made out of frustration because law students do not have time to groom themselves. So eye bags would accumulate, hairs tangle, shoulders slump due to weariness, and pimples break out after burning the midnight oil. Solution: Have a personal stylist in school to make sure you appear pleasing even if not. Go ask our President for its benefits.
2. An in-school entertainment and social lounge
Who says law students do not know how to have fun and socialize? We crave for these little rewards after every grueling battle of wits with the Professors. It is just that we need
these entertainment and social lounges to be just nearby or within the school premises because (again) of time constraint. Happy are the students who can party.
1. A Self-Reflection Booth
Finally and on a more serious note, every law school should have a self-reflection booth. This is to help the students realize if they are really meant to become lawyers. The clues often stare at us in the face but we can be blinded by our ambitions. A moment of self-reflection can also give us a boost in our studies if we are failing. Just do not let Boy Abunda in there to help us introspect and we can all go out perfectly sane.
There we go with our complete list. It is up to those who read this and have the power to change the Universe to grant our wishes. They better do so. Else, they will be included in our next New Year’s Wish List. #
* This article I originally wrote for the Arellano Law Gazette January 2011 issue
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