A blog by Diane Kim, 2L
50. Getting out of class 10 minutes early
Yes, I realize this is a universal joy held by all students everywhere and not just by law students. But fact remains, we are students. And as students, you will inevitably be faced with situations where you want class to end early.
1. Let's all be honest here for a moment. Even the best law student has days where they haven't done their reading. You sit there in class, palms sweating, frantically skimming ahead, while still trying to take some semblance of notes. You practice what you'll say in case you do called on. Sometimes, the apologies are a simple, "Um, I'm sorry, Professor. I was unable to prepare for this class." Or, if you can pull off the puppy dog look, "I was sick yesterday. I'm sorry." Or my personal favorite--"I just skimmed it. Can I call on my co-counsel?"
Once you settle on an excuse you can make, you spend the rest of the time making promises to the higher powers that you'll always read ahead if you could just get through this one class. You swear you will give up whatever you were doing the night before--video games, Facebook, MafiaWars, YouTube, RWA, drinking... (Not that anyone in law school would ever drink...)
2. You always look forward to getting out of class when you have an urgent bodily function. Perhaps you are trying to save your neighbors from unpleasantness. Perhaps you need to excuse yourself but you only have ten minutes of class left, and you want to wait as to not be rude to your professor. Maybe you want to avoid the treacherous trek behind your classmates as you attempt climb over two laptop bags, a briefcase, stretched out legs, and three rolling bookbags. Or maybe you're in a certain contract professor's class where you blink back the tears in your eyes as you try not to cough or sneeze so he won't pick on you for forty minutes straight (true story).
3. Everyone has that friend that sends you YouTube videos. You're just sitting in class, diligently taking notes when you get a message from said friend. (Disclaimer: the author of this article does not condone chatting in class in any way.) He swears that it's the best video ever and that it would change your life. (Yeah... right.) Either way, you know he won't leave you give you peace until you watch the video so you just want to get it over with.
4. Another instance you may want class to end early, is if you are sitting next to your pet peeve. Yes, we're supposed to love our neighbors and such, but must she smack her gum so loudly? Or hasn't he ever heard of a breath mint? Or the worst kind of neighbor: the loud typist. Fellow GSU COLers, I would like to ask you to take a moment to ask yourself, am I a loud typer? Do I have long nails that click loudly against the keyboard? Is it obvious that I am chatting online because I type when the rest of the class is silently listening to a professor's anecdote? Do I enjoy hitting the space bar or enter key with a satisfying flair in an attempt to say 'I'm an awesome law student because I sound like I'm taking a copious amount of notes!'
5. Or maybe you're just bored (not that this would ever happen at GSU COL where all the professors are challenging and dynamic). Or there's a cute girl/boy you want to talk to.
Whatever the reason, it's on days like those that the minute hand never seems to move--heck, the second hand on the clock even seems to drag. And if we happen to get out 10 minutes early? AWESOME!
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