Category Archives: university

Mental Health Fun Time: An Update

It’s been quite some time since I wrote something for this blog. While I started writing again, especially since there’s been some evolution on topics I previously covered, I thought I should write at least a short paragraph on why I was absent. Well this paragraph became its own thing and the result is this post on mental health.

To say the least, the past year has been … rocky. I will not list the things that happened in my life because it is mostly unnecessary and also concern other people than me in some instances. Suffice it to say that I had just recovered from a burn out, I was overwhelmed by unexpected work, and a succession of hardship fell upon a person very close to me. I think anyone in the same situation would cut the “less important” things like blogging and other hobbies as time becomes more precious, especially since I did not want to recreate the circumstances that lead to my burn out. Beside this, my circumstances lead to several reflections on mental health which I have decided to share here.

Continue reading

Of Law School and Troglodytes: A survival guide

Note: My apologies for the lateness of this third and last instalment on law school advice. A member of my family recently passed away, and therefore time and will were missing in action.

The beginning of law school is an exciting moment, as are many new experiences. You are now entering (or you have already entered for some time) the deep, damp, dark and cold underground labyrinth that is law school. You are now a troglodyte … I mean student at law. The comparison to a troglodyte may seem unflattering, but like those mythical creatures you will now dwell in your own world cut out from reality and you will be blind to anything that is not related to law. At first, this strange new world will appear bizarre and unfamiliar, but as you grow accustom to it, it is the rest of the world that will become strange and distant. I may be exaggerating, but barely. It is not a negative thing per se and far from a uniquely law school phenomena (many professional schools create similar settings). Nevertheless, it can sometime be overwhelming and difficult to deal with since we have little frame of reference. Fear not brave new proto-troglodytes for I will try to help you on your quest with these tips and advice on how to survive (and maybe succeed) in law school.

Continue reading

So you still want to go to law school? How to pick a law school

If you read through my last post and still think law school is for you, than you now have the difficult task of choosing where to apply, and, once you get admission letters, of where to go. Choosing a law school is like choosing any other program; everyone will have different priorities and taste. In that respect, this guide is not meant to determine what you should prioritize; instead it is meant to assist you in balancing your preferences with the reality of law school. The following list of consideration is therefore not built in order of importance. It is your task to determine which consideration is more important to you. You should, however, consider them all and avoid basing your decision solely on one point. Moreover, I’m always happy to discuss the matter further with readers in the comments or via email.

Continue reading

Should I go to law school? A guide design to scare you away for your own good

Should I go to law should (or some variation) is a question I often get. The short answer is probably not. If you are just thinking about it and you say to yourself “well I have the grades for it”, then you shouldn’t go. For the determined ones, I made this little non-exhaustive list of things you should consider before deciding to apply to law school. Of course it’s based on the Canadian system, but it should remain relevant for other common law countries.

Continue reading

The Day I Felt Shame

It was one of those days where time flies by like a bumblebee; nonchalantly. The temperature was finally starting to look like spring. As usual my workload was nearly unmanageable, but my coworkers were taking care of the surplus work I had. Feeling less stress than the average day, I felt compel to accept a lunch (averaging 2 hours in length) offer from my mother. We ate, of course, and I even drank a beer, oh frivolous me. We talked politic on that beautiful Thursday as we always do. The topic of the day was the never-ending student strike and the inability of the complaisant and ineffective Québec government to deal effectively with the problem it created in the first place. We were blissfully unaware of the content of the so called special law that the National Assembly was going to pass. Life was relatively good. The next day … not so much.

Continue reading

La hausse des droits de scolarité au Québec

Premier billet en français qui ne sera (malheureusement) qu’une référence à un autre blog. Mais quelle référence mes amis! Si vous êtes québécois vous êtes très certainement au courant(à moins de vivre sous une roche) de la hausse des frais de scolarité. Le fait que je sois contre cette hausse ne surprendra personne. Au lieu de répéter ce qui fut bien dit, je vous invite à lire l’excellent billet de ma très chère amie Sonia qui reflète parfaitement ma pensée: pourquoi je suis conte la hausse. Je ne rajouterai que ceci: l’éducation est un “bien” public. C’est un fait que les travailleurs possédant des études universitaire on un salaire beaucoup plus élevé que le reste de la population. Par conséquent ces personnes paient beaucoup plus de taxe et donc finance en grande partie le système d’éducation incluant les prêts et bourses gouvernementaux. En s’endettant pour payer leurs études, les étudiants financent doublement le système (sans compter tous les autres bénéfices qu’apporte une population éduquée). Puisque l’éducation est ou devrait être considérer comme un bien collectif, il est normal que l’état s’occupe de son financement puisque de tout manière se financement proviendra éventuellement en grande partie des mêmes personnes qui ont bénéficié du système. Les étudiant sortiront de leurs études avec une meilleure situation financière et pourront donc contribuer davantage au bien collectif par leur travail, par les actions et par leurs taxes et impôts. Je terminerai ce billet en vous proposant d’arrêter de comparer le Québec au reste du Canada sur cette question car ce reste n’est pas, selon moi, un exemple à suivre au niveau des frais de scolarité. Nous devrions être l’exemple à suivre et cet exemple devrait être des frais aussi bas que possible.