The Waiting is the Hardest Part Forum

[henry flower]

Got 3 CBs out of OCI, 1/2 of a CB out of my deluges of emails. Underperformed my #s but feel fortunate just to have had a good chance at these jobs.

I was surprised at just how different firms are, especially since they are all basically the same and most law students are interchangeable. So, luckily, I ended up really liking all of the firms, one a bit more than the others (definitely a "culture" thing) but all of them nonetheless, and each for a totally different reason.

I feel like I'm learning from my screener interviews, which weren't horrible but also failed to take flight and did not cause anything to even think about spontaneously bursting into flames. I summoned all of my enthusiasm (tough for me--I'm a laidback fella) and friendliness (easy for me--being nice to people is my favorite thing). I ended up having pleasant conversations with everybody and even formed a couple of honest-to-goodness, heart-to-heart connections. I tried to get my message across, but let the conversation proceed naturally if things veered off course. I didn't do anything extremely stupid, but I still probably gesticulated and pontificated a bit too much for my own good, a victim of the excitement I was projecting.

So: in general, I'm feeling good about all of the CBs, but I'm also, quite distinctly, feeling like feeling good isn't quite enough. One unfortunate consequence of underperforming #s expectations at the on-campus stage is the way it throws off your whole compass. It's sort of a black box to begin with, and now I'm inclined to distrust my instincts.

Anyways, my fingers are crossed and my fambly is prayin' real hard. CBs were all recent, and I know turn-around times tend to vary wildly. This waiting is agonizing. I wish source-collecting/cite-checking, etc. involved enough brain-activity to truly take my mind off of it.

But yeah, enough of my blathering... let this thread be a safe haven for those who are waiting and hoping! G'luck, one & all!

[Anonymous User]

all we ever do is wait. wait for LSAT scores. wait for acceptances. wait for cbs. wait for offers.
fun fun fun

[andmealso]

all we ever do is wait. wait for LSAT scores. wait for acceptances. wait for cbs. wait for offers.
fun fun fun

and grades. and journal competition results.

[Anonymous User]

I agree with this 100%. Particularly for certain personality types, the waiting can be torture.

[Anonymous User]

Waiting and choosing...
Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television, Choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players, and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol and dental insurance. Choose fixed- interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose leisure wear and matching luggage. Choose a three piece suite on hire purchase in a range of fucking fabrics. Choose DIY and wondering who you are on a Sunday morning. Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing sprit- crushing game shows, stuffing fucking junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pishing you last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, fucked-up brats you have spawned to replace yourself. Choose your future. Choose life...

[clintonius]

Waiting and choosing...
Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television, Choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players, and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol and dental insurance. Choose fixed- interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose leisure wear and matching luggage. Choose a three piece suite on hire purchase in a range of fucking fabrics. Choose DIY and wondering who you are on a Sunday morning. Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing sprit- crushing game shows, stuffing fucking junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pishing you last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, fucked-up brats you have spawned to replace yourself. Choose your future. Choose life...

Fitter. Happier. More productive.

[LawIdiot86]

I disagree. The rejection is the hardest part. Having been there myself and now watching two friends go through it, it's truly brutal. The constant need to be excited and happy about every opportunity, no matter how much of a long-shot or how terrible the position is. The constant roller-coaster of get an interview-mania, get a rejection-depression. The eventual acceptance that there is no hope left for the desired job and the crippling depression that follows as you try to motivate yourself to apply for things you absolutely hate doing that pay peanuts. The desertion by friends who realize you're a failure and that you're life is entirely centered around trying to scrape out any possible position. The night-terrors and long hours spent pouring over job postings. The realization that you had one shot and only one shot to get that magical firm name on your resume and because you missed it, you don't pass GO, you don't collect $200, and you do join the lower half of the bi-modal salary distribution, struggling to make your loan payments until your children have to pay for their own schooling and your retirement. That's the hardest part.

[paulinaporizkova]

Waiting and choosing...
Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television, Choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players, and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol and dental insurance. Choose fixed- interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose leisure wear and matching luggage. Choose a three piece suite on hire purchase in a range of fucking fabrics. Choose DIY and wondering who you are on a Sunday morning. Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing sprit- crushing game shows, stuffing fucking junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pishing you last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, fucked-up brats you have spawned to replace yourself. Choose your future. Choose life...

Fitter. Happier. More productive.

Pairing a Trainspotting reference with a Radiohead one. Ooooo, y'all are alternative and shit.

[Anonymous User]

I disagree. The rejection is the hardest part. Having been there myself and now watching two friends go through it, it's truly brutal. The constant need to be excited and happy about every opportunity, no matter how much of a long-shot or how terrible the position is. The constant roller-coaster of get an interview-mania, get a rejection-depression. The eventual acceptance that there is no hope left for the desired job and the crippling depression that follows as you try to motivate yourself to apply for things you absolutely hate doing that pay peanuts. The desertion by friends who realize you're a failure and that you're life is entirely centered around trying to scrape out any possible position. The night-terrors and long hours spent pouring over job postings. The realization that you had one shot and only one shot to get that magical firm name on your resume and because you missed it, you don't pass GO, you don't collect $200, and you do join the lower half of the bi-modal salary distribution, struggling to make your loan payments until your children have to pay for their own schooling and your retirement. That's the hardest part.

This was actually very well said.

[Gorki]

I disagree. The rejection is the hardest part. Having been there myself and now watching two friends go through it, it's truly brutal. The constant need to be excited and happy about every opportunity, no matter how much of a long-shot or how terrible the position is. The constant roller-coaster of get an interview-mania, get a rejection-depression. The eventual acceptance that there is no hope left for the desired job and the crippling depression that follows as you try to motivate yourself to apply for things you absolutely hate doing that pay peanuts. The desertion by friends who realize you're a failure and that you're life is entirely centered around trying to scrape out any possible position. The night-terrors and long hours spent pouring over job postings. The realization that you had one shot and only one shot to get that magical firm name on your resume and because you missed it, you don't pass GO, you don't collect $200, and you do join the lower half of the bi-modal salary distribution, struggling to make your loan payments until your children have to pay for their own schooling and your retirement. That's the hardest part.

Unfortunately, this is the reality for a lot of students. Many of which will not consider, let alone have children. Eventually you just have to be thankful they can't just toss you into debtors prison and stop caring about life beyond the simple pleasures.