The beginning of the end... (of the beginning)

I promised myself that I would write about the untold horrors of waiting to hear from law schools while I was still in the trenches... but I couldn't bring myself to acknowledge the uncertainty. Now, I can joyfully report that I was accepted last Friday to the Seattle University School of Law! Not only is this the first that I have heard from any law school in months, but it was A) an acceptance and B) from a school I am legitimately interested in. Now I can actually plan on attending law school next year, which is such a huge weight off of my shoulders!

However the last few months have been their own sort of hell. I thought that studying for the LSAT would be the hardest part of the application process, or even writing a personal statement that doesn't say "I want to be a lawyer because...". Nope! It's waiting! Everyday for months I have checked my email religiously, hoping for any sort of contact from law schools. Hours have been wasted looking at websites like www.deloggio.com, www.lawschoolnumbers.com, www.top-law-schools.com. Everyday was another day without any confirmation that I was worthy of attending law school. All of the personal confidence that I have built over the last twenty years of life has been questioned. My parents and friends would always begin conversations by asking whether I had heard anything yet. Do they not understand that I want to know 100 times more than they could ever imagine?

I admit that I have allowed myself to fall down this dark hole, and that my overall quality of life has suffered for it. However, I am clawing my way back to health! I have taken a job as a tutor for student athletes at the UW. This is my first real job since Strikezone (batting cage) shut down, and it is a breath of fresh air. The work is positive and the pay is good. I don't quite have the hours that I need, but that will come in time. School is full of busy work in my last quarter at UW, but it helps to keep me focused on school rather than law school. Spring training is quickly approaching (THANK GOD!) and the M's seem like they have put together quite a team for next year. I am working out pretty regularly, and am reading "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen Covey. My relationships with my family, friends, and girlfriend are all going well. Money is tight, but I'm getting by and it isn't worrying me too much. I'm supposed to be broke in college... right?

All in all I am absolutely ecstatic to have heard from Seattle University. My top choices are still the University of Washington, the University of Colorado, and the University of Arizona so the waiting game is far from being over. However I pray that without having to worry about whether I am going to law school, the wait will be much easier. As I have learned from Stephen Covey, my reaction is my own choice. Much easier to understand than to actually put into practice.