I’ve noticed a trend in law school where many students shy away from sharing their political beliefs. It struck me as odd since I’ve always imagined law school as the place where people could really flex their political muscle for the first time.

When people would say, “It’s all downhill from here,” I never really got it. I’m not a biker or skier or lover of roller coasters, so the literal meaning didn’t resonate with me. Of course, I knew its metaphorical significance, but it was such a physical analogy that I just took the meaning for granted. This past week, however, I have come to understand the idea absolutely and completely: second year of law school is over and I’m like the little kid on the toboggan at the top of the hill, shouting with glee, smiling ear to ear.

Every career panel I’ve attended and every law school guide I’ve read have all provided me with the same piece of advice: every successful professional has a mentor — get one.

I’ve noticed a pattern in law school when it comes to relationships. In first year, people seem to want their independence. They want to be free to study when and how they feel like it, free to make plans for the summer, free to put their schooling first. Blown away by the amount of work in first year, there just doesn’t seem to be room to fit in a significant other.

Graduating from law school in 2014, I will be part of the experimental cohort of law students divided between the traditional articling term and the law practice program. My peers and I are sitting in the eye of the storm called the articling crisis that has received so much attention in recent months.

I relish this time of year. It is one of the only periods when I, as a law student, can truly relinquish control and just sit back. After slogging through an intensive exam season, I can’t do anything more about fall term grades until January. So why not just enjoy the holidays and let go of the worry?

Reflecting with my father on my first year, I explained law school hit me like a ton of bricks. He responded, “Yes, and I remember witnessing the very moment it whacked you.” It was November.

Very quickly, I realized the focus of second year would be finding a job.

During the first week back at Osgoode, I overheard some of my classmates referring to law school as a “subculture.”

Equilibrio: the Spanish word for balance, my favourite word after three years of living in Spain (tapas was its only major competitor).