hand written stuff n nonsense

In preparation for my Negotiation exam, I have set about preparing a hand written Negotiation plan.

The real thing, the exam that is, allows 2 hours for reading of the case papers and preparation of a hand written Negotiation plan. Well, I started at 11 this morning and am still going strong on my practice run, so it looks as though I'll have to speed things up a tad for the real thing! Hopefully the real thing won't be as complicated as the case that I'm trying to prepare at the moment, but I'm not taking any bets on it.

The Civil/Crim MCT is playing on my mind quite a bit, but I haven't had time to start doing any revision. Last year's MCT wasn't too bad, but this year's looks to be more difficult; hearsay, youth sentencing, bad character evidence and worst of all, Part 36 payments - they're all a mystery to me, so let's hope that eenie, meenie, miney, moe will work this time:-)

Bar-Os seems to be on the mend and had a serious attempt to pitch me out of the saddle yesterday, much to Barman's amusement. And there was me thinking that the both of them were gentlemen:-)

Oh well, back to page 11 of my 10 page plan!

Another study weekend over

The study weekend was a mixed bag of highs and lows. The mock opinion that caused me much pain was handed in, but the results of my efforts won't be known until January.

Thankfully my Advocacy was much improved this month, which is just as well seeing as I have 2 mock exams in the subject next month. Criminal Litigation and Civil Litigation were both a struggle this month, so much so that I have doubts over passing the exam in January. I did well in Negotiation, but feel far from comfortable with the subject, it just doesn't feel right somehow.

Sadly, Bar-Os has been very poorly and I had to have the vet out to him on Tuesday. A few weeks ago he was attacked by insects in the paddock and was covered in lumps and bumps when I went to bring him home for the evening. Usually insect bites clear up in a day or two, but these have lingered and he has suffered a secondary infection. Poor lad had virtually stopped eating and drinking over the space of a few days and he had to have a steroid jab to perk him up and get him peeing again. I was well impressed with the boost that the jab gave him, so much so, that I intend to break into the vets come exam time and have a little dabble myself:-) Mind you, I hope that the side effect of rapid and loud farting equates only to equines, otherwise the advocacy examiner in in for a treat come the cross-examination assessment!

I've had a few days off this week to catch on some bits and bobs and don't intend to start studying for a day or two. With a load of exams lined up in the wings, I thought that I'd better re-charge my batteries before knuckling down to what looks to be an intensive 2 - 3 months.

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Last minute dash

Finally finished the [insert swearword of choice] mock Opinion. As I somewhat smuggly printed off said [insert previous swearword or another one of your choice] Opinion, I took the chance to have a quick glance at my emails and smugness evaporated as quickly as it had appeared. Provider has just informed me that we have 3 exams next month: 2 advocacy (1 x examination-in-chief, 1 x cross-examination) and drafting.

Ok, so they are all mocks, but nevertheless it came as a bit of a shock to the system and I [inserted a swearword, well ok, I inserted several swearwords, not particularly chosen because they were my favourites, but just picked at random as the occasion befitted].

There is a study weekend looming and I haven't yet finished the homework, the house is a tip, I've got stacks of washing, stacks of paperwork and need to go food shopping.

Am I bovvered? Not really. Having more or less recovered from the Olpasiformia Nervosa, I seem to have taken on a more pragmatic view of life and intend to not let the bastards grind me down take things a little more in their stride.

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Into the breach

I'm working on my mock Opinion at the moment and what a difficult task it is turning out to be.

Once finished, I think I shall re-name said opinion - RE: ALL YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT CONTRACT BUT COULDN'T BE ARSED TO ASK.

Need I say more! Given my lack of understanding and general writers block, I feel ill prepared for the real thing, which I think is after Christmas, but what the heck, I'm giving it my best shot and if that isn't good enough...

As is always the case, I start off thinking that I'll never be able to write that many words on something I know so little about, then halfway through start to panic that I'll never be able to cram it all in. I'd love to do 'succinct', but somehow it evades me.

Other homework is on the back burner and I will have to, yet again, burn the midnight oil next week to get it all finished.

One day I'll laugh about all this, but right now I'm out of chocolate:-)