Monday 10 March 2008

Why I won't be attending the Mooting Final

So the mooting final of my intra-university competition will be held today and I will not be attending. I have attended all mooting finals in the past whilst at university but I shall not be attending this one. The reason that I mention these facts is that one could be mistaken in thinking that the reason that I am not attending the final is that I am jealous/have not got over the fact that I am not in it. Well they would be right to an extent. I have not gotten over it; but that is not the reason that I will not be attending.

The reason that I am not attending is that I am drowning in work - all of it very important and all of it to be actioned within a tight and very upcoming deadline - and somethings (things that I enjoy in my spare time, like mooting) have to be removed from my very busy schedule.

Before I go on, I would like it to be noted that after I found out that I had not reached the final and that my even more lacklustre opponent had, I did send him a congratulatory email and wished him well for the final. Of course, I might not necessarily agree with the result but that decision was for the judge to make and make it he did. See: the fact that the result was not in my favour did not prevent me from maintaining minimal amounts of human decency and compassion.

As is customary at this stage of mooting competitions, the doors are flung open to everyone and anyone that wished to attend - students, lecturers, professors and tutors etc. The biggest prize of all though is the opportunity to present arguments before an actual real-life judge! Its such a huge opportunity and it hurts to have come so close, yet so far away from experiencing it.

Currently I am working on writing two essays which need to be completed before the end of term deadline which is this week. I shall never know whether I would have been able to prepare for the moot alongside this and I do not care to think which of all these important things I have going on would not have been done well (or performed well).

Its actually become more of a problem now that I am nearing the end of my degree. I start the week - like now - so energised and ready to lots of work. It does not change the end result at the end of the week however when I find that no single project has been completed and instead there are lots and lots of unfinished pieces of work that still need my attention. I guess its those skills called time management and organisation which I suck at.

I am very much looking forward to my upcoming holidays. Only four days away.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Take Heart, Dear Lackie ( if I may call you so) - there isn't a law student alive who doesnt have problems with time management and organisation; coupled to procrastination, these are the soul destroying enemies of the would be lawyer; finals students just seem to feel the problem more keenly, thats all. Im sure you will prevail!!

Lacklustre Lawyer said...

Indeed, and I have certainly enjoyed reading your account of how your studies are affected by mindless procrastination and not enough organisation etc. I just think it should be a little bit easier - either because its my last year or because I should have gotten better at being organised!