An old law-school adage tells us, "In the first year they scare you to death; in the second year they work you to death; and in the third year they bore you to death."

Before I entered law school, I took this saying at face value, figuring it would give me some idea of what to expect. However, now that I am a third-year law student, and perhaps as a result of my legal training, I look back on this saying and question its truth.

Reflecting back on my first year of law school, I recall enduring long nights of preparing for class while supporting my local Starbucks for my much-needed caffeine fix because I was afraid of not being able to answer my professors' questions. As a second-year student I was, in fact, much busier, as I had the added pressures of my extracurricular activities and summer-job search.

In general, the adage has held true regarding the first and second years. However, as a third-year, I find myself far from bored.

In terms of my course work, I have found that the amount of reading that I have to do is comparable to what I was assigned during my first and second years, with the only difference being that I now get through the material faster.

More importantly, this year, I had much more control over my class selection. As a first-year student, I had no choice with respect to which courses I was taking, as I was pre-enrolled in traditional first-year courses like property, constitutional law and criminal law. As a second-year, I was excluded from certain courses that were only offered to third-years, and because students at my school register in the order of their seniority, many of the classes that I was eligible to take were already full by the time I was allowed to register.

Because I was free from the foregoing restrictions during registration this year, I was able to select the courses that most interested me, which has resulted in making attending class a more pleasant experience.

In addition to enjoying the subject matter more, I also benefit from the classroom experience more. During my first year of law school, I was trying to get situated to a new environment, and to the task of legal analysis, and I was somewhat intimated by the professors. As a result, I was prevented from completely appreciating the experience to some extent.

As a second-year student, I was extremely busy and still recovering somewhat from the stressful nature of my first year, so I still held onto some reservations. However, as a third-year student, the nuisances of law school have become familiar to me and I am now comfortable with the process. I have also gained confidence and have seen my analytical ability improve a great deal.

I now see the classroom quite differently. I see it as an opportunity to engage in the material with my professors and peers and really use it as a chance to learn not only about the law, but also to improve upon my reasoning skills. I find myself questioning things that I would have taken for granted before - much like I did the old law-school adage. This change has also made law school anything but boring. In fact, if I could offer an alternative ending to the saying, it would be that in the third year, they will help you to understand what "thinking like a lawyer" really means.

As a final note, third-year students are what I refer to as the law-school elite. Although this is not necessarily my perception of myself, I notice that this is the way I am treated. I remember being afraid to speak with any of the upperclassmen while I was a first-year student. Now, as a third-year and a member of the "elite" group that once stuck me with awe, I am somewhat amused that I was ever apprehensive.

Already this year, several first-year students have approached me asking for my advice and views on various issues. I cannot express how grateful and fortunate I feel to be in the position to assist them. Once again, I assert, the third year is far from boring.

A third-year student at the University at Buffalo Law School, Rachael Vitti is a graduate of the City University of New York's John Jay College of Criminal Justice. She can be reached at ravitti@buffalo.edu.