Welcome to Law School: Seek Help.

So... as promised, my OCD stories.

I've always been a somewhat compulsive person. I can't do anything in moderation. I've got a lazy streak a mile wide, but I can really haul ass when it counts (witness my many late nights studying/working for Prof. X). Law school started off as a continuation of that. Things were pretty much fine up until a month before finals.

I have to go through 3 hallway doors to get to the stairwell in my apartment building. Right outside my apartment there is a door, then the elevators, then another door, then a loooong hallway, then a door to the stairwell.

Somehow, I decided that making it to the next door before the door behind me closed was absolutely necessary. So I would leave my apartment, open the first door, walk calmly to the second door, and push that one as far open as it would go. Then I would walk briskly down the long hallway, to make it to the last door before the first one closed. Sometimes I run the last ten steps just to make it.

Once I get into the stair well, I need to make it down two rows of stairs (one complete flight) before the stairwell door closes. I also have to step on every step on my way down. If I can make it down three rows of stairs, I will have good luck in whatever I'm about to do.

This all happened during the month leading up to finals, as the stress started building.

Also, in the month leading up to finals, I decided I would grow a beard, and then shave off a fu manchu moustache, a soul patch, and some monstrous mutton chops (think Wolverine from the X-men) the night before our first final... I figured showing up with such ridiculous facial hair would give a few people (including myself) a much needed laugh before exams. I felt really good about the first exam. So over the course of finals I developed a meticulous shaving ritual, where I tried to mimick exactly what I did the night before the first final. And when I found out that I got good grades... I had to do the same thing second semester.

Also, the night before the first final, I ate at Quiznos. I had a large classic italian sub on wheat, jalapeno chips, and a dr. pepper. Having felt good about the first final... I ate the same thing before every other final... even second semester... despite the fact that I quit eating all meat (except fish) in January.

I've used the same set of earplugs for every final, and I am convinced that they hold magical powers of analysis.

I almost had a meltdown when I found out our exams were in a different room 2nd semester. I wasn't sure where to sit. I sat on the front right side (2nd row back, 4 seats from the end of the row) in all of my finals first semester. 2nd semester however, finals were in the same room our classes were in 1st semester. I was unsure whether I should sit in the same seat I sat in during class, because I did well in the courses last semester, or if I should sit in the same place I did in the other rooms (2nd row up, 4 seats from the edge of the right side of the room) because I did well on exams. I was visibly conflicted, and two of my friends commented on it later.

I decided to go with my traditional "exam" seat (it is after all, the exam that gives you the grade, not the lecture). I got flustered when the transfer student was sitting in "my" seat during the second exam. I was able to calm myself down by assuring myself that "transfer students are good luck... she must be... she got good enough grades to transfer..." (turns out she was... I got an A in that class).

Basically... I don't do ANY of this stuff when it's not near exam time. I think I've always been a little OCD, but stress brings it out more (obviously I can still function though). That's the thing about law school. During exam periods, people's neuroses become more pronounced. Paranoid guy is more paranoid, delusional over-confident guy is more self-assured, and moderately compulsive guy is racing down stairwells like an NFL player doing tire drills so he can hit the third landing before the door shuts.