Waiting for 1L grades...so much worse than waiting for LSATs Forum

[postitnotes]

diaf
Why you delete your post eh?

LOL...wonder why eh...but yeah, I posted while in a state of shock, and decided to remove while in a more rational state of mind. This semester has verified the myth for me - law school grades are utterly and totally unpredictable.

[jpin22]

if the top 5 percentile for a school is 3.75 and top 33 percentile 3.36 or so what would be the median and other percentiles? ( I know its not an exact science, just trying to ballpark each percentile)

[rayiner]

if the top 5 percentile for a school is 3.75 and top 33 percentile 3.36 or so what would be the median and other percentiles? ( I know its not an exact science, just trying to ballpark each percentile)

Sounds like a curve with a median of 3.19 and an SD of 0.4. So 3.5 would be roughly top 20%, etc.

[jpin22]

if the top 5 percentile for a school is 3.75 and top 33 percentile 3.36 or so what would be the median and other percentiles? ( I know its not an exact science, just trying to ballpark each percentile)

Sounds like a curve with a median of 3.19 and an SD of 0.4. So 3.5 would be roughly top 20%, etc.

could you explain standard deviation? im awful at math

[rayiner]

if the top 5 percentile for a school is 3.75 and top 33 percentile 3.36 or so what would be the median and other percentiles? ( I know its not an exact science, just trying to ballpark each percentile)

Sounds like a curve with a median of 3.19 and an SD of 0.4. So 3.5 would be roughly top 20%, etc.

could you explain standard deviation? im awful at math

The standard deviation is the difference between the median and the 84th percentile marks.

3.75 = top 5%
3.6 = top 15%
3.5 = top 20%
3.4 = top 30%
3.36 = top 33%
3.19 = top 50%
< 3.19 = killself

[vanwinkle]

I find it amusing that on UVA LawWeb, there isn't even a section in Course Evaluations for Torts yet. I don't know what it is about Torts but I guess everyone who teaches Torts is going to be late grading Torts.

Also, since people are bringing up curves and standard deviations, does anyone know what the 1L curve was at UVA last year? I know it won't be the same as this year but it'll probably be a good comparison. I'd love to be able to figure out where I'm falling once I actually get all my grades back.

[thesealocust]

n/m

[vanwinkle]

UVA fairly predictably yields a 3.3 average with a standard deviation of .272

Could someone explain what this kind of curve would actually look like? If I were better at math I wouldn't be trying to become a lawyer now.

[Bankhead]

UVA fairly predictably yields a 3.3 average with a standard deviation of .272

Could someone explain what this kind of curve would actually look like? If I were better at math I wouldn't be trying to become a lawyer now.

Something like:

3.8 top 5%
3.7 top 10%
3.5 top 25%
3.3. median

[agumon]

Any guesses where a 3.28 cumulative would fall if 2.9 is the mean (not median) grade for all classes?

[vanwinkle]

UVA fairly predictably yields a 3.3 average with a standard deviation of .272

Could someone explain what this kind of curve would actually look like? If I were better at math I wouldn't be trying to become a lawyer now.

Something like:

3.8 top 5%
3.7 top 10%
3.5 top 25%
3.3. median

Thank you.

[MarkTwain]

It's a bit tighter than that. 3.3 median. 3.48 top 25%. 3.71 (varies slightly year to year) top 6.75%. #1 is normally just above 3.9, though sometimes higher.

[A'nold]

....

[thesealocust]

n/m

[superserial]

spring 2010 final exam schedule E-mail, but no grades.

[Aqualibrium]

Wed. seems promising.

[heyguys]

If I could just ask something else about which I have been curious: do you guys in this thread who did all the E&Es, tons of studying, etc, find that you are representative of the average law student at your school? Is the obsession over grades a common place concern, or are there usually X% of students to which you guys belong that are super concerned with their grades and whatnot. I mean, I'm sure everyone cares about their grades, but I'm thinking more about those who are intensely, rigorously preparing for their exams by doing such things as learning how to type faster and whatnot.

[thesealocust]

n/m

[LoyolaLaw2012]

If I could just ask something else about which I have been curious: do you guys in this thread who did all the E&Es, tons of studying, etc, find that you are representative of the average law student at your school? Is the obsession over grades a common place concern, or are there usually X% of students to which you guys belong that are super concerned with their grades and whatnot. I mean, I'm sure everyone cares about their grades, but I'm thinking more about those who are intensely, rigorously preparing for their exams by doing such things as learning how to type faster and whatnot.

I'd say 80%+ of the law students I know put in an absolutely intense amount of work. Everyone expressed that intensity it in a different way, however - certainly not everyone was trying to increase their typing speed [/quote


I agree with the above response. I would say a vast number of students care about grades. For me, I used E&Es and studied a bit more than the average student. As a result, I scored higher than most of my classmates on the finals. You really need to balance intense studying and grasping the concepts that your professor wants you to know. This may seem odd, but it pays off on exams. Professors generally give the A to the shortest, clearest exam answers. Good luck!

[thesealocust]

n/m

[RVP11]

I'd say it follows a curve, in a way:

~20% of people do very little beyond reading the cases, may not even outline for exams.

~60% do the standard stuff, but don't go the extra mile. They read all the cases, they outline, they take some or all of the professor's practice exams, they use the E&Es/Gilbert's/Emanuels but aren't drilling BLL or practice questions.

~20% do everything imaginable, outline early, do tons of practice questions in the E&E, leave no stone unturned.

I know of some people who were drilling hypos with each other on a bi-weekly basis as early as September. I know of some people who didn't start outlining until 5 days before the first exam and probably never cracked open a supplement or did a single practice question.

[heyguys]

I'd say it follows a curve, in a way:

~20% of people do very little beyond reading the cases, may not even outline for exams.

~60% do the standard stuff, but don't go the extra mile. They read all the cases, they outline, they take some or all of the professor's practice exams, they use the E&Es/Gilbert's/Emanuels but aren't drilling BLL or practice questions.

~20% do everything imaginable, outline early, do tons of practice questions in the E&E, leave no stone unturned.

I know of some people who were drilling hypos with each other on a bi-weekly basis as early as September. I know of some people who didn't start outlining until 5 days before the first exam and probably never cracked open a supplement or did a single practice question.

Ah, that's interesting. I think I probably would be in the 60% category. Another question that's related to this: do you find that the varying groups like the law more or less than the others, or is this stratification primarily a result of career ambition?

I feel like I could imagine it cutting either way: the gunners (?) 20% hating the law because they have to spend so much time with it, or the gunners loving the law for the same reason. And maybe for the 60% they love the law but just have a happy medium?

[Kohinoor]

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[HAMBONE]

Got my first grade today: 91 in LRW good start but I need my grades for the classes that I care about

[HAMBONE]

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