1L Exam Prep and Motivation Thread Forum

[Grizz]

I hope that shit people say about thinking you do terribly and then doing well is for realz. Bye civ pro.

[mths]

Texas can go fuck itself when it comes to proximate cause.

totally

[Mickey Quicknumbers]

any conlaw mastermen care to struggle through some questions with me? pm me.













please

I might be able to help. What subject?

[Thirteen]

Texas can go fuck itself when it comes to proximate cause.

totally

Not cool.

[Baylan]

So today I had my first exam of the semester. ConLaw. 1 hour MC, 2 hour issue spotter. Typed ~5k words on the issue spotter.

Picked up take 72 hour takehome due Friday. Word limit: 4250.

I think this is ironic, and I'd appreciate that, if I wasn't going to /self.

[traehekat]

So today I had my first exam of the semester. ConLaw. 1 hour MC, 2 hour issue spotter. Typed ~5k words on the issue spotter.

Picked up take 72 hour takehome due Friday. Word limit: 4250.

I think this is ironic, and I'd appreciate that, if I wasn't going to /self.

Jesus, I just finished first exam (crim) and we had a 2 hour issue spotter, only got out 3500.

[09042014]

The most I ever wrote was a 4500 on a 3 hours. I'm usually under 4K.

[Baylan]

So today I had my first exam of the semester. ConLaw. 1 hour MC, 2 hour issue spotter. Typed ~5k words on the issue spotter.

Picked up take 72 hour takehome due Friday. Word limit: 4250.

I think this is ironic, and I'd appreciate that, if I wasn't going to /self.

Jesus, I just finished first exam (crim) and we had a 2 hour issue spotter, only got out 3500.

I type fast. I type faster when with a 30 minutes left on a 90 minute issue spotter I realize I've yet to talk about standing, fundamental rights, or two facets of the issue spotter (executive order & the state statute enacted to get into compliance with the regulations promulgated). I was at about 2000 words after the first hour of the exam. Wrote almost 3000 words in the last hour. Analysis was not as deep, but I had to spot some issues.

[mbusch22]

I wrote about 8000 on a 3.5 hour exam last semester. But it was truly a racehorse style issue spotter, so speed was given priority over in-depth analysis. Got me an A, although a lot of my typing was superfluous as some paragraphs didn't get any points tallied next to them.

[Baylan]

I wrote about 8000 on a 3.5 hour exam last semester. But it was truly a racehorse style issue spotter, so speed was given priority over in-depth analysis. Got me an A, although a lot of my typing was superfluous as some paragraphs didn't get any points tallied next to them.

If you had a chance to go back and do it again, would you write less and risk getting a lower grade?

Didn't think so. Sometimes, brevity can go fuck itself for sheer brute force numbers.

[09042014]

I wrote about 8000 on a 3.5 hour exam last semester. But it was truly a racehorse style issue spotter, so speed was given priority over in-depth analysis. Got me an A, although a lot of my typing was superfluous as some paragraphs didn't get any points tallied next to them.

I think speed helps but I don't think it's a determination. I think speed of thinking is more important. In most classes vomiting your outline into a word doc isn't productive.

I got my best grades on my highest word count and my lowest.

[mths]

aaaaand back to civpro

[mbusch22]

I wrote about 8000 on a 3.5 hour exam last semester. But it was truly a racehorse style issue spotter, so speed was given priority over in-depth analysis. Got me an A, although a lot of my typing was superfluous as some paragraphs didn't get any points tallied next to them.

I think speed helps but I don't think it's a determination. I think speed of thinking is more important. In most classes vomiting your outline into a word doc isn't productive.

I got my best grades on my highest word count and my lowest.

absolutely. long canned answers can give u a huge word count and a terrible grade. I think I was just firing off every crazy twisted argument i could possibly think of.

[Baylan]

I wrote about 8000 on a 3.5 hour exam last semester. But it was truly a racehorse style issue spotter, so speed was given priority over in-depth analysis. Got me an A, although a lot of my typing was superfluous as some paragraphs didn't get any points tallied next to them.

I think speed helps but I don't think it's a determination. I think speed of thinking is more important. In most classes vomiting your outline into a word doc isn't productive.

I got my best grades on my highest word count and my lowest.

Generally agree - speed helps only in the context of you being able to accurately spot and discuss issues. Even with the ~5k words I spat out this morning, I still don't feel I gave adequate treatment to many of the issues of the exam, so we'll see how it pans out. Hopefully I gave enough emphasis to the right issues.

[BarbellDreams]

I always ask profs whether they ONLY grade up or if they have a different method. If they say they only grade up the exam is like a race to me. I wrote 5500 words for a 2 hour essay and got an A last semester because when a prof grades up they can never take OFF points for you getting an issue wrong or misapplying the law, its basically how much stuff you are able to cover so that when they read it they can put a lot of checkmarks next to their grading rubric.

[09042014]

I wrote about 8000 on a 3.5 hour exam last semester. But it was truly a racehorse style issue spotter, so speed was given priority over in-depth analysis. Got me an A, although a lot of my typing was superfluous as some paragraphs didn't get any points tallied next to them.

I think speed helps but I don't think it's a determination. I think speed of thinking is more important. In most classes vomiting your outline into a word doc isn't productive.

I got my best grades on my highest word count and my lowest.

Generally agree - speed helps only in the context of you being able to accurately spot and discuss issues. Even with the ~5k words I spat out this morning, I still don't feel I gave adequate treatment to many of the issues of the exam, so we'll see how it pans out. Hopefully I gave enough emphasis to the right issues.

It also really varies on how the prof grades. Some profs will give you most of the points for spotting, some for analysis.

[mths]

I always ask profs whether they ONLY grade up or if they have a different method. If they say they only grade up the exam is like a race to me. I wrote 5500 words for a 2 hour essay and got an A last semester because when a prof grades up they can never take OFF points for you getting an issue wrong or misapplying the law, its basically how much stuff you are able to cover so that when they read it they can put a lot of checkmarks next to their grading rubric.

I agree. My civpro prof last semester specifically told us that he'll take off points for bullshit.

[solotee]

Just finished a 4 hour con law exam.

My outline made a large thump when I tossed it in the trash. I am so happy I don't have to think about con law anymore. That was seriously the most most brutal class.

[BarbellDreams]

Just finished a 4 hour con law exam.

My outline made a large thump when I tossed it in the trash. I am so happy I don't have to think about con law anymore. That was seriously the most most brutal class.

Congrats, can't wait to have that class off my shoulders. I feel entirely inadequate when I compare my answers to what others say in that class.

[PirateCap'n]

Just finished a 4 hour con law exam.

My outline made a large thump when I tossed it in the trash. I am so happy I don't have to think about con law anymore. That was seriously the most most brutal class.

Must be nice. Ours is divided into two classes (both required): one during 1L and the other can be taken either during 2L or 3L. It's like they want to keep Con Law on ours minds the entire time we're in law school.

[kalvano]

I wrote about 8000 on a 3.5 hour exam last semester. But it was truly a racehorse style issue spotter, so speed was given priority over in-depth analysis. Got me an A, although a lot of my typing was superfluous as some paragraphs didn't get any points tallied next to them.

Crespi or Old Boe?

[SmittenMitten]

3 days to learn a semester of Property. Let's see how this goes...

Property prof wrote and bound our book-800 pages which we raced through. Participation was graded. As in- you have been cold called, and he takes a moment after you finish to write your grade on a note card. At the end of the day, he shuffles all the note cards. Some people got called on two times in one week- some people never. It was horrific. I loved my professor, but the shuffle was like watching a bullet chamber spin.

[mbusch22]

I wrote about 8000 on a 3.5 hour exam last semester. But it was truly a racehorse style issue spotter, so speed was given priority over in-depth analysis. Got me an A, although a lot of my typing was superfluous as some paragraphs didn't get any points tallied next to them.

Crespi or Old Boe?

Krespi. I've almost given up on Boe for the night, not sure what to do anymore.

[kalvano]

I wrote about 8000 on a 3.5 hour exam last semester. But it was truly a racehorse style issue spotter, so speed was given priority over in-depth analysis. Got me an A, although a lot of my typing was superfluous as some paragraphs didn't get any points tallied next to them.

Crespi or Old Boe?

Krespi. I've almost given up on Boe for the night, not sure what to do anymore.

What would a reasonable person do under the same or similar circumstances?

[dakatz]

Almost game time. First exam tomorrow morning so its off to bed. Did better than expected last semester, so I at least have some baseline comfort. But don't wanna get complacent. Gotta really get in the zone for this and finish up strong. Luckily, we have property first, which compared to my other courses this semester seems like the final I will be most comfortable with. So tomorrow, I own property (pardon my cheesy and largely intentional pun) and then its on to the ominous conlaw study marathon.