1L Exam Prep and Motivation Thread Forum

[snowpeach06]

There's a lot of really fuckin' smart people that thought it would be easy last semester that didn't get the grades they wanted...that are killing it this semester. I know people that are literally spending every waking moment in the library when they're not in class. People that stayed here all spring break to study.

I can't imagine how this is going to fuck up the curve. I'm trying to be one of those people...but there's a lot of other people with a burr up their ass about last semester's grades. This semester is going to be much, much harder.

The urge to go on a drinking binge is building. I just need to hold off for 6 more weeks...

Really? my experience is the total opposite. Everyone seems distracted and to care less this semester than last. My schools, effectively has only two grades tho. B and B+ (I am exaggerating but 75% of the class gets one of these two grades.) I think people realized that there is just so little differentiation because the curve is smashed together that it is is pointless to study uber hard to get ahead of the pack, only to get the same grade!

Yeah, everyone said they were going to work harder this semester, but most people don't actually seem to be. Some people are pre-occupied with the job search (myself included), others did fine last semester and don't care, and others realized that they probably can't do better. Most people though, just seem burned out already.

[98234872348]

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[snowpeach06]

I can't find a decent way to organize personal jurisdiction in my outline. I hate organizing outlines.

[romothesavior]

There's a lot of really fuckin' smart people that thought it would be easy last semester that didn't get the grades they wanted...that are killing it this semester. I know people that are literally spending every waking moment in the library when they're not in class. People that stayed here all spring break to study.

I can't imagine how this is going to fuck up the curve. I'm trying to be one of those people...but there's a lot of other people with a burr up their ass about last semester's grades. This semester is going to be much, much harder.

The urge to go on a drinking binge is building. I just need to hold off for 6 more weeks...

First and foremost, working harder /=/ good grades. There are countless examples of people doing poorly in classes they studied hard for and doing well in classes where they were lazy. Also, a lot of those people who are stepping their game up will still not do all that well. Some will do better, some will do worse, but most people will do about the same. There is something to be said for just knowing how to write a law school exam, and that will escape a lot of people (even the really smart and hard working ones).

Second, I haven't noticed this too much. Yes, some people are going hardcore, but a lot of people (myself included) are struggling to get motivated. Second semester blows.

Finally, I'll echo what goft said... just focus on your own preparation. You're smart enough that you shouldn't worry about what everyone else is doing. I know you were disappointed with how things turned out last semester, but you've been doing all the right things (going over your exams with professors, working hard this semester, etc.) If anyone is going to do better, I'd think it will be you.

[98234872348]

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[forty-two]

I can't find a decent way to organize personal jurisdiction in my outline. I hate organizing outlines.

I made my personal jurisdiction outline into a two page step by step guide of everything I'd have to go through/consider for a personal jurisdiction question in order. Freer sets up a great analytical framework in both his book and tapes, so I kind of mixed that with my class notes and what my friend's prof said he looks for in a personal jurisdiction answer. I liked this method because I didn't have to worry about how to structure theessay during the exam. I just went through my outline and plugged in the facts, and I knew that everything was there in a logical order.

[Grizz]

There's a lot of really fuckin' smart people that thought it would be easy last semester that didn't get the grades they wanted...that are killing it this semester. I know people that are literally spending every waking moment in the library when they're not in class. People that stayed here all spring break to study.

I can't imagine how this is going to fuck up the curve. I'm trying to be one of those people...but there's a lot of other people with a burr up their ass about last semester's grades. This semester is going to be much, much harder.

The urge to go on a drinking binge is building. I just need to hold off for 6 more weeks...

First and foremost, working harder /=/ good grades. There are countless examples of people doing poorly in classes they studied hard for and doing well in classes where they were lazy. Also, a lot of those people who are stepping their game up will still not do all that well. Some will do better, some will do worse, but most people will do about the same. There is something to be said for just knowing how to write a law school exam, and that will escape a lot of people (even the really smart and hard working ones).

Second, I haven't noticed this too much. Yes, some people are going hardcore, but a lot of people (myself included) are struggling to get motivated. Second semester blows.

Finally, I'll echo what goft said... just focus on your own preparation. You're smart enough that you shouldn't worry about what everyone else is doing. I know you were disappointed with how things turned out last semester, but you've been doing all the right things (going over your exams with professors, working hard this semester, etc.) If anyone is going to do better, I'd think it will be you.

This is pretty true. For some of the people who didn't realy concentrate on figuring out how to write exams and do better and whose only plan is to study harder, don't expect them to have some epiphany now. I for one am definitely in the "need to learn how to write a better exam" crowd, so I'm barreling through my outlines so I can have time to work through every single practice exam when the profs. do get around to releasing them.

[Stanford4Me]

My lack of motivation is exacerbated by the fact that my job has already invited me back for 2L summer employment. I'm trying to remind myself that it matters to myself that I do exceedingly well, but that's not going so well right now.


/blatantihaveajobtrolling

[romothesavior]

My lack of motivation is exacerbated by the fact that my job has already invited me back for 2L summer employment. I'm trying to remind myself that it matters to myself that I do exceedingly well, but that's not going so well right now.

Bummer dude. We all feel really sorry for you. I hope you things get turned around!

Also, you have a job? I had no idea! Why didn't you tell us before?

[Grizz]

My lack of motivation is exacerbated by the fact that my job has already invited me back for 2L summer employment. I'm trying to remind myself that it matters to myself that I do exceedingly well, but that's not going so well right now.

Bummer dude. We all feel really sorry for you. I hope you things get turned around!

Also, you have a job? I had no idea! Why didn't you tell us before?

lol wut I don't feel sorry for him. Grats Stanny.

[romothesavior]

lol wut I don't feel sorry for him

Sarcasm

















Your head

What the hell is wrong with you man? Someone hack your account? Where is the radlaw of old?

[Grizz]

What the hell is wrong with you man? Someone hack your account? Where is the radlaw of old?

Had a terrible weekend man. I'll have to tell you about it tomorrow or something.

[Stanford4Me]

My lack of motivation is exacerbated by the fact that my job has already invited me back for 2L summer employment. I'm trying to remind myself that it matters to myself that I do exceedingly well, but that's not going so well right now.

Bummer dude. We all feel really sorry for you. I hope you things get turned around!

Also, you have a job? I had no idea! Why didn't you tell us before?

Haha, I know I'm not in a horrible position, but I'm afraid of two things:

1) I hate the firm I work with and have to rely on getting interviews at other firms (if I have horrible grades this would be difficult)
2) I love the firm I work at but they hate my grades and end up no-offering me. I also wonder that if I am unable to get an offer from another firm for 2L summer and end up working with this same firm if they'll wonder why I'm working with them the entire summer instead of splitting with another firm, which will cause them to look into why I was unable to secure a job with another firm. A little irrational, I know.

Just can't get too comfortable given everything that's at stake.

[romothesavior]

What the hell is wrong with you man? Someone hack your account? Where is the radlaw of old?

Had a terrible weekend man. I'll have to tell you about it tomorrow or something.

Yeah gimme a call.

And stanny, you definitely don't wanna get comfortable. Too much is at stake. I was just giving you a hard time because compared to all of us TTT losers who are working for free this summer and stressing out about ever getting a firm job, it just sounded like a funny thing to stress out about.

[keg411]

My lack of motivation is exacerbated by the fact that my job has already invited me back for 2L summer employment. I'm trying to remind myself that it matters to myself that I do exceedingly well, but that's not going so well right now.

/blatantihaveajobtrolling

I hate you right now .

BTW, I totally changed my mind about Oral Argument and glad it will be done this Thursday rather than having to sit on it another week. It sucks now, but whatever, I can deal.

Also, I have paid zero attention to what everyone else is doing. I'm just trying to repeat first semester as best I can. Which means get outlines done before reading period so I can focus on PT's/Crunchtime.

[snowpeach06]

Yeah, still overwhelmed with trying to put my outline into an order that makes sense. I try to work it like a checklist, but, not everything fits comfortably into that. Then i get stressed, look at a bunch of old outlines which confuse me even more, give up, pick a random order, finish and am able to breath. But the process takes a while.

[JCougar]

I can't find a decent way to organize personal jurisdiction in my outline. I hate organizing outlines.

LOL...this was exactly what I was trying to do just now before I logged on here to clear my mind. It's kind of circular, and some factors that developed from one doctrine merged into other doctrines. It's totally a mess. Trying to sort out consent/presence/citizenship with the standards for business, in rem, general jurisdiction, etc. is insane because they're all intertwined and many cases fall into multiple categories.

My new philosophy is that I don't care, because I have a closed-book CivPro exam anyway, so as long as I memorize shit, my outline doesn't have to look like it makes sense.

I also feel like a disorganized outline is better because it encourages you to talk about more things on your exam. Being slightly confused is actually a plus, because you're less likely to make a conclusory argument.

[JCougar]

There's a lot of really fuckin' smart people that thought it would be easy last semester that didn't get the grades they wanted...that are killing it this semester. I know people that are literally spending every waking moment in the library when they're not in class. People that stayed here all spring break to study.

I can't imagine how this is going to fuck up the curve. I'm trying to be one of those people...but there's a lot of other people with a burr up their ass about last semester's grades. This semester is going to be much, much harder.

The urge to go on a drinking binge is building. I just need to hold off for 6 more weeks...

You realize the worst possible thing you can do in law school is focus on what everyone else is doing instead of focusing on getting yourself ready for exams, right?

If it scares me enough to get my own shit in order, I don't see how that could be a bad thing.

Law school is stressful enough without spending every waking moment worrying about your competition. Just do your best.

I'm not really that bent out of shape over it...in the end, what other people do is out of my control. I'm more just making a general observation.

[JCougar]

There's a lot of really fuckin' smart people that thought it would be easy last semester that didn't get the grades they wanted...that are killing it this semester. I know people that are literally spending every waking moment in the library when they're not in class. People that stayed here all spring break to study.

I can't imagine how this is going to fuck up the curve. I'm trying to be one of those people...but there's a lot of other people with a burr up their ass about last semester's grades. This semester is going to be much, much harder.

The urge to go on a drinking binge is building. I just need to hold off for 6 more weeks...

First and foremost, working harder /=/ good grades. There are countless examples of people doing poorly in classes they studied hard for and doing well in classes where they were lazy. Also, a lot of those people who are stepping their game up will still not do all that well. Some will do better, some will do worse, but most people will do about the same. There is something to be said for just knowing how to write a law school exam, and that will escape a lot of people (even the really smart and hard working ones).

Second, I haven't noticed this too much. Yes, some people are going hardcore, but a lot of people (myself included) are struggling to get motivated. Second semester blows.

Finally, I'll echo what goft said... just focus on your own preparation. You're smart enough that you shouldn't worry about what everyone else is doing. I know you were disappointed with how things turned out last semester, but you've been doing all the right things (going over your exams with professors, working hard this semester, etc.) If anyone is going to do better, I'd think it will be you.

Thanks Romo. I'm really not all that bent out of shape...I just feel the need to whine on here a little bit in between trying to get personal jurisdiction to make sense in an outline format.

[Grizz]

I also feel like a disorganized outline is better because it encourages you to talk about more things on your exam. Being slightly confused is actually a plus, because you're less likely to make a conclusory argument.

Exact opposite for me. Claims, causes of actions, etc. were all pretty well organized by topics in my outlines which helped me do well in the exams I did well on.

[Mickey Quicknumbers]

I also feel like a disorganized outline is better because it encourages you to talk about more things on your exam. Being slightly confused is actually a plus, because you're less likely to make a conclusory argument.

Exact opposite for me. Claims, causes of actions, etc. were all pretty well organized by topics in my outlines which helped me do well in the exams I did well on.

my two highest grades consisted of self made outlines that were just sprawls of texts containing all of the relevant material in an almost stream-of-thought fashion


to each his own I guess.

[weee]

I also feel like a disorganized outline is better because it encourages you to talk about more things on your exam. Being slightly confused is actually a plus, because you're less likely to make a conclusory argument.

Exact opposite for me. Claims, causes of actions, etc. were all pretty well organized by topics in my outlines which helped me do well in the exams I did well on.

This strategy is also definitely bad for multiple choice, although I agree to some degree that having a slightly haphazard outline can sometimes be good exactly for the reason of avoiding being conclusory on essays.

[keg411]

I'm OCD about organization and couldn't deal with an unorganized outlines. However, just because some type of organization makes sense to me, doesn't mean it will make sense to everyone .

[snowpeach06]

In my life I'm messy organized (think everything in a pile on the floor, but if you ask me where something is, I can tell you exactly where in that pile), but I think for outlines I'm fairly OCD as well. Last semester before exams I would go through and create questions and orders for how to go through exams, and that really helped me not forget things, and go through the right analysis. It was BY FAR the most helpful thing I did, so even though most of my exams this semester are closed book, I'm going to do that and just memorize it.

[98234872348]

j