Fledgling 1L in need of Answers Forum

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PhillyCheesesteak

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Fledgling 1L in need of Answers

Post by PhillyCheesesteak » Fri Sep 21, 2012 9:11 pm

For all the TLS 2L/3Ls, please answer the following questions:

1. Every day, you go into class, confident with your grasp of the material. Every day, you leave class knowing less than before the start of 1L. Is this natural?

2. A sizable minority of classmates are going out "drunk foolin'" on a Friday. You decide to stay in and study like a jabrewni. Was this the right decision?

3. Everyday I tell myself I'm going to practice hypos, or refine my outline. Assigned readings take up too much time. Literally feel like a stick in the mud. Any tips?

I've read LEEWs, GTM, E&Es. Have been privy to all the TLS tips for awhile. I still feel like regardless of my prep, I have just a tenuous grasp on the material. Does everyone feel like this at some point in 1L?

Feel free to answer these questions piecemeal or the whole thing. Any and all input appreciated.

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ph14

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Re: Fledgling 1L in need of Answers

Post by ph14 » Fri Sep 21, 2012 9:16 pm

1) Yes, that's part of the 1L process and getting acquainted with law school. The professor is basically showing you the nuance, complexities, and outer limits of the doctrine. This means they are in effect just "confusing" you. But hopefully they are fleshing out concepts in all their complexity so you have a fuller grasp of the material. The professor and class isn't really for teaching the black letter rules.

2) It's your life. Do what you want to do. You're not in high school anymore.

3) You'll get much faster at reading cases as you go on (and also learn what is more important to pay attention to and what you can more gloss over). Don't really worry about practicing hypos yet (unless you mean perhaps working through the E&E). No point doing practice exams or anything for a while.

Keep up the hard work and don't get discouraged.

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Re: Fledgling 1L in need of Answers

Post by paulinaporizkova » Fri Sep 21, 2012 9:19 pm

you and this both sound awful

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JCFindley

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Re: Fledgling 1L in need of Answers

Post by JCFindley » Fri Sep 21, 2012 9:23 pm

PhillyCheesesteak wrote:
2. A sizable minority of classmates are going out "drunk foolin'" on a Friday. You decide to stay in and study like a jabrewni. Was this the right decision?
Just another 1L here but I have not gone out a single Friday night myself. I just don't see the point myself. I have no idea if that helps, but you aren't alone on that one.

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glitter178

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Re: Fledgling 1L in need of Answers

Post by glitter178 » Fri Sep 21, 2012 9:23 pm

The first month or two of law school is a really difficult time. No one knows WTF they are doing. A few people will annoyingly act like they know WTF they are doing, they probably don't and will STFU after fall semester once grades come out and they realize they didn't have it down as well as they thought.

I will say that the most accurate thing I have read on TLS is this: what you are doing now is not nearly as important as what you will do a month out from finals. And that means, you cannot be burned out a month out from finals. So for now, go to the bar on Fridays (if you want to), go have fun one or two nights a week, so that you aren't burnt out in the crucial time during exams.

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PhillyCheesesteak

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Re: Fledgling 1L in need of Answers

Post by PhillyCheesesteak » Fri Sep 21, 2012 9:41 pm

ph14 wrote:1) Yes, that's part of the 1L process and getting acquainted with law school. The professor is basically showing you the nuance, complexities, and outer limits of the doctrine. This means they are in effect just "confusing" you. But hopefully they are fleshing out concepts in all their complexity so you have a fuller grasp of the material. The professor and class isn't really for teaching the black letter rules.

2) It's your life. Do what you want to do. You're not in high school anymore.

3) You'll get much faster at reading cases as you go on (and also learn what is more important to pay attention to and what you can more gloss over). Don't really worry about practicing hypos yet (unless you mean perhaps working through the E&E). No point doing practice exams or anything for a while.

Keep up the hard work and don't get discouraged.
Appreciate this. Sitting through contracts is unbearable. As to number 2, I'd obviously much rather be out with classmates than reading on a Friday, I feel like I don't have time though.
paulinaporizkova wrote:you and this both sound awful
Hey, Thanks for this great post paulina!
glitter178 wrote:The first month or two of law school is a really difficult time. No one knows WTF they are doing. A few people will annoyingly act like they know WTF they are doing, they probably don't and will STFU after fall semester once grades come out and they realize they didn't have it down as well as they thought.

I will say that the most accurate thing I have read on TLS is this: what you are doing now is not nearly as important as what you will do a month out from finals. And that means, you cannot be burned out a month out from finals. So for now, go to the bar on Fridays (if you want to), go have fun one or two nights a week, so that you aren't burnt out in the crucial time during exams.
I hear you dude, my thought is put the work in on the front end so its easier on the back end. Idk if I'm going about it wrong or what. Appreciate the input.

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Re: Fledgling 1L in need of Answers

Post by LSATNightmares » Fri Sep 21, 2012 11:00 pm

A lot of stuff won't come into clear focus until the end of the semester. Even then, you'll be unsure of some stuff, but likely so will everyone else. Law is inherently ambiguous.

I never went out with everyone. But I don't plan to practice law around here, so connections matter less. Try to get out once earlier on in the semester to meet people. It doesn't have to be drinking, but it can be some other thing.

It's impossible to do lots of practice hypos. Do a few from every unit and you'll likely be fine. My second semester was insane, and I never did hypos then. I did well enough. Are you briefing? That may be what is taking up all of your time.

Getting to Maybe is all you need to know.

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Re: Fledgling 1L in need of Answers

Post by EvilClinton » Fri Sep 21, 2012 11:02 pm

LSATNightmares wrote:I never went out with everyone. But I don't plan to practice law around here, so connections matter less. Try to get out once earlier on in the semester to meet people. It doesn't have to be drinking, but it can be some other thing.
If the only reason you are going out is to make connections then you are doing it wrong.

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Re: Fledgling 1L in need of Answers

Post by Bruin57 » Sat Sep 22, 2012 1:00 am

1. Every day, you go into class, confident with your grasp of the material. Every day, you leave class knowing less than before the start of 1L. Is this natural?
--HAHAHA. I hardly ever go to class with a grasp of the material. and when i do the prof usually picks something small in the case and makes a big deal about that. Some classes I walked out feeling I understood the material waaaay better. Other classes (civ pro) I walked out thinking I had no clue what was going on and I should just transfer.

2. A sizable minority of classmates are going out "drunk foolin'" on a Friday. You decide to stay in and study like a jabrewni. Was this the right decision?

--I never went out with the classmates drinking. I lived 40 minutes from school and would much rather go home and spend time with my GF i hardly see because I am at class all day and studying. I don't regret it one bit. My friends I hung out with, i hung out with when we studied or when we would go get stuff to eat when we were taking breaks. Some of the people who went out drinking all the time did great on finals but a majority of them were the ones that were in the middle of the pack or failed out. ( i went to a TTTT with a harsh curve)

3. Everyday I tell myself I'm going to practice hypos, or refine my outline. Assigned readings take up too much time. Literally feel like a stick in the mud. Any tips?

--I tell myself that every day and I try to start and feel like i have no clue where to start and end up going on Facebook or reading TLS so I can do anything but study. My advice is to just do it. Start some where. Start outlining, if you do it wrong you will notice it is messy and you have no clue how it fits and you will work with the material until it fits. or if you don't understand something you read supplements and find the answers or go ask the professor.

I've read LEEWs, GTM, E&Es. Have been privy to all the TLS tips for awhile. I still feel like regardless of my prep, I have just a tenuous grasp on the material. Does everyone feel like this at some point in 1L?

--I felt like this my entire first semester until i got to about 3 weeks from finals. Once the second semester began i felt much better. Now that I am a 2L i feel even better. 1L is known for being hard for a reason... it is very hard. It seems if you care enough to write this post and read EE, etc then you are doing the right thing and focusing on school. Read the different threads about being successful in law school and how to be #1 etc. I did this all 1L first semester and found out what worked for me. What works for some ppl will not work for others. So do trial by error and find what works best for you, For me, less class reading and a lot of supplement reading, great class notes, working on outlines continuously and not waiting till the end of the semester, and AS MANY PRACTICE TESTS AS POSSIBLE paid off for me. Like i said I went to a TTTT and read everything I could to figure out how i could transfer to a Tier 1 school. I did everything i listed above, ended up #1, transferred to a T15( i bet u can figure out what school by looking at my name) and got the "biglaw" job that I wanted.

If you have any other questions feel free to message me. Good luck 1L year

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20130312

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Re: Fledgling 1L in need of Answers

Post by 20130312 » Sat Sep 22, 2012 6:04 pm

Go drink with your classmates, damnit.

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kwais

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Re: Fledgling 1L in need of Answers

Post by kwais » Sat Sep 22, 2012 6:30 pm

JCFindley wrote:
PhillyCheesesteak wrote:
2. A sizable minority of classmates are going out "drunk foolin'" on a Friday. You decide to stay in and study like a jabrewni. Was this the right decision?
Just another 1L here but I have not gone out a single Friday night myself. I just don't see the point myself. I have no idea if that helps, but you aren't alone on that one.
to make friends and have a normal life you idiot.

And to OP, if you don't have time to socialize, you are doing law school wrong. Guarantee it.

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Re: Fledgling 1L in need of Answers

Post by NotMyRealName09 » Sun Sep 23, 2012 2:17 am

kwais wrote:
JCFindley wrote:
PhillyCheesesteak wrote:
2. A sizable minority of classmates are going out "drunk foolin'" on a Friday. You decide to stay in and study like a jabrewni. Was this the right decision?
Just another 1L here but I have not gone out a single Friday night myself. I just don't see the point myself. I have no idea if that helps, but you aren't alone on that one.
to make friends and have a normal life you idiot.

And to OP, if you don't have time to socialize, you are doing law school wrong. Guarantee it.
I didn't socialize one iota my first semester 1L year with my classmates, and was top o' the class at the end of it. Now, I had a fiancee, and had my other friends that I rarely saw, but socializing was not my priority.

Then again, being introverted, socializing has never been a priority. Advantage? I think it was, at least for me.

You know what happens on Friday? Random hookups with hot (possibly beer goggle induced) sluts, drunken nights out you don't remember or regret, and fun. You know when that should have happened? UNDERGRAD. You know what else? It's never as fun as you think it will be, except for the rare times where it gets nuts.

It's big boy time. Leave the children to party.

I went to Michigan State undergrad - fucking awesome, I fear I'll have a daugher and she'll attend MSU, that's how awesome it was. I went to MSU law school, and an amazing phenomenon happened - people who didn't have the large university experience got swept away with the opportunities for social fun. And if you ask them, they'll tell you - going out was awesome, you totally should have been there!

I mean this exactly how it sounds - socializing on Friday is a weakness in your peers you need to exploit. Law school is cut throat. Your grade depends on your peers doing worse than you. Them worrying about poon cum friday is something you can exploit. This is easy for me to say because I had it out of my system and already found my love and emotional support by the time I matriculated - but it was a total advantage not to be worried about all the fun my peers were having when I went home. I found it quaint - aww, you guys must never have seen drunk sluts every night of every week just waiting to be impressed because "you're a law student!" They are tons of fun (figuratively and, depending on standards, perhaps physically), but vice is weakness, and while undergrad lent itself to future options (I'm going to grad school one way or another - so my grades don't matter now!), law school is the end of the road.

And, for me, the end of the road HAD to include lots of money. So no, I didn't socialize on Friday.
Last edited by NotMyRealName09 on Sun Sep 23, 2012 2:27 am, edited 1 time in total.

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EvilClinton

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Re: Fledgling 1L in need of Answers

Post by EvilClinton » Sun Sep 23, 2012 2:27 am

NotMyRealName09 wrote:I didn't socialize one iota my first semester 1L year with my classmates, and was top o' the class at the end of it. Now, I had a fiancee, and had my other friends that I rarely saw, but socializing was not my priority.

Then again, being introverted, socializing has never been a priority. Advantage? I think it was, at least for me.

You know what happens on Friday? Random hookups with hot (possibly beer goggle induced) sluts, drunken nights out you don't remember or regret, and fun. You know when that should have happened? UNDERGRAD. You know what else? It's never as fun as you think it will be, except for the rare times where it gets nuts.

It's big boy time. Leave the children to party.

I went to Michigan State undergrad - fucking awesome, I fear I'll have a daugher and she'll attend MSU, that's how awesome it was. I went to MSU law school, and an amazing phenomenon happened - people who didn't have the large university experience got swept away with the opportunities for social fun.

I mean this exactly how it sounds - socializing on Friday is a weakness in your peers you need to exploit. Law school is cut throat. Your grade depends on your peers doing worse than you. Them worrying about poon cum friday is something you can exploit. This is easy for me to say because I had it out of my system and already found my love and emotional support by the time I matriculated - but it was a total advantage not to be worried about all the fun my peers were having when I went home. I found it quaint - aww, you guys must have went to some small college where there aren't drunk sluts every night of every week just waiting to be impressed because "you're a law student!" They are tons of fun (figuratively and, depending on standards, perhaps physically), but vice is weakness, and while undergrad lent itself to future options (I'm going to grad school one way or another), law school is the end of the road.

And, for me, the end of the road HAD to include lots of money. So no, I didn't socialize on Friday.
This post sounds like you are trying to justify your social anxiety and predatory behavior while drinking. You literally sound like you have Asperger's.

Normal people like to socialize and drink together. Normal people can go out without trying to hook up with someone. Normal people can balance going out one night a week and studying for law school.

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Re: Fledgling 1L in need of Answers

Post by NotMyRealName09 » Sun Sep 23, 2012 2:47 am

No, you missed the part where I said I had my normal friends and fiancee (now wife). I had my life established before I went to law school (though I didn't tailgate as much 1L year). My post was focused on law school socializing.

And asbergers - no, but if there is a checklist for autism, I might have like 60% of the symptoms. Can't stand ticking clocks in silent rooms, or noises while I need silence generally, I excel to the extreme with certain things (fortunately for me, one was law school), but damn will I do poorly if I'm not interested. I don't like people. But with respect, you know nothing of me, how I am at parties, or my social life in general. I'm an expert drinker - a trait with its inherent pluses and minuses.

I make no excuses, but predatory? That's not a fair inference from what I wrote (did you miss the satire? And where did I say I banged those sluts?). I simply dominated my peers academically - but none of them knew it, because I never revealed my class rank or grades to anyone in law school, because I didn't do it for acclaim, I did it for me. I've said it before here, and I'll repeat it here - your grade depends on your peers doing worse, so fuck them. If law school grades were structured collaboratively, I wouldn't have done as well. But that isn't my fault.

And as a digression, let me add this - being introverted does not necessarily mean social anxiety - maybe I had it as a teenager when I did not know how to win over the girl I was crushing on, but that faded as I matured. And since we're discussing, I partied fucking hard in high school, maybe even harder than undergrad - when I ran into highschool peers who didn't party in highschool, those were the ones who got swept away in undergrad. Think the catholic school girl who turns out to be a slut. Keep it bottled up, freedom carries them away.

I discovered something about myself during the OCI / call back process - I'm far better at socializing than I ever gave myself credit for (thank you MSU social scene). The thing is, I don't need it (socializing, validation of others) to be happy, but shit is that necessary to have a successful legal career at a high level. But damn was I surprised when one OCI interviewer told me, quite frankly, "look, you're going to get a lot of offers based on how you interview, so look to the firm culture, whether people have their office doors open, refer to their secretaries by first name, etc." Being good looking doesn't hurt.....

So with respect, don't insult me for being honest. OP asked if not drunk foolin' was a bad idea. I said no, and I justified my response. Why does that bother you? (That's rhetorical - I don't care why it bothers you - or maybe I did, because that was personal).

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20130312

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Re: Fledgling 1L in need of Answers

Post by 20130312 » Sun Sep 23, 2012 8:45 am

Wow.

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Re: Fledgling 1L in need of Answers

Post by PhillyCheesesteak » Sun Sep 23, 2012 9:21 am

NotMyRealName09 wrote:No, you missed the part where I said I had my normal friends and fiancee (now wife). I had my life established before I went to law school (though I didn't tailgate as much 1L year). My post was focused on law school socializing.

And asbergers - no, but if there is a checklist for autism, I might have like 60% of the symptoms. Can't stand ticking clocks in silent rooms, or noises while I need silence generally, I excel to the extreme with certain things (fortunately for me, one was law school), but damn will I do poorly if I'm not interested. I don't like people. But with respect, you know nothing of me, how I am at parties, or my social life in general. I'm an expert drinker - a trait with its inherent pluses and minuses.

I make no excuses, but predatory? That's not a fair inference from what I wrote (did you miss the satire? And where did I say I banged those sluts?). I simply dominated my peers academically - but none of them knew it, because I never revealed my class rank or grades to anyone in law school, because I didn't do it for acclaim, I did it for me. I've said it before here, and I'll repeat it here - your grade depends on your peers doing worse, so fuck them. If law school grades were structured collaboratively, I wouldn't have done as well. But that isn't my fault.

And as a digression, let me add this - being introverted does not necessarily mean social anxiety - maybe I had it as a teenager when I did not know how to win over the girl I was crushing on, but that faded as I matured. And since we're discussing, I partied fucking hard in high school, maybe even harder than undergrad - when I ran into highschool peers who didn't party in highschool, those were the ones who got swept away in undergrad. Think the catholic school girl who turns out to be a slut. Keep it bottled up, freedom carries them away.

I discovered something about myself during the OCI / call back process - I'm far better at socializing than I ever gave myself credit for (thank you MSU social scene). The thing is, I don't need it (socializing, validation of others) to be happy, but shit is that necessary to have a successful legal career at a high level. But damn was I surprised when one OCI interviewer told me, quite frankly, "look, you're going to get a lot of offers based on how you interview, so look to the firm culture, whether people have their office doors open, refer to their secretaries by first name, etc." Being good looking doesn't hurt.....

So with respect, don't insult me for being honest. OP asked if not drunk foolin' was a bad idea. I said no, and I justified my response. Why does that bother you? (That's rhetorical - I don't care why it bothers you - or maybe I did, because that was personal).

Real name, appreciating the depth and breadth bro. I'm also staying in on Fridays/Saturdays, with literally the same frame of mind as you, get better while others are out having fun. I will be so salty, though, if this is all for naught and I finish no better than the people who went out all semester. We differ because I do like to go out. I'm telling myself the temporary sacrifice will be worth it in the end (hopefully)

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Re: Fledgling 1L in need of Answers

Post by northwood » Sun Sep 23, 2012 9:35 am

PhillyCheesesteak wrote:For all the TLS 2L/3Ls, please answer the following questions:

1. Every day, you go into class, confident with your grasp of the material. Every day, you leave class knowing less than before the start of 1L. Is this natural?
Yes. it takes a month or 2 to figure out what the professor is looking for and how you should acoordingly prepare for class. What you need to do is figure out the rule, the exceptions to the rule, and from the hypotheticals in class how its applied. The hypos in class are confusing, but dont just drift off into outerspace- your prof is doing them for a reason, and they have a tendency to show up on an exam ( one of them may be the basis for a question)

2. A sizable minority of classmates are going out "drunk foolin'" on a Friday. You decide to stay in and study like a jabrewni. Was this the right decision?
It is if you like to do that. Dont worry about what others are doing, do what works for you. I dont hang out with law school students, and only hang out with non law friends because i like the complete break it provides- and i dont want to talk about class, cases, or politics/ professors. But if you dont know anyone- then you may want to give yourself some sort of outlet to keep yourself sane and to provide balance and time to recharge your batteries.

3. Everyday I tell myself I'm going to practice hypos, or refine my outline. Assigned readings take up too much time. Literally feel like a stick in the mud. Any tips?YOU will get better with the reading. it takes time. DO the hypos in the note section, and if you are still off base from class, go see the professor for clarification.

I've read LEEWs, GTM, E&Es. Have been privy to all the TLS tips for awhile. I still feel like regardless of my prep, I have just a tenuous grasp on the material. Does everyone feel like this at some point in 1L?

yes. LEEWS works foxam prept. GTM helps, but also is aimed at exams. Its only september- so while its good to have an eye on finals time, its better to get a grasp of the material. Read the E and Es as you go along ( dont read ahead) and put the rule and applications ito tyour ooutline if it does not run counter to what your professor says and stresses.
this is a maratho, not a sprint. good luck

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Re: Fledgling 1L in need of Answers

Post by bruinfan10 » Sun Sep 23, 2012 10:21 am

paulinaporizkova wrote:you and this both sound awful
i'm sure he'd rather sound awful than be shitty - way to rep your school's personality stereotype.

in answer to OP, it sounds like you're a normal 1L, just keep plugging away, odds are things will make more sense by the end of the semester. all i can say is take practice exams early and often; good luck...

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Re: Fledgling 1L in need of Answers

Post by The Platypus » Sun Sep 23, 2012 10:32 am

NotMyRealName09 wrote: Being good looking doesn't hurt......
Laughed at that. :lol:

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Re: Fledgling 1L in need of Answers

Post by 20130312 » Sun Sep 23, 2012 11:26 am

Thank you all for your contributions to this thread. Now when someone asks what we mean by aspie law students, I can link to here. Gonna QFP my faves:
NotMyRealName09 wrote:
kwais wrote:
JCFindley wrote:
PhillyCheesesteak wrote:
2. A sizable minority of classmates are going out "drunk foolin'" on a Friday. You decide to stay in and study like a jabrewni. Was this the right decision?
Just another 1L here but I have not gone out a single Friday night myself. I just don't see the point myself. I have no idea if that helps, but you aren't alone on that one.
to make friends and have a normal life you idiot.

And to OP, if you don't have time to socialize, you are doing law school wrong. Guarantee it.
I didn't socialize one iota my first semester 1L year with my classmates, and was top o' the class at the end of it. Now, I had a fiancee, and had my other friends that I rarely saw, but socializing was not my priority.

Then again, being introverted, socializing has never been a priority. Advantage? I think it was, at least for me.

You know what happens on Friday? Random hookups with hot (possibly beer goggle induced) sluts, drunken nights out you don't remember or regret, and fun. You know when that should have happened? UNDERGRAD. You know what else? It's never as fun as you think it will be, except for the rare times where it gets nuts.

It's big boy time. Leave the children to party.

I went to Michigan State undergrad - fucking awesome, I fear I'll have a daugher and she'll attend MSU, that's how awesome it was. I went to MSU law school, and an amazing phenomenon happened - people who didn't have the large university experience got swept away with the opportunities for social fun. And if you ask them, they'll tell you - going out was awesome, you totally should have been there!

I mean this exactly how it sounds - socializing on Friday is a weakness in your peers you need to exploit. Law school is cut throat. Your grade depends on your peers doing worse than you. Them worrying about poon cum friday is something you can exploit. This is easy for me to say because I had it out of my system and already found my love and emotional support by the time I matriculated - but it was a total advantage not to be worried about all the fun my peers were having when I went home. I found it quaint - aww, you guys must never have seen drunk sluts every night of every week just waiting to be impressed because "you're a law student!" They are tons of fun (figuratively and, depending on standards, perhaps physically), but vice is weakness, and while undergrad lent itself to future options (I'm going to grad school one way or another - so my grades don't matter now!), law school is the end of the road.

And, for me, the end of the road HAD to include lots of money. So no, I didn't socialize on Friday.
NotMyRealName09 wrote:No, you missed the part where I said I had my normal friends and fiancee (now wife). I had my life established before I went to law school (though I didn't tailgate as much 1L year). My post was focused on law school socializing.

And asbergers - no, but if there is a checklist for autism, I might have like 60% of the symptoms. Can't stand ticking clocks in silent rooms, or noises while I need silence generally, I excel to the extreme with certain things (fortunately for me, one was law school), but damn will I do poorly if I'm not interested. I don't like people. But with respect, you know nothing of me, how I am at parties, or my social life in general. I'm an expert drinker - a trait with its inherent pluses and minuses.

I make no excuses, but predatory? That's not a fair inference from what I wrote (did you miss the satire? And where did I say I banged those sluts?). I simply dominated my peers academically - but none of them knew it, because I never revealed my class rank or grades to anyone in law school, because I didn't do it for acclaim, I did it for me. I've said it before here, and I'll repeat it here - your grade depends on your peers doing worse, so fuck them. If law school grades were structured collaboratively, I wouldn't have done as well. But that isn't my fault.

And as a digression, let me add this - being introverted does not necessarily mean social anxiety - maybe I had it as a teenager when I did not know how to win over the girl I was crushing on, but that faded as I matured. And since we're discussing, I partied fucking hard in high school, maybe even harder than undergrad - when I ran into highschool peers who didn't party in highschool, those were the ones who got swept away in undergrad. Think the catholic school girl who turns out to be a slut. Keep it bottled up, freedom carries them away.

I discovered something about myself during the OCI / call back process - I'm far better at socializing than I ever gave myself credit for (thank you MSU social scene). The thing is, I don't need it (socializing, validation of others) to be happy, but shit is that necessary to have a successful legal career at a high level. But damn was I surprised when one OCI interviewer told me, quite frankly, "look, you're going to get a lot of offers based on how you interview, so look to the firm culture, whether people have their office doors open, refer to their secretaries by first name, etc." Being good looking doesn't hurt.....

So with respect, don't insult me for being honest. OP asked if not drunk foolin' was a bad idea. I said no, and I justified my response. Why does that bother you? (That's rhetorical - I don't care why it bothers you - or maybe I did, because that was personal).

Gorki

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Re: Fledgling 1L in need of Answers

Post by Gorki » Sun Sep 23, 2012 11:45 am

Go out now and then. I am married and live in a suburban setting a ways from school which makes "partying" really hard for me (would be ridiculous to pay a taxi, get a ride out to where I live)... I would still have a drink or two with a few of my closer law school friends now and then. Hell, by the end of the year it became a lunch hour ritual on Fridays.

I went out b/c it was fun, and I wanted to get to know people beyond seeing them as competition. If you only go out b/c you need interpersonal experience, or want to network, it will never go well IMO. I almost always talked about random non-profession BS when I would go out.

PS: You will not finish better by staying in all semester. Even worse, if you max out and do worse than the "Party Animals" you will likely burn out second semester. We had three really smart students who maxxed out first semester, never talked to anyone, and did not get top of class... Not only did they feel dumb, but it basically made everyone else in the class think of them as slightly ridiculous and/or eye-rolling.

PPS: What the hell is there to do at this point in 1L that could even take up enough time to stay in all weekend? Do schools give out heavily weighted memos already?

Good luck though. Just do not burn out.

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PhillyCheesesteak

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Re: Fledgling 1L in need of Answers

Post by PhillyCheesesteak » Sun Sep 23, 2012 11:53 am

Gorki wrote:Go out now and then. I am married and live in a suburban setting a ways from school which makes "partying" really hard for me (would be ridiculous to pay a taxi, get a ride out to where I live)... I would still have a drink or two with a few of my closer law school friends now and then. Hell, by the end of the year it became a lunch hour ritual on Fridays.

I went out b/c it was fun, and I wanted to get to know people beyond seeing them as competition. If you only go out b/c you need interpersonal experience, or want to network, it will never go well IMO. I almost always talked about random non-profession BS when I would go out.

PS: You will not finish better by staying in all semester. Even worse, if you max out and do worse than the "Party Animals" you will likely burn out second semester. We had three really smart students who maxxed out first semester, never talked to anyone, and did not get top of class... Not only did they feel dumb, but it basically made everyone else in the class think of them as slightly ridiculous and/or eye-rolling.

PPS: What the hell is there to do at this point in 1L that could even take up enough time to stay in all weekend? Do schools give out heavily weighted memos already?

Good luck though. Just do not burn out.
First three weeks, I went out on Friday. Now though, I'm inclined to stay in--get ahead on reading, read supplements to get a better grasp. I just feel like if I go out, I'll lose an opportunity to really comprehend the material. I also read exam taking tips when I don't have anymore reading to do for class. What I'm saying is, I feel like there is always something more to do, and I get weird ajeda (sp?) if I'm not doing it. Granted, I still make time to get swoll at the gym, and do go out to eat with class mates every now and again after class. But I don't think I'll take another weekend night off until finals are over.

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FeelTheHeat

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Re: Fledgling 1L in need of Answers

Post by FeelTheHeat » Sun Sep 23, 2012 11:55 am

lol

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Blessedassurance

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Re: Fledgling 1L in need of Answers

Post by Blessedassurance » Sun Sep 23, 2012 12:24 pm

Just do Yale, bro

PhillyCheesesteak

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Re: Fledgling 1L in need of Answers

Post by PhillyCheesesteak » Sun Sep 23, 2012 12:29 pm

FeelTheHeat wrote:lol
i know.
Blessedassurance wrote:Just do Yale, bro
but what if my school gives me the tools, to be my own boss
Last edited by PhillyCheesesteak on Sun Sep 23, 2012 12:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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