Harvard Student(s) Answering Your Questions Forum

[zaristotle]

Did any of you have confidence issues during 1L? You know, having doubts about your abilities as a student, questioning your career decision, having anxiety issues, panic attacks (before exams)...anything like that?

How did you deal with it?

You're not an HLS student, are you? Why do you keep asking general law school questions in this topic specifically?

[rathgra]

[roranoa]

Did any of you have confidence issues during 1L? You know, having doubts about your abilities as a student, questioning your career decision, having anxiety issues, panic attacks (before exams)...anything like that?

How did you deal with it?

You're not an HLS student, are you? Why do you keep asking general law school questions in this topic specifically?

Oh, sorry, I honestly didn't know there was a status requirement to post here. I just wanted to ask questions to HLS students. You know, to smart ppl.

[jbagelboy]

Did any of you have confidence issues during 1L? You know, having doubts about your abilities as a student, questioning your career decision, having anxiety issues, panic attacks (before exams)...anything like that?

How did you deal with it?

You're not an HLS student, are you? Why do you keep asking general law school questions in this topic specifically?

Oh, sorry, I honestly didn't know there was a status requirement to post here. I just wanted to ask questions to HLS students. You know, to smart ppl.

This is weird.

[roranoa]

Did any of you have confidence issues during 1L? You know, having doubts about your abilities as a student, questioning your career decision, having anxiety issues, panic attacks (before exams)...anything like that?

How did you deal with it?

You're not an HLS student, are you? Why do you keep asking general law school questions in this topic specifically?

Oh, sorry, I honestly didn't know there was a status requirement to post here. I just wanted to ask questions to HLS students. You know, to smart ppl.

This is weird.

Sorry, no more posting here then.

[TripTrip]

You can certainly ask questions here. It just might help to provide the context that you haven't applied yet. If you ask questions about exams, people will think you're taking them. But you don't need to feel excluded from the thread because you're not a law student.

However, there's no reason to ask us any more than other law students. Experiences at different schools vary, and (in terms of absolute numbers) most smart law students aren't going to Harvard. I'd encourage you to check out the twenty other AMA threads on this board.

[chanandler]

During PSW, can you leave right after class on Fridays or are there assignments due on Friday at 5 p.m.?

[Single-Malt-Liquor]

During PSW, can you leave right after class on Fridays or are there assignments due on Friday at 5 p.m.?

This all depends on your group. If your group is a bunch of try-hards. It could be difficult but most groups take a very, very, VERY casual approach to PSW.

[Mr. Elshal]

During PSW, can you leave right after class on Fridays or are there assignments due on Friday at 5 p.m.?

This all depends on your group. If your group is a bunch of try-hards. It could be difficult but most groups take a very, very, VERY casual approach to PSW.

It'll also depend a lot on your professor. Some professors are pretty serious about the course and assignments and others seem like they really could not care any less.

[nickhalden]

When will OCS release this year's EIP statistics?

[Mack.Hambleton]

What's the protocol for 1L firm interviews where you aren't planning on being in the area anytime soon? Am I supposed to fly across the country on my own dime?

[jbagelboy]

What's the protocol for 1L firm interviews where you aren't planning on being in the area anytime soon? Am I supposed to fly across the country on my own dime?

If it's a large firm, they will pay for your flight and hotel. Or you'll pay and get reimbursed, but usually a travel agent handles it.

[morimoto1991]

happy holidays everyone!

just wondering when the fall semester grades come out for 1Ls? I am trying to do some job apps over the break and realized some of the opportunities require a transcript or an unofficial transcript, and applications are due by end of December. any advice as to how to go about the transcript requirement considering we have no grades available to us yet?

[Mack.Hambleton]

What's the protocol for 1L firm interviews where you aren't planning on being in the area anytime soon? Am I supposed to fly across the country on my own dime?

If it's a large firm, they will pay for your flight and hotel. Or you'll pay and get reimbursed, but usually a travel agent handles it.

Thanks bagel

[MyNameIsFlynn!]

happy holidays everyone!

just wondering when the fall semester grades come out for 1Ls? I am trying to do some job apps over the break and realized some of the opportunities require a transcript or an unofficial transcript, and applications are due by end of December. any advice as to how to go about the transcript requirement considering we have no grades available to us yet?

Motion to add to the first page Vigen's posts about when grades come out.

[TripTrip]

happy holidays everyone!

just wondering when the fall semester grades come out for 1Ls? I am trying to do some job apps over the break and realized some of the opportunities require a transcript or an unofficial transcript, and applications are due by end of December. any advice as to how to go about the transcript requirement considering we have no grades available to us yet?

Motion to add to the first page Vigen's posts about when grades come out.

That's Watts' analysis, not mine! But the answer is first week of spring term. For some of those opportunities TCR is to submit without a transcript. For others it's safe to wait. Usually it won't hurt to submit now and follow up if they have a problem with it.

When will OCS release this year's EIP statistics?

Mid June. Always after exams and write-on.

[Indifference]

Thoughts on a safe number of jobs to apply to as a 1L?
Looking only in Boston for the summer and only at public interest stuff. Applied to 4 but that seems light to me.

[Orion311]

.

[TripTrip]

Thoughts on a safe number of jobs to apply to as a 1L?
Looking only in Boston for the summer and only at public interest stuff. Applied to 4 but that seems light to me.

4 is a little light. There is no hard number and it's certainly not in the thirties like it will be for next summer, but believe it or not you are still competing for these unpaid (but SPIF funded) summer internships. At other law schools, the top students interview for the internship slots you're applying to right now for their second summer, and Boston is particularly competitive. USAOs, for example, often prefer 2Ls but accept 1Ls from the T6 or T14, depending on where in the country you are.

That's not meant to dishearten you by any means, but don't sell yourself short by casting too small a net and scrounging for seconds at the last minute.

[robotrick]

Thoughts on a safe number of jobs to apply to as a 1L?
Looking only in Boston for the summer and only at public interest stuff. Applied to 4 but that seems light to me.

I did about 20 split between 2 cities for 1L summer and thought that was a comfortable number. The more competitive the positions are (e.g. USAO, bigfed, ACLU) the more applications you'll want to send, naturally. OTOH if you have killer grades first semester that could help you out a lot and justify sending out fewer applications.

[Indifference]

Thanks for the replies guys. I'll get my ass in gear then. Haha

[094320]

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[094320]

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[ValeVale]

When does PSW end? On the academic calendar it says classes end Thursday, and exams are on Friday. Because there are no exams for PSW, do you think it would be possible for me to fly out of town Thursday night? Should I just email my prof to see when the schedule is/last day of class is?

[tomwatts]

Anyone know when upperclassmen Fall grades are released?

With 1L grades, I believe. There will be an email from the Registrar announcing the date in mid-January. See below.

Probably a day between the 26th and the 29th [of January]. It's during the first week of Spring Term, anyway.

History:
Tuesday in 2014 (1/28/14)
Monday in 2013 (1/28/13)
Thursday in 2012 (1/26/12)
Thursday in 2011 (1/27/11)

And Tuesday in 2015 (1/27/15).

Because I'm a nerd about these sorts of things Because I'm a nerd, I wondered a bit about the Registrar's email five days ago (on 1/15/15). It predicted a grade release "on or before Tuesday, January 27."

It turns out that the Registrar sent a similar email last year, dated 1/17/14, predicting a grade release on 1/28/14, and grades were in fact released on 1/28/14. An email confirming that they would be released on 1/28/14 was sent on 1/27/14.

The year before, the Registrar sent an email on 1/3/13 predicting a grade release in "late January." grades were released on 1/28/13 and announced only after the fact (i.e., the Registrar sent an email saying that grades were posted).

The previous year, the Registrar did not send such an email, presumably because HELIOS was brand new and they were still adjusting to its features. Grades were released on 1/26/12 and announced only after the fact.

What this history suggests to me is that fall grades are almost certainly going to come out on 1/27/15, and the Registrar will send an email on 1/26/15 confirming the release date and time. If I remember correctly, the time is always wrong; grades are always out a few hours before the announced time.

(In case anyone's curious, J Term grades came out on 2/18/12, 2/25/13, and 2/19/14.)

This is the post in question about grade release. Here's a cleaned up version:

When do fall grades come out?
The first week of spring classes in late January, usually on or around Jan. 27. The day has varied somewhat historically, but the Registrar typically sends an email in mid-January naming the precise day (it says "on or before" a day, but the release is always on that day). Grades are typically released in the early or mid-afternoon, and the Registrar sends an announcement email shortly after their release. Obsessively reloading Helios is unhealthy and will get your grades literally only minutes before the email comes out, so it's better just to chill out and wait for the email.

In previous years, the Registrar's email was sent on 1/15/15, 1/17/14, and 1/3/13 (2013 was early and vague because Helios was new at the time). Grades were released on 1/27/15, 1/28/14, 1/28/13, 1/26/12, and 1/27/11.

When do J-term grades come out?
Mid-February. In years past, they have come out on 2/19/14, 2/25/13, and 2/18/12.

When do spring grades come out?
It depends on who you are and what classes you're in!

For 3Ls, grades typically come out the Thursday or Friday before graduation, and Latin Honors are announced at basically the same time.

For 2Ls, most grades typically come out at the same time as 3L grades, but some trickle in later. In general, they are mostly in before 1L grades.

For 1Ls, spring elective grades may come out with 3L grades, or they may trickle in like 2L grades, or they may come in at the same time as other 1L grades. Grades in regular 1L classes generally come out in mid-June, usually on or around June 12. Typically, the Registrar sends an email when 3L grades come out announcing when 1L grades will come out.