I was in class one day last semester and saw a guy, while the professor was lecturing, looking up hornbooks on amazon. While this, in itself, isn't a particularly dangerous habit, it, I think, demonstrates a bad mindset that people can fall in to.

The best things you can do to succeed in law school are read and pay attention in class. Anything else is a long long long distant third. Students get so caught up in researching what the best supplement is, reading it, and trying to get an edge by going to answer-writing seminars, that they lose track of the actual best use of their time: Reading and paying attention to what your prof says.

It seems like really simple "no shit" kind of advice to say "read and take good notes in class," but I feel like maybe it's so basic that it gets overlooked. Forums like TLS hyper-emphasize how competitive everything is and, maybe, implicitly encourage readers to look for the "edge" rather than just knowing your shit and kicking ass like a boss.

I guess what I'm saying is that the gunnerish "I'm gonna do everything AND read all this extra shit" can result in a lot of wasted time - time that would be better spent focusing on the basics. If you walk into the exam 100% knowing what your prof wants you to know about the rule of perpetuities and another guy in your class who studied just as hard and is just as smart as you walks in knowing 60% what your prof wants you to know, 20% what Emanuel's says about it, and 20% of what some hornbook says, then, well, you're going to kick that guy's ass up and down the exam.

Some people can listen just fine while looking at something simple like Amazon.

I'm not going to sit in Con Law doing vector calculus problems just for fun, but to think that you should never ever ever take your eyes off the professor or your notes is absurd.

based on your reading skills, my "stick to the reading" advice is probably not well-suited for you.

True, but I'm guessing your social skills are your downfall.

Admittedly, I only read your first sentence and thought you were being critical of surfing during class. Being too gung-ho about supplements makes more sense.

But you still sound like a dick.

I think part of the dissection is just TLS-speak. The folks that I know don't know about this site and have done well in their classes. I think TLS just likes to overkill chat subjects that are simplistic in nature. Can some of TLS be good? Sure. Just take it in doses.

I generally agree with your overall assessment though.

Don't worry anonymousgunner, RinkRat is particularly suave. Don't feel bad that your social skills aren't as keen as hers

I actually prefer Anonymous this go-around versus what TLSers can normally say. I saw nothing wrong overall. I find it hilarious that people skip classes and then talk about their best strategies. Seems a bit odd to me, but ok.

Plus, I'd say that most of TLSers are socially awkward. When you're searching out an online forum for what to wear, I'm thinking that you (not you personally) haven't previously worked in the corporate world before. Too much analysis over simple topics.

Depends on the professor. I've had some classes where just reading the casebook and taking good notes got me a solid grade and others where I got nothing out of the lectures and read the casebook + supplements to get a good grade. Total judgment call depending on how your prfoessor lectures and what will be on the exam.

BearsGrl, rate your appearance please.

10110

+1

I got an "A" in a class in which I frequently played video games. Just FYI.

FTFY.

We are all a bunch of nerds, HTH.

ETA: even real trial attorneys tend to be a little weird and awkward compared to really socially savvy people.

This is the most credited advice in the thread. There are definitely professors who make it so that you NEED to teach yourself the entire class from a supplement because the lectures are so worthless.

Also glad to see BearsGrl weighing in again on how "wrong" TLS is about things she has absolutely no experience with

She is a 0L? Geez, I thought she was just an especially retarded Cooley 1L or something.

BearsGrl is a 0l but has friends who went to law school and she has seen their Facebook photos so she is able to post expert advice in the ask a law student forum

Also, I would point out that, at least for this example, a significant number of TLSers might not be socially awkward but rather, and this is probably going to come as a shock to you, come from blue collar backgrounds. It took me hours of practice to learn how to tie a half windsor properly, and if not for my wife I never would've known what the hell "business casual" was. Not because I am especially socially awkward... but rather because I had never worn a tie that wasn't clip on, nor anything to work other than a uniform.

ETA:



Oh, well then I'll defer to her greater knowledge and bow out...