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What is the deal with "sections" in classes?

Posted: Sat Nov 06, 2010 9:58 am
by 2807
Sorry, I cannot get a grasp on this.

1. Is an incoming class always divided into large groups (sections)? WHY?

2. Are the people in the section together for all classes first year?

3. Is the grading curve based off of your section only?

I am wondering if people can be in a classes and the person sitting next to you is NOT in your "section" are your grades/curve decided differently? That seems crazy.

Do they put all the "smartest" together? Do they put the lower scoring (LSAT / GPA) people with the highest scoring?

I asked about this at an open house at a local law school and they had no idea what I was talking about when I asked about "sections". I'm going to another open house soon, I would like to be more informed! Thanks

Re: What is the deal with "sections" in classes?

Posted: Sat Nov 06, 2010 10:12 am
by dougroberts
Yes to your three questions.

Re: What is the deal with "sections" in classes?

Posted: Sat Nov 06, 2010 10:13 am
by dougroberts
2807 wrote:Do they put all the "smartest" together? Do they put the lower scoring (LSAT / GPA) people with the highest scoring?
Rumor is yes, there is section stacking at all/most schools, but of course there isn't any proof of this, so don't worry about section staking.

Re: What is the deal with "sections" in classes?

Posted: Sat Nov 06, 2010 10:17 am
by Eugenie Danglars
Have you read Harry Potter? House=section is a decent analogies. Just like all the Gryffindors take Transfiguration together, all 1L's in a given section will have Torts together. To extend the analogy, Professor McGonagall will determine the Transfiguration curve for the Gryffindors alone. The Ravenclaws might have a different curve. And Hogwarts is upfront about section stacking- Ravenclaw gets the clever folks.

/nerdiness

Re: What is the deal with "sections" in classes?

Posted: Sat Nov 06, 2010 10:28 am
by 2807
I have no grasp of any Harry Potter reference. I have never seen any of it, quite to the dismay of my niece and nephew. Sorry. What the heck is a hogwart? goodgrief....

I'm old. 39. Now, you want to talk Jawa's, Jedi's, or Blair and Natalie, or David Lee Roth, then I'm in.

Re: What is the deal with "sections" in classes?

Posted: Sat Nov 06, 2010 10:32 am
by kazu
Eugenie Danglars wrote:Have you read Harry Potter? House=section is a decent analogies. Just like all the Gryffindors take Transfiguration together, all 1L's in a given section will have Torts together. To extend the analogy, Professor McGonagall will determine the Transfiguration curve for the Gryffindors alone. The Ravenclaws might have a different curve. And Hogwarts is upfront about section stacking- Ravenclaw gets the clever folks.

/nerdiness
<3

Re: What is the deal with "sections" in classes?

Posted: Sat Nov 06, 2010 10:42 am
by Eugenie Danglars
2807 wrote:I have no grasp of any Harry Potter reference. I have never seen any of it, quite to the dismay of my niece and nephew. Sorry. What the heck is a hogwart? goodgrief....

I'm old. 39. Now, you want to talk Jawa's, Jedi's, or Blair and Natalie, or David Lee Roth, then I'm in.
Sorry for being too modern. Ok...ummm....

Every year, the Jedi training school receives a bunch of young trainees. They split them into groups. To encourage brotherly Jedi bondingness, each group (or section) of young Jedi take their classes together. All together for levitation lessons, all together for light saber 101, etc. When the Jedi masters go to determine the grades, they look at each group individually. (Because it would be unfair to penalize the kiddos who didn't benefit from being in Anakin's section, clearly.) And the Jedi masters, unlike most law schools, probably don't section stack because they are so fair-minded.

Yeah, the Harry Potter one was better...

Re: What is the deal with "sections" in classes?

Posted: Sat Nov 06, 2010 10:47 am
by 2807
Nice. Confusing, but funny. "A" for effort.

Re: What is the deal with "sections" in classes?

Posted: Sat Nov 06, 2010 10:49 am
by Eugenie Danglars
2807 wrote:Nice. Confusing, but funny. "A" for effort.
Yeah, I know, I tried. :-)

Re: What is the deal with "sections" in classes?

Posted: Sat Nov 06, 2010 11:36 am
by tea_drinker
Eugenie Danglars wrote:Have you read Harry Potter? House=section is a decent analogies. Just like all the Gryffindors take Transfiguration together, all 1L's in a given section will have Torts together. To extend the analogy, Professor McGonagall will determine the Transfiguration curve for the Gryffindors alone. The Ravenclaws might have a different curve. And Hogwarts is upfront about section stacking- Ravenclaw gets the clever folks.

/nerdiness

This post makes my day. :D :D :D

Re: What is the deal with "sections" in classes?

Posted: Sat Nov 06, 2010 12:16 pm
by Hedwig
tbldc2009 wrote:
Eugenie Danglars wrote:Have you read Harry Potter? House=section is a decent analogies. Just like all the Gryffindors take Transfiguration together, all 1L's in a given section will have Torts together. To extend the analogy, Professor McGonagall will determine the Transfiguration curve for the Gryffindors alone. The Ravenclaws might have a different curve. And Hogwarts is upfront about section stacking- Ravenclaw gets the clever folks.

/nerdiness

This post makes my day. :D :D :D
Hahahaha, you just made me like ten times happier I'm applying to law school, just with that post.

Re: What is the deal with "sections" in classes?

Posted: Sat Nov 06, 2010 12:23 pm
by yoitsmebenny
HP references...beautiful. Who's got their tickets for the new movie already??

Re: What is the deal with "sections" in classes?

Posted: Sat Nov 06, 2010 1:44 pm
by 094320
..

Re: What is the deal with "sections" in classes?

Posted: Sat Nov 06, 2010 2:16 pm
by Grizz
dougroberts wrote:
2807 wrote:Do they put all the "smartest" together? Do they put the lower scoring (LSAT / GPA) people with the highest scoring?
Rumor is yes, there is section stacking at all/most schools, but of course there isn't any proof of this, so don't worry about section staking.
What probably actually DOES happen at schools is that they give out scholarships with a "top quarter" requirement to half of the class, so it feels like section stacking.