C+: How Bad? Forum

[Anonymous User]

I'm at UT and just got a 2nd semester 1L grade back and its a C+. I'm shocked, thought I did better in that class than on any other law school exam thus far (expected nothing lower than an A). Now, barring the fact that this was an error (i'm praying it was, already emailed school admin and professor about it) it will take my GPA from 3.4x (around top 33%, all B+ and A-) to right around or just below median. How F#$%^d am I?

[Stonewall]

Take a deep breathe, you will be fine. It's only one grade. Then again, emailing the admin is just going to piss them off. You got a c+ and grades are random. Accept it.

[CanadianWolf]

It may be an error. If not, some law schools offer a review by committee of a disputed grade.

[ajaxconstructions]

Pretty fucked.

[de5igual]

talking to an admin is a little extreme, esp since you don't even know if there was an error (even if there were an error like a prof missing an entire question or whatever, it likely won't get overturned). what you should do is to ask the prof to go over the exam with you. if the prof discovers that there was an arithmetic error (I think that's the only exception where grades can be changed), then s/he will change it.

below median is definitely not a fun place to be during OCI, and you should brace yourself for the worst. plan to mass-mail every legal employer in whatever market you have ties and HUSTLE. polish your interview skills because at this point, you don't have the luxury of screwing up any interview you get. also, be prepared to explain the C+.

[CanadianWolf]

A few months ago another poster received a similiar grade, contacted his professor & the prof or the registrar discovered that the grade was mistranscribed. Errors happen.

[Eco]

You're going to be fine. You're at a great school and the state you're in actually is doing well economically. Breathe, get ready to explain the grade, and move on. GL

[Anonymous User]

I'm at UT and just got a 2nd semester 1L grade back and its a C+. I'm shocked, thought I did better in that class than on any other law school exam thus far (expected nothing lower than an A). Now, barring the fact that this was an error (i'm praying it was, already emailed school admin and professor about it) it will take my GPA from 3.4x (around top 33%, all B+ and A-) to right around or just below median. How F#$%^d am I?

If the test contains multiple choice, or was on scantron then there's nothing wrong with double checking to make sure. Scantrons can misread erasures and miscalculate grades.
If the test was purely essay it's highly unlikely the professor screwed up the math so badly that he added together all the points and only came up with enough to give you a C+ when you had enough points for an A.

In any event, there is absolutely nothing wrong with going to talk to the professor about the test. Perhaps your test taking skills for law school are right on point, but you didn't do well with this professor because of a specific formula this professor likes. That happens a lot in law schools. Not all professor are all about spot the issue. Some are much heavier into analysis and the grading can confuse students that stick to the traditional formula. I wouldn't go straight to the admin just yet. The test was in fact anonymous when graded, and if there was an error in the math it's fixable and the anonymity is not an issue. If you got a C+ because that's what you got then move on. As someone else mentioned you may have to be prepared to explain that away. It'll be a little easier to explain away if you've actually talked to the professor and you know what happened. Maybe you made a careless mistake. (From a personal note I left out an entire page of my 1L contracts exam. The second to last page ended half way down and I thought that was the end of the test. I didn't realize the last two pages were stuck together and just didn't answer the last question. I definitely thought I had at least an A. Ended up [luckily] with a B. The only way I knew was after I went to the prof and asked what happened and she told me that up until I forget to finish the test I actually did have an A. I NEVER told that to an employer because it was carelessness on my part and trying to explain that away would make me sound like a whiney, careless, cry-baby. But I know what happened and I moved on.)

[Big Shrimpin]

Pretty fucked.

This is sorta harsh, but TBF, you're not in a good spot. Fortunately, however, you're not the first person who's experienced this phenomenon and come out ahead.

Start hustling with your mass mailing plan now, and cast a wide fucking net. Should you fail at OCI, your best bet will be that mass mail fallback plan. Sorry, dooder. Law school is such a bitch, but the true test of character is how you react when it fucks you in the ass.

[rad lulz]

You're going to be fine. You're at a great school and the state you're in actually is doing well economically. Breathe, get ready to explain the grade, and move on. GL

This is stupid. If OP does in fact end up at about median, that's not a great place to be at UT. If OP took out like $150k of debt, chances at biglulz are low, and it's not gonna be nice to repay those loans. Mass mail, hope for the best, but expect the worst. Basically what shrimpin said. Be prepared to explain that grade. They may ask.

See that's the thing about lawl school. You can think you did well, but that may be because you missed a fuckload of issues.

[Younger Abstention]

The discrepancy in how you thought you did versus how you actually did is ridiculously large. I'm inclined to think that this was an error in transcribing the grades. Contrary to the poster above who thought otherwise, it is definitely prudent of you to inquire into whether this was an error even if it may piss the registrar off (seriously, so fucking what?).

[NotMyRealName09]

You're more likely to have your professor sexually proposition you after you complain about a bad grade than have your C+ have been due to an error. Sure, a grading error is probably more likely than winning the lottery, but not by enough to actually think it will happen to you.

Sorry, I too had a strange, painful, make me doubt my competence C - thank god it happened post-OCI! Ok, that was harsh, but we're not talking all As to a C+ here, it's not that implausible. Good luck.

[2012JayDee]

The discrepancy in how you thought you did versus how you actually did is ridiculously large. I'm inclined to think that this was an error in transcribing the grades. Contrary to the poster above who thought otherwise, it is definitely prudent of you to inquire into whether this was an error even if it may piss the registrar off (seriously, so fucking what?).

I don't think pissing the registrar off is the main point. I think the point was that the OP should go and talk to the professor first. Otherwise the conversation with the registrar will be the OP telling the registrar the s/he believes she got an A in the class but her transcripts say she got a C+, therefore, there must be some mistake.

If OP goes and talks to the professor about the exam and there was no mistake then OP can find out what went wrong--that makes sense.

[Anonymous User]

OP here, no transcription error. He appears to severely punish long essays regardless of content (which explains that part) and I'm hoping to see the scantron and his answers to see if there were any errors there but barring that it looks like i'm stuck with this grade (although I also plan on looking in to whether you can get a re-grade by other professors or anything like that).

If I want to do transactional work, will something like an A+ in BA/Corp. be helpful (effect on GPA aside)? And when is the ideal time to mass-mail?

Also i'm guessing something like a grade addenda isn't acceptable here? For what its worth I spent the week and a half before finals on another continent because of a dying family member.

[Anonymous User]

OP here, no transcription error. He appears to severely punish long essays regardless of content (which explains that part) and I'm hoping to see the scantron and his answers to see if there were any errors there but barring that it looks like i'm stuck with this grade (although I also plan on looking in to whether you can get a re-grade by other professors or anything like that).

If I want to do transactional work, will something like an A+ in BA/Corp. be helpful (effect on GPA aside)? And when is the ideal time to mass-mail?

Also i'm guessing something like a grade addenda isn't acceptable here? For what its worth I spent the week and a half before finals on another continent because of a dying family member.

Don't do this! It's whiney and a waste of time. How many other students do you think wish they could get their exam graded by the Santa Claus of the law school. This professor teaches the classes, gives the exam, and grades the exam. There is no way in all of the Earth that they're going to allow some other professor to just come behind this guy and change the grade. Just let it go. Don't start attaching addenda before you're even asked about it. One c+ in a sea of A's and B's speaks for itself. You clearly have the ability but this one class got just got the better of you.

[de5igual]

OP here, no transcription error. He appears to severely punish long essays regardless of content (which explains that part) and I'm hoping to see the scantron and his answers to see if there were any errors there but barring that it looks like i'm stuck with this grade (although I also plan on looking in to whether you can get a re-grade by other professors or anything like that).

If I want to do transactional work, will something like an A+ in BA/Corp. be helpful (effect on GPA aside)? And when is the ideal time to mass-mail?

Also i'm guessing something like a grade addenda isn't acceptable here? For what its worth I spent the week and a half before finals on another continent because of a dying family member.

You have maturity issues, and mentioning any of the above to employers can only harm you (only exception is if they ask about the C+, then maybe bring up family issues...but definitely don't blame the professor or his grading style).

[rad lulz]

Do not be a whiner at OCI. Take some damn ownership.

[kalvano]

My impression reading this thread and the OP's responses is that the OP is a K-JD with little or no real-world work experience, and someone who has historically done well in school and has now suddenly found out other smart people exist. That is not the impression you want to present to future employers.

I could be wrong, but that's how it comes across. Regardless of whether my impression is accurate, OP is going to want to ensure that (s)he comes across much differently for OCI. Talk of challenging the grade, trying to substitute a different grade for it, and especially talk of writing an addendum should be avoided at all costs.

[NotMyRealName09]

[

OP here, no transcription error. He appears to severely punish long essays regardless of content (which explains that part) and I'm hoping to see the scantron and his answers to see if there were any errors there but barring that it looks like i'm stuck with this grade (although I also plan on looking in to whether you can get a re-grade by other professors or anything like that).

If I want to do transactional work, will something like an A+ in BA/Corp. be helpful (effect on GPA aside)? And when is the ideal time to mass-mail?

Also i'm guessing something like a grade addenda isn't acceptable here? For what its worth I spent the week and a half before finals on another continent because of a dying family member.

I'm with the above - you're not getting it and seem like a crybaby. YOU EARNED A C+. You're not stuck with it as if it is somehow unfair - it's your grade, it is how well you did, your peers did better than you, it is no one's fault but your own.

Wow, you are going to be a fun coworker!

[heeloftar]

Damn, this thread is becoming popcorn-worthy.

[Rose789]

Anecdote: Know someone that received a C+ in a 1L class. Now, he'll be starting at Kirkland doing corporate transactional work. Pretty much owned the fact that the class owned owned him (not the kind of guy to flip out or make excuses; we studied together, and I got an A in the same class, and he was pretty much just, "Congratulations, I messed up, and it's cool."). Firm was fine with it, and chances are, he'll never have to see that type of law again after this July's bar.

Lesson: Grin and bear it. If you're likeable, generally maintain good grades, and have a modicum of talent regarding the type of practice you want to do - you'll be just fine. You may even be able to joke about it with your colleagues two years down the road.

Side Note: You may consider an attitude change about this whole thing. It wasn't a bad idea to check up with your professor on where you made mistakes, but it's time to move forward now.

[Anonymous User]

OP: Thanks to those with constructive input. I wasn't sure if the addenda was something people did or not for this kind of thing so figured it was worth asking, I thought it was probably inappropriate but also thought it couldn't hurt to ask the question here.

Its not that I have an issue with "owning" the grade I received so much as I'm confused about what happened. Having re-read my essay and compared it to others, I'm still confused, obviously I did something either wrong or not in a manner that he prefers (which in this case = wrong). Finally, it seems to me that it can't hurt to ask/try to figure out what went on with the grade as I have no interest in any of the other areas this professor teaches in and so will never have to take anything with him again anyway.

Overall, won't bring it up in interviews unless I get asked and won't make excuses. Thanks again for the advice.