Top Law Schools

...in freaking out about their class rank plummeting, and foreclosing any possibility of transferring?

I was freaking out the same way this time last year. I survived.

uzpakalis wrote:...in freaking out about their class rank plummeting, and foreclosing any possibility of transferring?

Been there, been doing that in the 1L Exam thread. Will probably keep doing that for the next month in the 1L Grade thread .

Starting to worry, yes. Pretty much anything less than perfect means a drop in my GPA. I have worked harder this semester, though. I've got to trust that the extra work that I put in this semester pays off in the end.

I'm somewhat fatalistic, however, so I'm taking it in stride.

vanwinkle wrote:I was freaking out the same way this time last year. I survived.

ditto. Chances are, if you are serious about transferring, you most likely care too much about your grades to have let them slip even slightly. (for the record, I was able to successfully transfer last year. My second semester GPA was higher than my first.)

there is def something different about this semester. last semester i was driven by the fear of the unknown, thinking i could ace exams but not quite certain. i just told myself to do the best i can and be happy with whatever the results turn out to be.

this semester, the burden of expectations is somewhat different than the fear of the unknown. now i know that i can't just do the "best i can" bullshit... i have to ace exams again, or else...

the stress is certainly different in character. it might also be greater, because anything less than maintaining my GPA is failure in my mind.

GL though... if the stress drives you to do even better than before, then it's effectual.

uzpakalis wrote:...in freaking out about their class rank plummeting, and foreclosing any possibility of transferring?

Sigh, this is pretty much my life right now, but I guess I'm also worried about my GPA dropping so much that I also won't be able to get any gainful employment or pay off my loans ever

vanwinkle wrote:I was freaking out the same way this time last year. I survived.

Yeah, but unfortunately I really doubt I'm as awesome as you are. As weird as it sounds though, I guess it is kind of comforting to not be the only one freaking out. The kids in my section just seem so freaking confident...it's really unnerving.

Vronsky wrote: this semester, the burden of expectations is somewhat different than the fear of the unknown. now i know that i can't just do the "best i can" bullshit... i have to ace exams again, or else...

the stress is certainly different in character. it might also be greater, because anything less than maintaining my GPA is failure in my mind.

+ 10000

forty-two wrote: The kids in my section just seem so freaking confident...it's really unnerving.

I have found that the perceived confidence of the other people I see in my classes doesn't necessarily transfer to their grades at the end of the semester. This is entirely anecdotal but I am talking about my own personal experiences. I have always been the quiet kid in class and rarely raise my hand meanwhile I watch at some people just seem to dominate in class discussions (and it isn't like they are making irrelevant points; these are great points that never cross my mind.) What happened when grades came out? I ended up getting 2 CALI's in classes where I felt like I was outmatched. Moral of the story: I have learned that even if others seem confident, it all comes down to how well you know the material and whether you feel like you can apply it.

Just my .02

All of my exams this semester, except one, were very different in style than last semester. I love the long fact pattern issue spotters where I can write all day and argue both sides, etc. This semester we had very short word limits, MC, T/F, 24-hour take homes and whatnot. It's an entirely different animal all together, sigh...

First semester made me really lazy. Worst part, is I need to exceed last semester to have a shot at H, I'm a bit low.

uzpakalis wrote:All of my exams this semester, except one, were very different in style than last semester. I love the long fact pattern issue spotters where I can write all day and argue both sides, etc. This semester we had very short word limits, MC, T/F, 24-hour take homes and whatnot. It's an entirely different animal all together, sigh...

Mine were all different too. Last semester I had some MC and long issue spotters for every test. This semester there was no MC and everything was super policy based, and I have no idea if I'm good at answering policy questions.

Also, thanks studebaker07!! That's good to hear because that's exactly how I feel.

vanwinkle wrote:I was freaking out the same way this time last year. I survived.

OP, pst...^^^ and he transferred to school in Cambridge

This thread captures my feelings pretty well. I've felt like I've done terribly the last two exams (two more to go). Then again, I felt this way last semester and did alright. I guess we'll see...

yeah, i'm pretty sure i'm failing (at both life and law school) this semester

100% agreement about the sentiment in this thread.

uzpakalis wrote:All of my exams this semester, except one, were very different in style than last semester.

Same here.

missinglink wrote:Pretty much anything less than perfect means a drop in my GPA.

Same. And pretty much just messed that up on my exam today.

smiley wrote:yeah, i'm pretty sure i'm failing (at both life and law school) this semester

Ditto

Thought I completely missed an issue on my Civ Pro exam...then couldn't remember what exactly the question was...lost a couple of hours of sleep over it. I'll feel much better once I can start my summer job this summer and put exams behind me.

Cupidity wrote:First semester made me really lazy. Worst part, is I need to exceed last semester to have a shot at H, I'm a bit low.

Same. And after ConLaw, I don't think its happening for me anymore. At this point, a decent job would be more than enough.

dakatz wrote:

Cupidity wrote:First semester made me really lazy. Worst part, is I need to exceed last semester to have a shot at H, I'm a bit low.

Same. And after ConLaw, I don't think its happening for me anymore. At this point, a decent job would be more than enough.

You went from hopeful H applicant to I hope I have a decent job? Lol.

whymeohgodno wrote:

dakatz wrote:

Cupidity wrote:First semester made me really lazy. Worst part, is I need to exceed last semester to have a shot at H, I'm a bit low.

Same. And after ConLaw, I don't think its happening for me anymore. At this point, a decent job would be more than enough.

You went from hopeful H applicant to I hope I have a decent job? Lol.

I think in emotional extremes lol. The spectrum of possibilities this semester make it so I can finish well into the top 10%, in which case a hail mary to any transfer school would be a possibility (or just stick around and enjoy the perks of finishing high first year) but if I screw up a few exams, it could be down to around the top 1/3 of the class. And at a T25, even a good one, thats no sure thing for the type of job I seek. So with each exam I take, I either think "I'm totally keeping my grades up and doing well", and if I have a bad one its "I'm screwing this all up, aren't I"

.

Chill and have confidence guys/gals. My GPA and class rank even dropped, and I was still accepted.

Kilpatrick wrote:I think multiple choice is a terrible way to test in law school

Absolutely agree...which is unfortunate since half my grade this semester will be made up of multiple choice.

patrickd139 wrote:Chill and have confidence guys/gals. My GPA and class rank even dropped, and I was still accepted.

I pretty much have no margin for error, though. A .1 drop pretty much knocks me out of this forum, let alone the worst case scenarios, which seem likely right now.