1L Exam Prep and Motivation Thread Forum

[ReesesPieces15]

Anyone else finish an exam feeling relatively good about it, but then you kind of think that you didn't write down anything earth shattering so everything you wrote couldn't have been much different than anyone else's? Obviously I just have to move on to the next exam, but I'm just curious if this is a common feeling.

That's exactly how I felt after Civ Pro.

[moandersen]

Anyone else finish an exam feeling relatively good about it, but then you kind of think that you didn't write down anything earth shattering so everything you wrote couldn't have been much different than anyone else's? Obviously I just have to move on to the next exam, but I'm just curious if this is a common feeling.

exactly. i left feeling i did well, but i felt everyone else probably wrote exactly the same thing. my only hope was that i did better on the multiple choice section than everyone else.

Im struggling moving on to the next exam.... I took a practice question this morning for Ks and did well. But i found myself not writing out complete answers toward the end of the practice question. Im just being straight up lazy. Im going to do another practice q after lunch, and then outline another practice q after that. the maybe ill spend the rest of the night trying to figure out parol evidence rule and wtf it has to do with interpretation since the parol evidence rule does not apply to interpretation. (i think)

[savagecheater]

So I've been doing CALI lessons for quick rehashes of material learned - anyone else dislike them? I can't help but feel that the questions are poorly written and worded.

[keg411]

Anyone else finish an exam feeling relatively good about it, but then you kind of think that you didn't write down anything earth shattering so everything you wrote couldn't have been much different than anyone else's? Obviously I just have to move on to the next exam, but I'm just curious if this is a common feeling.

exactly. i left feeling i did well, but i felt everyone else probably wrote exactly the same thing. my only hope was that i did better on the multiple choice section than everyone else.

That's how I feel too, but I feel like our MC is going to have a tight curve... although 6 wrong was the median for the midterm, the midterm was slightly easier (unless I was just more prepared ), and the final had twice as many questions.

Whatever. Time to move on.

[PirateCap'n]

Anyone else finish an exam feeling relatively good about it, but then you kind of think that you didn't write down anything earth shattering so everything you wrote couldn't have been much different than anyone else's? Obviously I just have to move on to the next exam, but I'm just curious if this is a common feeling.

exactly. i left feeling i did well, but i felt everyone else probably wrote exactly the same thing. my only hope was that i did better on the multiple choice section than everyone else.

Im struggling moving on to the next exam.... I took a practice question this morning for Ks and did well. But i found myself not writing out complete answers toward the end of the practice question. Im just being straight up lazy. Im going to do another practice q after lunch, and then outline another practice q after that. the maybe ill spend the rest of the night trying to figure out parol evidence rule and wtf it has to do with interpretation since the parol evidence rule does not apply to interpretation. (i think)

Don't know if this article will help you with the parol evidence/interpretation thing or not, but I skimmed through it and it seems to explain it (at least a bit).
--LinkRemoved--

[Charles Barkley]

Went to take a shower before I head out to go study, water was turned off.

There was an underground leak so they turned off our water for a while.

It's going to be a splendid day.

[beach_terror]

All of my attack outlines have civ pro boiled down to 1 page for each subject we covered (2 for personal jurisdiction) - and they're all primarily just elements with quotes from the cases we read. I guess I'm actually understanding this shit

I feel like I could sodomize a hypo on PJ, SMJ, supplemental jurisdiction venue, choice of law, or notice right now. Just have to round everything out with some rules practice.

[SmittenMitten]

Anybody have any ideas on how to set ones self apart on a Con Law exam?

Everything right now-is going to probably be what everybody else writes.

[vanwinkle]

All of my attack outlines have civ pro boiled down to 1 page for each subject we covered (2 for personal jurisdiction) - and they're all primarily just elements with quotes from the cases we read. I guess I'm actually understanding this shit

This is excellent for two reasons: It makes the material easy to access on exam day, and it makes you think about how to condense the material, which makes you realize what the important parts are while you study.

One thing I'd do (if your attack outlines aren't already structured this way) is try to make a one-page checklist that names and organizes the topics and primary subtopics. Write them in the form of questions you should ask on exam day. You can do this with tiny font and a 2 or 3 column page. But on exam day it helps to have your questions already laid out so you can look down them and think about them. Kinda like this:

Does the court have subject-matter jurisdiction?
Is there original jurisdiction?
Is there supplemental jurisdiction for additional claims?
Is there a federal question?
If not, is complete diversity preserved?

Does the court have personal jurisdiction?
Does the Constitution allow personal jurisdiction?
Is there a long-arm statute authorizing jurisdiction?
Are there sufficient contacts for general jurisdiction?
Was there an activity providing specific jurisdiction?

And so on. If you think in advance about what the most important questions will be, and prepare a list you can glance at to make sure you're asking them, then you've done half your analysis work before the exam even starts. Your questions are ready, so if the exam question asks you whether personal jurisdiction exists, you already know what questions you need to be asking to answer that, and in what order, too.

[moandersen]

Don't know if this article will help you with the parol evidence/interpretation thing or not, but I skimmed through it and it seems to explain it (at least a bit).
--LinkRemoved--

I got it now. thanks for the link though. my prof just does not explain things the best. I reread the notes after the cases on parol evidence and interpretation and that gave me a clearer understanding. Then I went back to her powerpoints and that only confused me. Im currently trying to block the profs way of explaining the two out of my head.

[beach_terror]

And so on. If you think in advance about what the most important questions will be, and prepare a list you can glance at to make sure you're asking them, then you've done half your analysis work before the exam even starts. Your questions are ready, so if the exam question asks you whether personal jurisdiction exists, you already know what questions you need to be asking to answer that, and in what order, too.

Great idea, this will be a HUGE help for the rules section come test day.

So for surviving a 12(b)(6) - something like this?

Does the complaint include a "short and plaint statement showing that the pleader is entitled to relief"? 8(a)(2)
Does the statement allege facts, and not legal conclusions?
Does the statement allege enough facts to cross the line from possibility to plausibility?
If the statement is viewed liberally, would overruling the motion lead to expensive and intrusive discovery, leading the moving party to settle instead of litigate?

[Melkaba]

Property final down. At the very least, I knew how to respond to the issues where I was expecting to be completely lost by them. Don't feel like I destroyed the final or anything, but I walked out just thinking "... Eh." and moved on.

Almost committed the cardinal sin of "discussing final exam immediately afterward," however. When I was asked "So, what did you put on question [x], because I put [issue y]?" I thought about it, and then said "... Eh, I don't remember. I remember doing the best I could on the problem, so that's enough for me." I'm trying so hard to prevent my mind from going back to the issues and being like "well... I could have said THIS issue" and starting down that vicious cycle that left me miserable each and every time I took an exam in undergrad, so I might as well play some games/nap until later when I can resume Contracts. At the least, I completed my outlines for the last two subjects a week back.

[jawsthegreat]

I just typed 24 pages in 3 hours. My fingers hurt.

[JCougar]

One down, two to go.

We got a surprise TWO big policy questions in Property, and only one issue spotter. Our professor likes to put one policy question on the exam, but we actually got two this time.

I don't think I did bad on the policy questions, but issue-spotters definitely make me feel more comfortable. I would have been satisfied with one policy and two issue spotters. I feel like I made good points on the policy stuff, but I'm far less familiar with how they're graded and how objective the grading is going to be.

[romothesavior]

Property final down. At the very least, I knew how to respond to the issues where I was expecting to be completely lost by them. Don't feel like I destroyed the final or anything, but I walked out just thinking "... Eh." and moved on.

Almost committed the cardinal sin of "discussing final exam immediately afterward," however. When I was asked "So, what did you put on question [x], because I put [issue y]?" I thought about it, and then said "... Eh, I don't remember. I remember doing the best I could on the problem, so that's enough for me." I'm trying so hard to prevent my mind from going back to the issues and being like "well... I could have said THIS issue" and starting down that vicious cycle that left me miserable each and every time I took an exam in undergrad, so I might as well play some games/nap until later when I can resume Contracts. At the least, I completed my outlines for the last two subjects a week back.

After talking with some people, it sounds like I got all of the questions right and didn't screw anything up too terribly. I think (hope) that should at least put me above median, but its just a crapshoot from there. I felt great after the exam, but it sounds like most people identified the same basic issues and did the same basic analysis, so it will just come down to how he grades it.

If I don't do well, I'm going to be really mad because I know I got all 5 of the questions right and I had a really good command of property. But if most people got them right, and most people said the same things, but the prof has to distinguish us based on ????? and put us on a curve... well who the hell knows how it will turn out.

Law school grades = very arbitrary

[JCougar]

Law school grades = very arbitrary

Especially when over half your exam is open-ended policy questions.

[bmontminy]

Went to take a shower before I head out to go study, water was turned off.

There was an underground leak so they turned off our water for a while.

It's going to be a splendid day.

When you are graded on a curve, stench is your best friend.

[dakatz]

I feel like a horrible person for feeling good when I heard 2 girls talking about the Erie question from our civ pro exam given that there was no Erie question (and no, its not one of those "maybe I'm the one who missed it" situations)

[JCougar]

I feel like a horrible person for feeling good when I heard 2 girls talking about the Erie question from our civ pro exam given that there was no Erie question (and no, its not one of those "maybe I'm the one who missed it" situations)

That's okay, we all do it. I attended a group Q&A session two days ago, and it boosted my confidence a lot that I'm at least going to finish above median.

And in the event that I don't....I should probably be taken out back and shot (like a lamed racehorse) based on some of the questions I heard.

[beach_terror]

I feel like a horrible person for feeling good when I heard 2 girls talking about the Erie question from our civ pro exam given that there was no Erie question (and no, its not one of those "maybe I'm the one who missed it" situations)

Feels good man.

and

[moandersen]

Im done studying for tomorrow..I think. I did all the practice questions, and went over all of the answers. I know this stuff pretty well (Ks), but I still feel like I should be doing something. Im scared that this confidence is a bad thing.

[savagecheater]

I just typed 24 pages in 3 hours. My fingers hurt.

Your wpm must be unreal.

Mine's around 50

[dakatz]

I just typed 24 pages in 3 hours. My fingers hurt.

Your wpm must be unreal.

Mine's around 50

Its quality, not quantity. I wouldn't worry.

[J-tow10]

Law school grades = very arbitrary

Especially when over half your exam is open-ended policy questions.

Having 2 policy questions kind of threw me off. I swear we told there was going to only be 1 policy question. *Trying to not let my mind wander back*

[Stanford4Me]

I just typed 24 pages in 3 hours. My fingers hurt.

Your wpm must be unreal.

Mine's around 50

Its quality, not quantity. I wouldn't worry.

My Ks professor told us that if we type an exorbitant amount of pages she's likely to become very angry. I love my Ks professor, I'm going to miss her. Definitely will be taking her in Professional Responsibility, though.