1L Exam Prep and Motivation Thread Forum

[crossarmant]

We had an ungraded midterm a couple of weeks ago for property, and I'm pretty sure most people studied a lot and tried pretty hard. Our prof said he would grade them just to see how we would all do. We haven't gotten the grades yet, but he said in class today everyone got around a B- or a C.

And if you get the A of B+ then you're in good shape.

[ephemeral.bete.noire]

I love how the CDO gives their rundown on employment just as I was working up the motivation to start outlining.. now I have symplicity to play on and distract me for a few more days. Outlining probably won't take that long anyways

[Eugenie Danglars]

I love how the CDO gives their rundown on employment just as I was working up the motivation to start outlining.. now I have symplicity to play on and distract me for a few more days. Outlining probably won't take that long anyways

In all seriousness, outlining hasn't been that bad for me. When I really buckle down and focus, I can really plow through it. Take heart!

[ephemeral.bete.noire]

I love how the CDO gives their rundown on employment just as I was working up the motivation to start outlining.. now I have symplicity to play on and distract me for a few more days. Outlining probably won't take that long anyways

In all seriousness, outlining hasn't been that bad for me. When I really buckle down and focus, I can really plow through it. Take heart!

I needed to hear that! Weeks are flying by all too quickly now. I've read every case and kinda created a half-ass rushed brief of a few facts and rationale for each as well, but for classes like contracts, part of me is thinking I should go back and re-read all the cases again now that I have a better understanding of how everything fits together.. this obviously won't happen tho just no time to do that.

I guess I'm trying to figure out what level of detail I'll need to go into when reviewing and compiling all of this crap and once I come to terms with that then I think I'll chill out a lil'bit. No way to know how long it is going to take until you start to do it and I just haven't got there yet.

[dabomb75]

just finished a practice midterm. Realized how lol bad I am at writing exam answers right now. I probably wrote 1/2 - 2/3 of what I actually wanted to analyze and write. Good thing I have a few weeks of practice testing ahead of me in late november to (hopefully) fix that.

[Iceman389]

You're mine this weekend LRW Memo. Time to meet your maker...

[gdane]

I've been very unproductive these last two days. I'm ahead and almost done with all my readings, but I keep falling asleep while trying to work or other stuff takes time away. I have to get car repairs done tomorrow. So, that's going to take more time

[ilovesf]

We had an ungraded midterm a couple of weeks ago for property, and I'm pretty sure most people studied a lot and tried pretty hard. Our prof said he would grade them just to see how we would all do. We haven't gotten the grades yet, but he said in class today everyone got around a B- or a C.

And if you get the A of B+ then you're in good shape.

He gave back the grades today via e-mail, I'm not sure exactly how this happened, I think he was lying to us because people did better than he made it out to be.. I got an A+ though!

[adonai]

We had an ungraded midterm a couple of weeks ago for property, and I'm pretty sure most people studied a lot and tried pretty hard. Our prof said he would grade them just to see how we would all do. We haven't gotten the grades yet, but he said in class today everyone got around a B- or a C.

And if you get the A of B+ then you're in good shape.

He gave back the grades today via e-mail, I'm not sure exactly how this happened, I think he was lying to us because people did better than he made it out to be.. I got an A+ though!

Congrats! If you're like my school, there is only one A+ allowed to be given and you got it.

[ilovesf]

We had an ungraded midterm a couple of weeks ago for property, and I'm pretty sure most people studied a lot and tried pretty hard. Our prof said he would grade them just to see how we would all do. We haven't gotten the grades yet, but he said in class today everyone got around a B- or a C.

And if you get the A of B+ then you're in good shape.

He gave back the grades today via e-mail, I'm not sure exactly how this happened, I think he was lying to us because people did better than he made it out to be.. I got an A+ though!

Congrats! If you're like my school, there is only one A+ allowed to be given and you got it.

I think around five other people got an A+, but I'm super happy to be one of the six out of ~ 87 people!

[bostonlawchick]

4 substantive classes, had a midterm for 1 a couple weeks ago so I have that. Going to start on contracts this weekend. Definitely the class where I'm most lost, so I figure it's the best place to start.

Also, graded LRW is the worst idea ever. Not only do we have memos to worry about, but we even have an exam to test our citation skills.

WHAT? I'm sorry man.

So I don't make my school sound too harsh, I will say it's only 10% and it's 3 weeks before finals (so it doesn't cut into the really super serious study period or anything).

Lol we have a legal research class here at ND, where they test us on how well we use Lexis, Westlaw and the Bluebook. It is graded as a 1 credit class. We have a final in 3 weeks where they give us multiple choice questions on natural language searches v. terms and connectors searches. And I'm not fucking with you guys.

Wow I didn't realize how prevalent ungraded LR was... we have year-long LRRW worth 5 credits with a research exam at the end. Boo.

[JusticeHarlan]

Wow I didn't realize how prevalent ungraded LR was... we have year-long LRRW worth 5 credits with a research exam at the end. Boo.

If you're at BC (and from this post alone I have like 3 reasons to suspect you are), don't worry about the research exam. Not time intensive in the slightest (though different profs do it slightly differently).

[JenDarby]

I've been very unproductive these last two days. I'm ahead and almost done with all my readings, but I keep falling asleep while trying to work or other stuff takes time away. I have to get car repairs done tomorrow. So, that's going to take more time

Please don't complain about how far ahead you are. You might give some of us, who are constantly just on track, a complex. I think my biggest problem is too much zen.

[gdane]

Sorry. I'm just trying to stick to a deadline and stuff is getting in the way of me meeting that deadline.

[bostonlawchick]

Wow I didn't realize how prevalent ungraded LR was... we have year-long LRRW worth 5 credits with a research exam at the end. Boo.

If you're at BC (and from this post alone I have like 3 reasons to suspect you are), don't worry about the research exam. Not time intensive in the slightest (though different profs do it slightly differently).

Yep! Thanks for the info. I was wondering how attentive I really need to be during all of the mind-numbing Westlaw presentations.

[Peg]

Does anyone else here feel like they are on the verge of hysteria?

I keep up with the reading, I take detailed notes, I've even read ahead for one of my classes, and yet I feel like there is no knowledge in my head. I don't think I've learned anything since school started in September. I also have no idea how I'm going to write the exam. I did some outlining end of September/early October, but I just looked back at those outlines and was like, "OMG this is entirely useless" and am starting again from scratch, and it is honestly just overwhelming. Plus, 3 weeks till December. KILL ME NOW.

I need the following things:
- a drink
- a cuddly, affectionate dog/cat
- a drink
- and another drink

[northwood]

peg: take a deep breath. Have that drink or 2. take some more deep breaths. Focus on one class, and get ahold of someother outlines from the professor. take a look at them, and make your own outlines using them as a reference.

make a plan and stick to it. the plan itself will help alleviate the stress. remember that a lot of your classmates are going to be going through this, or are going through this as well... you can do it, and have faith in yourself.

[gdane]

Don't be such a square peg.

Here is a suggestion. Get yourself the crunch time for the classes you're struggling in. use them to get a general idea of the concepts and then fill in the blanks with the e and e. Finally, look at the cases you have read to see these concepts in action.

Good luck

[istara]

I need the following things:
- a drink
- a cuddly, affectionate dog/cat
- a drink
- and another drink

This was exactly my order of operations tonight. Tomorrow's schedule: feel guilty about it. Then keep outlining.. and write a paper or 3.

[r6_philly]

I drank first, then looked at past exams. The question was about drinking. Good times.

[dailygrind]

I played this clip about a million times last year when I needed motivation.

And maybe this one once or twice as well.

[brickman]

This one too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obdd31Q9 ... plpp_video

[jess]

.

[ilovesf]

i hate how the impossibility of my final memo is cutting into my exam prep/outlining time. Grrrr.

Ditto. My memo is due Tuesday and it's killing me. I really need to start outlining for torts, but this memo just won't end!

[crossarmant]

I am having a bit of a freakout, I've been pushing my memo off. Though I have all the research done and a basic discussion section, a rough draft is due Tuesday and the final is due on the 16th. I did well enough on the ungraded practice memo, but I am kinda freaking now. Spending most all of tomorrow working on it.

Has anyone else been using the LexisNexis Q&A book series to prep themselves? I feel like it's pretty useful to pinpoint where I need to work the most and where I have a firm understanding. Especially with the explanations in the back for all the questions, it's a huge help.