TheSeaLocust's 1L Anxiety Meditation Retreat & Spa Forum

[Easy-E]

I don't really know what law review or journals are. I know you want to make it on to one, but I don't really know what they do. Also, does anyone else get a million emails a day about every single club? My school doesn't seem to understand mailing lists, so if theirs a special secret meeting for the Black Jewish Transgender Space Law society, I get to hear about it. Do employers really give a shit that you went to a meeting for some pizza?

Journals are a pointless pyramid scheme that allows professors to write shells of articles without bothering to cite sources. It's literally a massive circlejerk that's somehow perpetuated forever even though nobody reads journal articles, cites journal articles, or cares about the existence of journal articles outside of law school professors.

This sounds like most of law school (keep briefing every stupid detail of the casebook).

[thesealocust]

Good.

You're catching on : ]

[soj]

This sounds like most of law school (keep briefing every stupid detail of the casebook).

see? tlsing counts as studying because it improves your analogizing skills.

[finnandjake2]

TSL, your memo writing advice for non-graded LRW did wonders for my anxiety. I took a nap until about midnight... and then worked on my memo until morning. It was nice not feeling stressed about it and it's good to know that there was really no reason to worry about it in the first place.

[06102016]

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[thesealocust]

TSL, your memo writing advice for non-graded LRW did wonders for my anxiety. I took a nap until about midnight... and then worked on my memo until morning. It was nice not feeling stressed about it and it's good to know that there was really no reason to worry about it in the first place.

Awww yis. There is no spoon, etc.

uuuuggggghhh F U

Sorry about your tiny pink graded LRW bro

[gaucholaw]

TSL: how is it possible to remain nonchalant about the major memo though? I mean it's ungraded, but still requires a seemingly insane amount of research - no way around it.... what am I missing?

[dj_roomba]

Do you know what the participation policy is for professors who don't say anything about it at all?
Can they dock you or grade you up even if it's not on the syllabus?

[Easy-E]

TSL: how is it possible to remain nonchalant about the major memo though? I mean it's ungraded, but still requires a seemingly insane amount of research - no way around it.... what am I missing?

I mean, its ungraded. So what's the worst that can happen? I'm actually asking, because mine is graded, so I don't really get the incentive to work hard on it other than having a writing sample.

[thesealocust]

TSL: how is it possible to remain nonchalant about the major memo though? I mean it's ungraded, but still requires a seemingly insane amount of research - no way around it.... what am I missing?

Your mileage may vary, if you think it will take more hours than you have between midnight and the due date obviously you'll need to pace yourself accordingly My point, other than telling hilarious anecdotes from the days of yore, is to make sure you give it the appropriate amount of attention / prioritization. It's easy to get swept away in paranoid grinding.

Do you know what the participation policy is for professors who don't say anything about it at all?
Can they dock you or grade you up even if it's not on the syllabus?

Even the ones who say they will generally don't. They're all way too lazy. They also believe very strongly as a class that issue spotter + blind grading + assigning points = the perfect ranking system for the nation's next great legal minds.

[Br3v]

TSL I am under the impression that the only way to fail LRW is to literally not turn in one of the memos. Can you confirm?

[06102016]

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[skers]

TSL I am under the impression that the only way to fail LRW is to literally not turn in one of the memos. Can you confirm?

can someone with experience confirm this for graded LARW? TYIA, it's important and highly relevant.

Pretty much.

[06102016]

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[North]

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[kay2016]

North, my opinion is that dropping out now when you have no idea how you're going to compare when it counts seems premature.


If after finals you're in the same situation, maybe. But right now you probably couldn't even get any $ back.

Just my opinion..

[North]

.

[kay2016]

Glad to help walk you off the edge.

FWIW, I'm in the same boat. Our first practice midterm in Civ I was median, the rest have been ungraded.. But it was definitely an eye opener. But remember, just work as hard you can to do the best you can.. You have no control of what everyone else does and if the curve is merciful, it'll all work out. If not, then it's time to reevaluate!

[06102016]

..

[JDot]

out of curiosity, what exactly did your professor say about what not to do regarding one of your arguments?

[A. Nony Mouse]

[midterm stuff]

My Civ Pro prof (who was a terrible prof but a really nice man) made sure to tell us, multiple times, how he got all Cs on his midterms and still managed to pull As in his final semester grades. Did the explanation of what you shouldn't have done on the exam make sense to you? Did you get a sense of what the prof wanted you to have done instead? And can you go to office hours and ask the prof to walk through your midterm with you? Look at it this way - at least you got to have a trial run on a midterm that doesn't count, rather than suffer the consequences on a final.

[North]

[midterm stuff]

My Civ Pro prof (who was a terrible prof but a really nice man) made sure to tell us, multiple times, how he got all Cs on his midterms and still managed to pull As in his final semester grades. Did the explanation of what you shouldn't have done on the exam make sense to you? Did you get a sense of what the prof wanted you to have done instead? And can you go to office hours and ask the prof to walk through your midterm with you? Look at it this way - at least you got to have a trial run on a midterm that doesn't count, rather than suffer the consequences on a final.

Oh don't get me wrong, I'm really, really happy to get an opportunity to correct this stuff before it counts. It just hit my confidence pretty hard. I'm going to sit down with him as soon as I can. From what I can tell, I went too heavy with the "Plaintiff will argue" "Defendant will respond" stuff (I'd spot an issue then launch into analysis using the back and forth format) where he seems to like something closer to an essay. That's how the E&E's show you how to do it, so I think I'm going to start my retraining by working through those. Hopefully I can fix this.

[Br3v]

North btw helpful hint:

The rest if your class was trying. (Unless of course your in a section where everyone else in your section has already attended law school and knew what the heck to expect from a law school exam)

Don't sweat the small stuff. Small stuff = ungraded midterms

[North]

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[thesealocust]

It's hard to say anything positive or anxiety reducing about the curve. I think you just have to be a little zen about it - try your hardest, but understand that everyone is and there is no shame in getting median grades after trying your hardest. Law school exams are somewhat unique in that they really test application of a particular skill which can take time to develop.

One of the most interesting takeaways I got from getting close to a 1L professor was how professors view students after exams - strong exam performance impresses them, but weak exam performance doesn't make them think people are stupid or lazy or unmotivated. I doubt I'm articulating it well, but try to realize that failing to succeed in law school is much much much different from actually doing poorly. Do your best, try hard, desire success, but understand that "coming up short" can still be something to be proud of in the bizarre universe of law school exams and curves.

It's early and you have time to improve, but at the same time, try not to tie your sense of self worth or conception of the future to your exam performance. They're just exams, this is just school, and your ability to progress through life having adventures, kicking ass, and taking names will depend on a hell of a lot more than just the outcome of some stupid exams.

Only 10% will be in the top 10%. The curve is dumb. I'd like to make its harshness less of a terrifying mystery, but the point of this thread isn't "EVERYONE CAN WIN" - it's that win or lose, you don't have to be as anxious and wound up and twitchy as 1Ls inevitably become.