One approach to 1L success from someone ranked #1. Forum

[crossarmant]

This is a fantastic help and I look forward to using tidbits of advice from here to help me through my upcoming 1L. And while everyone here laments that it seems like the hardest plan in the world and that it's overkill, it really doesn't seem that intense if you've been in the working world for a few years. Wake up at 7am, do work until 7pm? That's just a normal damn day as a grown up, the only difference is the subject matter. I was taking night classes 4 nights a week on top of working 50 hours a week and doing the full three months of P90X, studying on the weekends for the classes all while being 3 hours away from my fiancee and aced my classes. Once you get used to the lifestyle, it stops being tedium and starts just being your life. I just wish I'd have had this sort of discipline years ago in undergrad.

Again, thank you OP

[Flips88]

^someone probably deleted your "tag" because there's a simple bookmark option.

[fingersxd]

Just wanted to chime in and thank the OP for his useful advice. Whether you agree or disagree with his tactics, they clearly worked FOR HIM.

Now, can't we all just get along? (I'm joking, of course, but let's try and stop muddying up this thread for 0L's and future TLSers).

[Bless]

OP, you're an animal. Congrats on your success. Very humbling, as I'm headed to a similarly ranked school.

[Corwin]

Any news on your transfer cycle yet?

[redsox4lyfe]

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[flexityflex86]

just commenting to save this thread in view your posts.

congrats man.

one thing about 0L prep that could be argued is if you had the personality to spend your summer doing so much reading, you may have had a better work ethic than most of your peers.

[Wholigan]

Are you transferring, OP?

[Zazelmaf]

With such a busy schedule it looks like it may have been challenging to make friends and/or attend social gatherings. Did you find that your focus and drive on a singular target diminished the importance of being part of the social web (not counting meeting with professors) that may have otherwise been interesting?

Would you consider doing an AMA for Reddit? (just out of curiosity; not a mod or anything)

Was going to ask a similar thing. Based on the schedule, it looks as though you allocated almost no time towards socializing with other people. (the only time i noticed it mentioned was your saturday schedule).

I feel like such a lack of social exposure would be detrimental not just to your mental health, but also to your career. Am I missing something?

Worked out well for Xeoh (#1 at UCLA, no socializing)

I agree as well. Socializing is totally overrated.

[JRD]

With such a busy schedule it looks like it may have been challenging to make friends and/or attend social gatherings. Did you find that your focus and drive on a singular target diminished the importance of being part of the social web (not counting meeting with professors) that may have otherwise been interesting?

Would you consider doing an AMA for Reddit? (just out of curiosity; not a mod or anything)

Was going to ask a similar thing. Based on the schedule, it looks as though you allocated almost no time towards socializing with other people. (the only time i noticed it mentioned was your saturday schedule).

I feel like such a lack of social exposure would be detrimental not just to your mental health, but also to your career. Am I missing something?

Worked out well for Xeoh (#1 at UCLA, no socializing)

I agree as well. Socializing is totally overrated.

You can set a schedule in a manner that allows for the required amount of studying and enough socializing. I feel like I socialized plenty (football every saturday, worked on sundays, went out on thursdays and fridays) and I did well enough (Ranked #1). OP schedule worked for him, but it is in no way the only method to getting to number 1.

[rocon7383]

Removed for irrelevance

[rocon7383]

Hey OP, thanks for the post.

I know that you would read for your next class' assignments, the day they were assigned. However, I was curious to know if you did more than just read and brief/highlight/underline etc. Or did you begin outlining immediately after reading? Basically, when you say "read for class 1" in your schedule, does that include outlining, or just reading with the idea that you'll outline what you've read in a few days. Also, what is your general opinion of briefing? Thank you and congrats.

[SilverE2]

Hey OP, thanks for the post.

I know that you would read for your next class' assignments, the day they were assigned. However, I was curious to know if you did more than just read and brief/highlight/underline etc. Or did you begin outlining immediately after reading? Basically, when you say "read for class 1" in your schedule, does that include outlining, or just reading with the idea that you'll outline what you've read in a few days. Also, what is your general opinion of briefing? Thank you and congrats.

+1 Not sure what to do with my reading that's not cases. One of my classes has a large amount of non-case reading.

[Geetar Man]

TAG!

[STLMizzou]

TAG!

[StarLightSpectre]

Tag and Thanks.

[jediknight2424]

tag

[coldshoulder]

I have to say, although many of you have said that top 5%/top 10% people were able to work less and achieve similar results, a lot of the time those people are either extremely intelligent or just lucked out on exam day. For the rest of us average and above average minds looking for top class rank, an intense schedule like this can make the difference. Hard work beats raw intelligence, but only if you put a shit ton of hard work in.

[dreakol]

I have to say, although many of you have said that top 5%/top 10% people were able to work less and achieve similar results, a lot of the time those people are either extremely intelligent or just lucked out on exam day. For the rest of us average and above average minds looking for top class rank, an intense schedule like this can make the difference. Hard work beats raw intelligence, but only if you put a shit ton of hard work in.

lol tyft

[Impending1L]

tag

[PutSumGravyOnIt]

tag

[PDaddy]

I am as impressed with OP as anyone else here, but with a caveat. The "hardest working" students - if defined as "those who spend the least amount of time socializing and the most time studying" - don't typically wind up #1. OP's approach, experiences and results, though not rare per se, are not the norm.

I suspect that most people who follow this method would likely fail to acheive #1 status. From what I have gleaned, law school success depends on developing a system that works for you, the individual. Borrow bits and pieces from a diverse selection of successful students (including OP). Don't buy into anyone's method wholesale, because that seems like a recipe for disaster.

[tonton]

tag and thabks

[justonemoregame]

tag

[bbalcrzy23]

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