1L Fall Grade Waiting Thread Forum

[Dany]

What is the 'talking about grades' etiquette once we get back from break? Are people going to be asking 'How'd you do?' and am I supposed to tell them?

No.

[Bildungsroman]

What is the 'talking about grades' etiquette once we get back from break? Are people going to be asking 'How'd you do?' and am I supposed to tell them?

Don't talk about grades. Even if you do really well or really shitty. If someone asks you point blank how you did, say "fine" or "about how I expected" or something else vague.

If they insist on pressing the issue, kill them with fire.

[shock259]

People are already oversharing and we only have grades from a few classes back. Thankfully, most of my good friends seem to be wise enough to not really talk about law school more than is necessary.

[YourCaptain]

What is the 'talking about grades' etiquette once we get back from break? Are people going to be asking 'How'd you do?' and am I supposed to tell them?

Just say "fine" and leave it at that. I didn't discuss grades w even my closest friends, so I may be an abnormality, but it's better to keep that shit under wraps.

my closer friends and i discussed but we all did about the same. just keep quiet and if you did well fall keep doing what you did

[D'Angelo]

not planning on sharing my grades no matter how I do!

[Xifeng]

not planning on sharing my grades no matter how I do!

Same.

[jjlaw]

What is the 'talking about grades' etiquette once we get back from break? Are people going to be asking 'How'd you do?' and am I supposed to tell them?

Just say "fine" and leave it at that. I didn't discuss grades w even my closest friends, so I may be an abnormality, but it's better to keep that shit under wraps.

Isn't it going to be obvious by 2L anyway when certain people get invited to OCI and others don't?

[thesealocust]

What is the 'talking about grades' etiquette once we get back from break? Are people going to be asking 'How'd you do?' and am I supposed to tell them?

Just say "fine" and leave it at that. I didn't discuss grades w even my closest friends, so I may be an abnormality, but it's better to keep that shit under wraps.

Isn't it going to be obvious by 2L anyway when certain people get invited to OCI and others don't?

...no. People under and overperform grades all the time. You'll be able to figure out a little based on things like LR + employment prospects, but only a little and only in broad generalizations.

The only winning move is not to talk about grades, ever, with anyone. Possible exception if you have a study group rocking and need to use the grades to fuel spring semester preparations.

[crit_racer]

I don't get why there is so much hypersensitivity about grades. Obviously understand how important they are, but I don't really get why it matters if other people know you did well/poorly. In undergrad, if I didn't do well on a test and someone asked I'd just be like "yeah, i totally fucked that up" and laugh it off. Why should this be any different?

I feel like all these social dos and donts of law school actually provoke the competitive, ultra serious atmosphere.

[D'Angelo]

I don't get why there is so much hypersensitivity about grades. Obviously understand how important they are, but I don't really get why it matters if other people know you did well/poorly. In undergrad, if I didn't do well on a test and someone asked I'd just be like "yeah, i totally fucked that up" and laugh it off. Why should this be any different?

I feel like all these social dos and donts of law school actually provoke the competitive, ultra serious atmosphere.

people get nervous when they think things matter?

[Dany]

I don't get why there is so much hypersensitivity about grades. Obviously understand how important they are, but I don't really get why it matters if other people know you did well/poorly. In undergrad, if I didn't do well on a test and someone asked I'd just be like "yeah, i totally fucked that up" and laugh it off. Why should this be any different?

I feel like all these social dos and donts of law school actually provoke the competitive, ultra serious atmosphere.

Because doing poorly can leave you $200k in debt with no job and no prospects? Because you doing well actually precludes someone else from doing well? Because you're graded on a curve? In undergrad, everyone CAN get an A. If you did poorly, it's probably because you didn't try. In law school, you can try your hardest and still get a C.

[adonai]

I don't get why there is so much hypersensitivity about grades. Obviously understand how important they are, but I don't really get why it matters if other people know you did well/poorly. In undergrad, if I didn't do well on a test and someone asked I'd just be like "yeah, i totally fucked that up" and laugh it off. Why should this be any different?

I feel like all these social dos and donts of law school actually provoke the competitive, ultra serious atmosphere.

Doing poorly = showing others that you epic failed. Doing well = coming off to others that you are a douche and potential to make others who didn't do so hot feel bad. Total image/pride issue, which seems pretty pointless, but that's the politics of law school for you. I think the rule should be that if people ask you and want the details, you give it to them, but you don't go around flaunting it or soliciting it from others unless you are really close to them. Withholding even in those circumstances just seems overly gunnerish to me.

[Naked Dude]

What is the 'talking about grades' etiquette once we get back from break? Are people going to be asking 'How'd you do?' and am I supposed to tell them?

Just say "fine" and leave it at that. I didn't discuss grades w even my closest friends, so I may be an abnormality, but it's better to keep that shit under wraps.

Never understood people who get offended when you won't tell them your grade on something. My favorite is the people who volunteer their grades/LSAT score, et al, and then it's like you're a dick for not sharing. I used to tell the obnoxious people in my high school that i got a 2600 on the SAT. Nothing blueballs that type of person better.

[Naked Dude]

I don't get why there is so much hypersensitivity about grades. Obviously understand how important they are, but I don't really get why it matters if other people know you did well/poorly. In undergrad, if I didn't do well on a test and someone asked I'd just be like "yeah, i totally fucked that up" and laugh it off. Why should this be any different?

I feel like all these social dos and donts of law school actually provoke the competitive, ultra serious atmosphere.

I could give a fuck less if people know that I did well/poorly and judge me based on that. Let petty assholes be petty assholes. There are just some things I don't care to share, and if people have a problem with that, they can be friends with someone else.

I think the rule should be that if people ask you and want the details, you give it to them...Withholding even in those circumstances just seems overly gunnerish to me.

Gonna have to strongly disagree with that. I think you can decline to discuss grades without being gunnerish or standoffish. I don't see this as any different than regulating who can see what on my Facebook profile. I agree with Grizz, you just say "fine," and if they press, don't say anything or act defensive--just let the other come off as the aggressive douche.

[crit_racer]

I don't get why there is so much hypersensitivity about grades. Obviously understand how important they are, but I don't really get why it matters if other people know you did well/poorly. In undergrad, if I didn't do well on a test and someone asked I'd just be like "yeah, i totally fucked that up" and laugh it off. Why should this be any different?

I feel like all these social dos and donts of law school actually provoke the competitive, ultra serious atmosphere.

Because doing poorly can leave you $200k in debt with no job and no prospects? Because you doing well actually precludes someone else from doing well? Because you're graded on a curve? In undergrad, everyone CAN get an A. If you did poorly, it's probably because you didn't try. In law school, you can try your hardest and still get a C.

Meh...counting heads is kind of a stupid way to think of the curve when youre in a section of 100 ppl

The grade is important. Other people knowing your grade/their opinion of your law school skills is not important.

[D'Angelo]

Meh...counting heads is kind of a stupid way to think of the curve when youre in a section of 100 ppl

The grade is important. Other people knowing your grade/their opinion of your law school skills is not important.

ideally but it is difficult to think like this!

[YourCaptain]

it's a zero-sum game thats why sharing sucks

[Naked Dude]

it's a zero-sum game thats why sharing sucks

Also, you gotta do what you can to maintain a psychological edge. The mind games are one of the only things you can control!

[bk1]

I don't get why there is so much hypersensitivity about grades. Obviously understand how important they are, but I don't really get why it matters if other people know you did well/poorly. In undergrad, if I didn't do well on a test and someone asked I'd just be like "yeah, i totally fucked that up" and laugh it off. Why should this be any different?

I feel like all these social dos and donts of law school actually provoke the competitive, ultra serious atmosphere.

Because law school is our society's repository for those suffering from Asperger's.

[Grizz]

Isn't it going to be obvious by 2L anyway when certain people get invited to OCI and others don't?

...no. People under and overperform grades all the time. You'll be able to figure out a little based on things like LR + employment prospects, but only a little and only in broad generalizations.

The only winning move is not to talk about grades, ever, with anyone. Possible exception if you have a study group rocking and need to use the grades to fuel spring semester preparations.

This.

People on TLS often seem to assume that a certain level of grades entitles you to a certain level of vault or NLJ250 firm. It doesn't work that way; it's not like law school admissions.

[Kendi]

People on TLS often seem to assume that a certain level of grades entitles you to a certain level of vault or NLJ250 firm. It doesn't work that way; it's not like law school admissions.

Fascinating. How does having top grades or making LR not help? And if IT doesn’t work that way, how does IT work?

[Bildungsroman]

People on TLS often seem to assume that a certain level of grades entitles you to a certain level of vault or NLJ250 firm. It doesn't work that way; it's not like law school admissions.

Fascinating. How does having top grades or making LR not help? And if IT doesn’t work that way, how does IT work?

Are you illiterate or are you misinterpreting what he said on purpose?

[goodolgil]

Isn't it going to be obvious by 2L anyway when certain people get invited to OCI and others don't?

...no. People under and overperform grades all the time. You'll be able to figure out a little based on things like LR + employment prospects, but only a little and only in broad generalizations.

The only winning move is not to talk about grades, ever, with anyone. Possible exception if you have a study group rocking and need to use the grades to fuel spring semester preparations.

This.

People on TLS often seem to assume that a certain level of grades entitles you to a certain level of vault or NLJ250 firm. It doesn't work that way; it's not like law school admissions.

As someone who was top 10% at a T10 with almost nothing else going on in my favor (shitty undergrad, boring WE), I can say this is definitely true. Grades can get you in the door, and maybe top grades + super awesome resume may come close to the "auto-admit" status analogous to law school admissions, but grades alone aren't sufficient. My pile of rejection letters will attest to that.

[Kendi]

People on TLS often seem to assume that a certain level of grades entitles you to a certain level of vault or NLJ250 firm. It doesn't work that way; it's not like law school admissions.

Fascinating. How does having top grades or making LR not help? And if IT doesn’t work that way, how does IT work?

Are you illiterate or are you misinterpreting what he said on purpose?

Difficult to misrepresent a cut and paste quote.

You desperately need to find someone to read the threads for you, and then explain it to you.

[thesealocust]

I don't get why there is so much hypersensitivity about grades. Obviously understand how important they are, but I don't really get why it matters if other people know you did well/poorly. In undergrad, if I didn't do well on a test and someone asked I'd just be like "yeah, i totally fucked that up" and laugh it off. Why should this be any different?

I feel like all these social dos and donts of law school actually provoke the competitive, ultra serious atmosphere.

In undergrad, grades were based on how well you did on an exam. In law school, grades are based on how everyone else did on the exam.

In undergrad, many career paths after school don't depend on grades and many people have uncertain goals. In law school, grades are the most important factor to short-term employment prospects.

In undergrad,anybody taking on debt did so aware that career prospects - and even desires - were uncertain. In law school, most are drowning in debt and relying on getting a job.

The most important is probably #1. The curve plus the bizarre nature of law school exams means grading and competition is a circular firing squad. It's my least favorite aspect of the whole thing.

If you can't piece together why this is true, you're probably a law student. You might recover from that disease in a year or two or you might not, but never forget that you were called out on it now, and when you find it difficult to maintain personal relations and engage in normal human behavior in the future, please remember that you were warned.