Didn't do as well as hoped; grades come back good? Forum

[Minnietron]

Exactly. If there was enough time, there would be a horrible, narrow curve. I've been in those kinds of classes. It's the worst. When 5 points separate A from B-, that's not a fun time for anyone.

Isn't it fun for the As?

[hopefuljumbo23]

Has anyone felt like they didn't perform as well as they hoped on finals/know they got a few questions wrong for sure after the exam, but received A/A-s?

Last year (1L year, spring semester) I walked out of crim law, talked to a friend, and realized I missed an entire footnote on the fact pattern. It was integral to assessing the viability of defendant's self-defense claim. Got an A. First semester, totally missed a whole issue on a question for civ pro. Got a 65% on the final...also an A. You just have no idea what other people put and no way of assessing where you fall. Its pointless.

I walked out of con law thinking I beasted the multiple choice and missed some points on the essay, but overall did well. Perfect score on the essay but it was my lowest grade of the semester. You just have *no* idea.

You had multiple choice for con law? Wtf? That's just cruel.

[BigZuck]

Has anyone felt like they didn't perform as well as they hoped on finals/know they got a few questions wrong for sure after the exam, but received A/A-s?

Last year (1L year, spring semester) I walked out of crim law, talked to a friend, and realized I missed an entire footnote on the fact pattern. It was integral to assessing the viability of defendant's self-defense claim. Got an A. First semester, totally missed a whole issue on a question for civ pro. Got a 65% on the final...also an A. You just have no idea what other people put and no way of assessing where you fall. Its pointless.

I walked out of con law thinking I beasted the multiple choice and missed some points on the essay, but overall did well. Perfect score on the essay but it was my lowest grade of the semester. You just have *no* idea.

You had multiple choice for con law? Wtf? That's just cruel.

You're in for a rude awakening come bar exam time

[hopefuljumbo23]

Has anyone felt like they didn't perform as well as they hoped on finals/know they got a few questions wrong for sure after the exam, but received A/A-s?

Last year (1L year, spring semester) I walked out of crim law, talked to a friend, and realized I missed an entire footnote on the fact pattern. It was integral to assessing the viability of defendant's self-defense claim. Got an A. First semester, totally missed a whole issue on a question for civ pro. Got a 65% on the final...also an A. You just have no idea what other people put and no way of assessing where you fall. Its pointless.

I walked out of con law thinking I beasted the multiple choice and missed some points on the essay, but overall did well. Perfect score on the essay but it was my lowest grade of the semester. You just have *no* idea.

You had multiple choice for con law? Wtf? That's just cruel.

You're in for a rude awakening come bar exam time

Oh lord. Con law is on the BAR? WHY?????

[BigZuck]

Has anyone felt like they didn't perform as well as they hoped on finals/know they got a few questions wrong for sure after the exam, but received A/A-s?

Last year (1L year, spring semester) I walked out of crim law, talked to a friend, and realized I missed an entire footnote on the fact pattern. It was integral to assessing the viability of defendant's self-defense claim. Got an A. First semester, totally missed a whole issue on a question for civ pro. Got a 65% on the final...also an A. You just have no idea what other people put and no way of assessing where you fall. Its pointless.

I walked out of con law thinking I beasted the multiple choice and missed some points on the essay, but overall did well. Perfect score on the essay but it was my lowest grade of the semester. You just have *no* idea.

You had multiple choice for con law? Wtf? That's just cruel.

You're in for a rude awakening come bar exam time

Oh lord. Con law is on the BAR? WHY?????

Con Law has 1.5 sections on the MBE. Crim Pro is also just Con Law that they're pretending is something that isn't Con Law.

[hopefuljumbo23]

Oh lord. Con law is on the BAR? WHY?????

Con Law has 1.5 sections on the MBE. Crim Pro is also just Con Law that they're pretending is something that isn't Con Law.

Wow. That's just plain rude.

[mvp99]

Has anyone felt like they didn't perform as well as they hoped on finals/know they got a few questions wrong for sure after the exam, but received A/A-s?

Last year (1L year, spring semester) I walked out of crim law, talked to a friend, and realized I missed an entire footnote on the fact pattern. It was integral to assessing the viability of defendant's self-defense claim. Got an A. First semester, totally missed a whole issue on a question for civ pro. Got a 65% on the final...also an A. You just have no idea what other people put and no way of assessing where you fall. Its pointless.

I walked out of con law thinking I beasted the multiple choice and missed some points on the essay, but overall did well. Perfect score on the essay but it was my lowest grade of the semester. You just have *no* idea.

You had multiple choice for con law? Wtf? That's just cruel.

You're in for a rude awakening come bar exam time

Oh lord. Con law is on the BAR? WHY?????

Nah con law on the bar is pretty straightforward. To be a MC question the narrow issue tested has to be clear cut so theres really not much the testers can do with con law. Once you do 100 con law questions, you have seen them all. Be sure to check the recent SC cases though, thats prob the only curve ball they can throw at you.

[OneShot2009]

Exactly. If there was enough time, there would be a horrible, narrow curve. I've been in those kinds of classes. It's the worst. When 5 points separate A from B-, that's not a fun time for anyone.

Isn't it fun for the As?

Not really. There is one professor at my school who always has an insanely tight curve. Even in the class where I was at the top of it, I sat in that test obsessing over one multiple choice knowing what I put was the difference between an A and a B+. Not fun.

As for multiple choice on con law, as someone else seemed so surprised by that, the professor specifically does it to prepare people for the bar. Hates MC personally, but puts it in as bar prep and then makes the rest essay.

[nikey11!]

T30 school. Got a B+ in Contracts and in Civ Pro. Waiting on Torts and LWR. How am I doing for OCI? I think I've identified where I went wrong next semester and I feel confident I can improve. Thoughts?

[BigZuck]

T30 school. Got a B+ in Contracts and in Civ Pro. Waiting on Torts and LWR. How am I doing for OCI? I think I've identified where I went wrong next semester and I feel confident I can improve. Thoughts?

What kinds of thoughts are you looking for?

[UVA2B]

T30 school. Got a B+ in Contracts and in Civ Pro. Waiting on Torts and LWR. How am I doing for OCI? I think I've identified where I went wrong next semester and I feel confident I can improve. Thoughts?

Not nearly enough info to chance you for OCI (inasmuch as this is a thing). What's your school's curve? What type of work are you looking for? Do you have any other background that could lead to employment in a particular practice?

This thread was never really intended to chance anyone at OCI. Just get your grades back, and if you can find ways to improve, do it. And, as always, hustle, don't read tea leaves, and mass mail every market you want to work in and hope for the best.

[SFSpartan]

Oh lord. Con law is on the BAR? WHY?????

Con Law has 1.5 sections on the MBE. Crim Pro is also just Con Law that they're pretending is something that isn't Con Law.

Wow. That's just plain rude.

ConLaw for the Bar is way different from ConLaw in law school. ConLaw in law school is mostly about fuzzy, not altogether clear areas of law. Hence, giving a multiple choice ConLaw exam in LS is kinda mean unless your prof is testing super black and white topics. ConLaw for the bar is super straightforward - Crim Pro is the hardest part of all that, and you can get most of the questions there right if you assume the police always win.

[nikey11!]

T30 school. Got a B+ in Contracts and in Civ Pro. Waiting on Torts and LWR. How am I doing for OCI? I think I've identified where I went wrong next semester and I feel confident I can improve. Thoughts?

Not nearly enough info to chance you for OCI (inasmuch as this is a thing). What's your school's curve? What type of work are you looking for? Do you have any other background that could lead to employment in a particular practice?

This thread was never really intended to chance anyone at OCI. Just get your grades back, and if you can find ways to improve, do it. And, as always, hustle, don't read tea leaves, and mass mail every market you want to work in and hope for the best.

The curve is set at a B. I'm looking to stay in the Boston market. I'm a URM (not sure if that helps at all, tbh). No previous work experience either (Yikes?). No more reading tea leave, haha, got it! And thanks, will do.

[nikey11!]

T30 school. Got a B+ in Contracts and in Civ Pro. Waiting on Torts and LWR. How am I doing for OCI? I think I've identified where I went wrong next semester and I feel confident I can improve. Thoughts?

What kinds of thoughts are you looking for?

Honest ones, haha. On my chances... though I'm not sure that's what this thread is anymore haha. I'd really like to go Big Law, but if that's not possible, then I'd like to know sooner rather than later so I can explore other options, ya know?

[UVA2B]

T30 school. Got a B+ in Contracts and in Civ Pro. Waiting on Torts and LWR. How am I doing for OCI? I think I've identified where I went wrong next semester and I feel confident I can improve. Thoughts?

What kinds of thoughts are you looking for?

Honest ones, haha. On my chances... though I'm not sure that's what this thread is anymore haha. I'd really like to go Big Law, but if that's not possible, then I'd like to know sooner rather than later so I can explore other options, ya know?

If you stay above median (assuming BU/BC is somewhat tightly bound by median), then you can definitely combine your URM status to get an offer for BIGLAW if you hustle. Just bid smartly, play up your strengths, and make your application as strong as possible.

That being said, everything else remains relevant in trying to continue improving and then doing your research about how to bid firms when OCI comes around. You can make it happen, but it's on you to figure out how to apply your strengths to the OCI process.

[lavarman84]

I just walked out of a tax exam like I got hit by a train... anyone else feel like that after tax?

This was the exam where I had a panic attack during and ended up with a B+. Tax is hard for everyone.

I really enjoyed my Tax exam. I had a great professor (literally wrote the book) and an outline from a friend who is a tax-savant (and took the same professor), so my experience probably isn't normal. However, I liked the fact that the exam was pretty different than a normal law school exam. Our exam were problems in essay form. You just explained how you worked through the problem using code provisions and gave the answer. There wasn't much ambiguity to it. If you understood the process to everything, it was pretty easy.

[prageellc]

T30 school. Got a B+ in Contracts and in Civ Pro. Waiting on Torts and LWR. How am I doing for OCI? I think I've identified where I went wrong next semester and I feel confident I can improve. Thoughts?

What kinds of thoughts are you looking for?

Honest ones, haha. On my chances... though I'm not sure that's what this thread is anymore haha. I'd really like to go Big Law, but if that's not possible, then I'd like to know sooner rather than later so I can explore other options, ya know?

If you stay above median (assuming BU/BC is somewhat tightly bound by median), then you can definitely combine your URM status to get an offer for BIGLAW if you hustle. Just bid smartly, play up your strengths, and make your application as strong as possible.

That being said, everything else remains relevant in trying to continue improving and then doing your research about how to bid firms when OCI comes around. You can make it happen, but it's on you to figure out how to apply your strengths to the OCI process.

Also at a T30 school as the person above. 2 Bs and 2 B+s, so most likely below median (3.156 gpa). Drop out or stick with it and pray for a 3.7 next semester (lol) to average to a somewhat decent gpa for OCI? Also not a URM

[RaceJudicata]

If it was already addressed, my bad. But OP, how did you end up doing? (if grades are back).

[lymenheimer]

If it was already addressed, my bad. But OP, how did you end up doing? (if grades are back).

At least one here.
http://top-law-schools.com/forums/viewt ... 3&t=273047

[nikey11!]

T30 school. Got a B+ in Contracts and in Civ Pro. Waiting on Torts and LWR. How am I doing for OCI? I think I've identified where I went wrong next semester and I feel confident I can improve. Thoughts?

What kinds of thoughts are you looking for?

Honest ones, haha. On my chances... though I'm not sure that's what this thread is anymore haha. I'd really like to go Big Law, but if that's not possible, then I'd like to know sooner rather than later so I can explore other options, ya know?

If you stay above median (assuming BU/BC is somewhat tightly bound by median), then you can definitely combine your URM status to get an offer for BIGLAW if you hustle. Just bid smartly, play up your strengths, and make your application as strong as possible.

That being said, everything else remains relevant in trying to continue improving and then doing your research about how to bid firms when OCI comes around. You can make it happen, but it's on you to figure out how to apply your strengths to the OCI process.

Thanks so much! This was really helpful!