Pennoyer: irrational fears of 1Ls who did well last semester Forum

[Renzo]

If you think doing well makes you nervous, try being a median dweller with the goal of improvement. I have lost rationality many a time.

Then try feeling like you really, truly bombed your first final of the semester, in a class you though you were ready for.

Oh, that happened to me too. I went to the gym immediately after, and I burst into tears in the weight room. Looked like a total nut job I am sure. I studied so much all semester/spring break......I cannot even express it. Everyone said it was easy, and I thought there were tricks to the questions. So pretty much, FML.

The gym solves a lot of stress problems, but not all of them. But oh Insomnia, hai, and I hate you.

Amen, sister. All have to do is get A's on my two remaining tests. No prob, right?

[Leeroy Jenkins]

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[BobSacamano]

Oh, that happened to me too. I went to the gym immediately after, and I burst into tears in the weight room. Looked like a total nut job I am sure. I studied so much all semester/spring break......I cannot even express it. Everyone said it was easy, and I thought there were tricks to the questions. So pretty much, FML.

The gym solves a lot of stress problems, but not all of them. But oh Insomnia, hai, and I hate you.

If there's anything I learned first semester it's that if someone thought the exam was easy, they were definitely missing something. If they finished early, they were probably missing something.

But it definitely feels awful hearing that after the exam. That was my Monday.

[prezidentv8]

This thread is just generally so true.


Also, Leroy's onto something.

[pany1985]

Oh, that happened to me too. I went to the gym immediately after, and I burst into tears in the weight room. Looked like a total nut job I am sure. I studied so much all semester/spring break......I cannot even express it. Everyone said it was easy, and I thought there were tricks to the questions. So pretty much, FML.

The gym solves a lot of stress problems, but not all of them. But oh Insomnia, hai, and I hate you.

If there's anything I learned first semester it's that if someone thought the exam was easy, they were definitely missing something. If they finished early, they were probably missing something.

I thought one of my exams was easy and I got an A on it. Anecdotal evidence to the rescue!


Finishing early, though... that's a sure sign that you fucked up.

[Renzo]

Yeah, I hate when people tell me try my best, and that's all I can do! When, clearly, my best isn't good enough.

If you try the best you can
Then you've tried the best you can
The best you can is good enough.

And when my baby is crying because she's hungry, and I can't get a job, I'll just look her in her tiny baby face and tell her, "sorry, baby. Daddy tried his best."

[BobSacamano]

I thought one of my exams was easy and I got an A on it.

Anecdotal evidence to the rescue!

I thought one of my exams was the hardest I've ever taken, and that I had bombed, and I got an A! SO TAKE THAT.

But yes, I was super generalizing. edit: on second thought, I'll switch the probably and the definitely in my post. If you left early, definitely missed something. Thought it was easily, probably missed something. A girl left one of my three-hour exams an HOUR early. And she's a bright girl. WHY would you do that?

[Leeroy Jenkins]

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[Leeroy Jenkins]

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[Renzo]

In this situation, you haven't tried your best until you've prostituted your anus, pimped out your wife.

Now you're speaking my language. I'd read a self help book with that title.

[stinger35]

I feel right at home in this thread. I can't talk about it with... well, anybody in real life, because I don't want to sound like a huge douche, but I'm probably twice as stressed this semester as last. I can't fathom how I will get three A's this semester, which I'll need to maintain my GPA. I keep thinking "one missed issue and there goes your law review invite!" And with the law review invite goes my job. What if last semester was a total fluke? What if everyone adjusted to law school and I didn't? What if my exam writing abilities aren't actually that great, and I just got by on multiple choice, which I don't have this semester?

Last semester I was just hoping to hit median keep my scholarship. My expectations are unreasonably high this semester.

This is exactly how I feel. (And A'nold too, wherever he is). Ill try not to make this reply that long, but the red wine I had after civ pro, but this thread is right in my wheelhouse.

1) Disco, you were the one telling us the other night not to worry about things - that it was very rare to fall of after first semester! what the shit? hahahaha.

2) I was convinced that last semester was a fluke, or that other people would catch up, or that my exams this semester were goin to be too easy OR too hard and that I wouldn't do well or the fact that I basically pissed on the textbook this semester will equal median or worse this time around DESPITE the top individual grade in all of my classes except LRW

3) I for sure have figured out that I need at least 1 A to secure law review (if I get into a t14, I'm gone, but the fact that I am in this thread is proof that I am pessimistic as hell about this)

4) As I said, I did exceptionally well first semester but I was 100000% content with above median. I remember being like as long as top 30% I am cool with that and not only was I cool with it, I expected it. now I am expecting top 10%...wonder if I will be disappointed.

5) Halfway through my exam tonight I was like "shit, I am rolling" and by the end I was like "shit, I am fucked" - still, I looked up and saw peoples screens that were just filled with paragraphs...I think underlined, bold, etc. subheadings are so underrated its ridiculous, especially when everyone knows the law and you really need to help make yourself stand out

6) My professor put, almost word for word, a question from one of his practice exams on the test this year and I really just didn't focus on it enough. I got the main points but for a question worth 15% of our grade, I literally typed 2-3 SHORT paragraphs. Am i fucked?

7) What is the point of this post? idk!?!?! Im borderline drunk and trying not to think about Conlaw and as I said, self doubt after killing first semester, thats my wheelhouse baby!

[stinger35]

Finishing early, though... that's a sure sign that you fucked up.

Some guy finished his civpro exam 30 minutes early.
I was staring him in utter shock

Dude, three people walked out of my civ pro exam early tonight and the guy next to me sat there with his arms crossed for the last 20 minutes. I could have gone on for another hour at least. Whats wrong with those kids? Do they not care?

[OperaSoprano]

I do have more than a rough idea of what will happen to me if I screw up this semester. There is no Plan B.

C'mon, you're law school barbie - there's a book deal or a movie in this somewhere. Don't 0Ls send you money and shit for being a TLS legend?

I know what people think, but I left that world. I will be judged like any other, and probably more harshly, because of whence I came.

[Leeroy Jenkins]

Dude, three people walked out of my civ pro exam early tonight and the guy next to me sat there with his arms crossed for the last 20 minutes. I could have gone on for another hour at least. Whats wrong with those kids? Do they not care?

maybe they resigned themselves to failure, and decide tehat sitting there dumbly for 30 minutes isn't going to help them any

[eth3n]

Dude, three people walked out of my civ pro exam early tonight and the guy next to me sat there with his arms crossed for the last 20 minutes. I could have gone on for another hour at least. Whats wrong with those kids? Do they not care?

If it isn't length limited, it isn't multiple-choice, and there is no markdown for superfluous/wrong lines of argument, there is no reason to leave early, there is always more to be said, even if you don't know wtf you are doing (whether or not credit will be given for it is another matter).

[dresden doll]

FTR: Even the title says irrational. And I don't know that any one is really looking for sympathy.

Irrational in that there's no reason to think that you won't do well again, not as in irrational to think that the world will end if you wind up not keeping your first semester rank.

Also, commiseration implies sympathy.

Not that you really had any obligation to even read the thread, though...

Well, I have no obligation to ever log in at all for that matter. That hardly gets us anywhere. Haven't you ever read threads you disagreed with?

All that said, I didn't mean to flame. Fingers crossed, Steve. You'll do it again.

[Leeroy Jenkins]

I know what people think, but I left that world. I will be judged like any other, and probably more harshly, because of whence I came.

tbh i would judge the others more harshly for being outperformed by the FIT girl

[OperaSoprano]

I know what people think, but I left that world. I will be judged like any other, and probably more harshly, because of whence I came.

tbh i would judge the others more harshly for being outperformed by the FIT girl

If I outperform anyone it will be due to sheer, stupid luck, whatever Rayiner says. My classmates are incredibly smart people-- Fordham is stuffed to bursting with Ivy grads. At some point I'm going to stop letting that get to me.

[stinger35]

Even though my first post was pointless -

1) Does anyone have an issue with professors who basically take a recent real case and put it on the exam? I think it someone compromises what they are trying to test. Yes, I realize that its supposed to be "real world application" but there are SO many things that can be challenged or motions made in a real case that it is extremely hard to figure out what the prof is trying to test. (i.e. many of the questions tonight were "what motion would you make as their counsel" - well, theres about 50, what do u want to hear in the 25 minutes you have allotted to this question)

2) I want someone to come here and say, "hey, i was top 1-5% my first semester and got bottom 30-40% the second time around" Maybe it will jolt me, not that it matters anymore

Nevermind, I want somoene to say that its impossible for that to happen.

[Leeroy Jenkins]

If I outperform anyone it will be due to sheer, stupid luck, whatever Rayiner says. My classmates are incredibly smart people-- Fordham is stuffed to bursting with Ivy grads. At some points I'm going to stop letting that get to me.

Then at the very least you are as smart as these Ivy grads

[OperaSoprano]

If I outperform anyone it will be due to sheer, stupid luck, whatever Rayiner says. My classmates are incredibly smart people-- Fordham is stuffed to bursting with Ivy grads. At some points I'm going to stop letting that get to me.

Then at the very least you are as smart as these Ivy grads

<3

Someone just sent this to me:

"Nothing can bring you peace but yourself."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

I figured it was perfectly inappropriate for this thread, so here it is.

[stinger35]

Sacamano - in re T2 - you transferring/trying to?



Such a weird feeling walking into that exam literally knowing it will have such a huge effect on the rest of my life. I mean, where I graduate from, where I get a job, where I live, etc. etc. etc.

Its nuts.

[mac.empress]

Such a weird feeling walking into that exam literally knowing it will have such a huge effect on the rest of my life. I mean, where I graduate from, where I get a job, where I live, etc. etc. etc.

Its nuts.

This.

[ZXCVBNM]

Oh, that happened to me too. I went to the gym immediately after, and I burst into tears in the weight room. Looked like a total nut job I am sure. I studied so much all semester/spring break......I cannot even express it. Everyone said it was easy, and I thought there were tricks to the questions. So pretty much, FML.

The gym solves a lot of stress problems, but not all of them. But oh Insomnia, hai, and I hate you.

If there's anything I learned first semester it's that if someone thought the exam was easy, they were definitely missing something. If they finished early, they were probably missing something.

I thought one of my exams was easy and I got an A on it. Anecdotal evidence to the rescue!


Finishing early, though... that's a sure sign that you fucked up.

Not always. I finished with lots of time to spare last semester.

[pany1985]

Well now I've heard everything