Success in Law School - A Unique Perspectve Forum

[BearDownChicago]

I hope people here have read the unique perspective article on success in law school (found here... http://www.top-law-schools.com/success- ... chool.html)

For whatever reason, the article really stood out to me. I was cautious at first, but now that I am fully immersed in school, I feel the need to go above and beyond. I mean, its 7:00pm right now and I am one of only 10 people in the main study hall at the library at a T1. People honestly read for class, brief the case and go home, expecting that when December rolls around, they are just going to sit down and crank out an A+ exam. To me, this is encouraging because I know that I have the opportunity to outperform my classmates.

With that being said, I need help putting together a plan. I am desperately seeking the advice of any TLS'ers who have followed this approach or one similar to it. For brevity purposes, the approach centers on supplementary texts, straying heavily from case analysis and briefs with the main goal of having a COMPREHENSIVE understanding of the material for the final exam. Seriously, if you haven't read the article I suggest it. I digress.

I have been trying to set up a study plan following the logic behind the article but I am finding it difficult. If anyone who has seriously practiced this approach can give me any advice as to how carefully I should read the E&E's, when I should start reading the HB's, where I should be in relation to what my class is covering, when I should start outlining, what my outline should include (supplements, class notes, cases, etc.).... just about any advice would be appreciated as I flounder in the murky waters of 1L'dom.

Gracias

[MTal]

Dude...you sound....cool.

[dissonance1848]

Frankly, I want threads like these to die. If they survive, then it will become impossible for anyone except the gods to get good grades. For your own good as well as those of us with some foresights' good, pm people.

[kalvano]

Frankly, I want threads like these to die. If they survive, then it will become impossible for anyone except the gods to get good grades. For your own good as well as those of us with some foresights' good, pm people.

The thing is, that article may work for some people, but not others. So threads like this really don't change much at all. Just because it worked for the original poster doesn't mean it will work for everyone.

The best study method is whatever gets you to learn the law and how to apply the law to a given set of facts. 100 different people can have 100 different ways of getting there.

[Bustang]

ITT: OP confuses being a attention-whore douche with asking for help.

[keg411]

The stuff in the link isn't really all that much different than Arrow's approach (i.e. read E&E's, prepare for the exam, etc.); it's just more long-winded and pompous. However, OP, you need to create your own plan. Putting more time in studying won't necessarily translate to better grades.

Also, things like that always bother me because we don't have supplements keyed to any of our casebooks .

[BearDownChicago]

Well... haven't been here for a long time and good to see nothing has changed.

With that being said, anyone who wants to provide help, please do so.

Also, I did note that I was fascinated with the article and while I know it is not great for everyone, I know it will help me... with a push in the right direction.

P.S. I polished and sounded my Shofar for you all night long last Thursday and this is the response I get from you MTal? Mazeltov to you my friend.

[BearDownChicago]

The stuff in the link isn't really all that much different than Arrow's approach (i.e. read E&E's, prepare for the exam, etc.); it's just more long-winded and pompous. However, OP, you need to create your own plan. Putting more time in studying won't necessarily translate to better grades.

Also, things like that always bother me because we don't have supplements keyed to any of our casebooks .

Thank you! I will be sure to check out Arrow's approach.

I am trying to create my own plan, its just overwhelming right now with all the material.

[California Babe]

1. OP tells us he has the opportunity to succeed because he is one of the few people still in the study area late into the evening in September.

2. OP then tells us he wants to follow the guide written by someone who explicitly and repeatedly references not being one of those people still in the study area late into the evening in September.

3. ????

4. OP makes it in the top 10% of his class.

[Bustang]

Studying at night is overrated. Waking up at 6:00 ftw.

[California Babe]

Studying at night is overrated. Waking up at 6:00 ftw.

Not to mention some people study at home.

[BearDownChicago]

I was hoping this thread wouldn't get too far off track, but it did and now I have to respond.

All I was asking for was help in regards to the study method.

If you are concerned enough to address that its sooooo late (8:20, but really 7 when you made your inference) I am going out with classmates for $1 domestics... grrrr student loans and no money.

Some people do study at home and that's great. I didn't say one thing or another about it other than judging by the lack of people here on a Tuesday, 1 month into class, when everything is new and overwhelming, I think I have an OPPORTUNITY to out perform my classmates. Wow. What a bold statement.

Again, if anyone has ACTUAL help, please provide any tips for what you did and when you did it. For what it's worth, I am a do it myself kind of guy and don't see that changing in law school.

[California Babe]

I didn't say one thing or another about it other than judging by the lack of people here on a Tuesday, 1 month into class, when everything is new and overwhelming, I think I have an OPPORTUNITY to out perform my classmates. Wow. What a bold statement.

Actually, what you said is that you know you have the opportunity to succeed because you're only one of 10 people in the study late into the evening and everyone thinks that they can "read for class, brief the case and go home, expecting that when December rolls around, they are just going to sit down and crank out an A+ exam." How you know what everyone thinks and what they're doing when they get home is beyond me, but you're the one who said it.

You invited the "off topic" posts by making such absurd and self-congratulatory observations that go completely against the guide you professed to wanting to emulate. But if you want some real advice, here it is:

Quit spending time thinking about what everyone else is doing and start preparing for your exams. That means learning the law, learning how to take exams, and learning what each of your professors wants out of you come exam time. No amount of chest-pumping is going to get you in the top 10%, and staying in the study area until 7:00 PM when all but 10 of you have gone home is not going to somehow raise your B to an A.

[kalvano]

judging by the lack of people here on a Tuesday, 1 month into class, when everything is new and overwhelming, I think I have an OPPORTUNITY to out perform my classmates.

Or they are all eleventy-billion times smarterer than you, and already know it inside and out.

[BearDownChicago]

Honestly, thanks for the advice after all the bashing. Why you couldn't do that without making me feel bad is a little confusing, but thanks anyways.

Eleventy billion times smarter? If you sat in my contracts class you'd probably disagree. On a more serious note, what's your problem? You have absolutely no right to talk to me like that. I get it. It's the internet. It's TLS. People on here are vicious and sarcastic and cynical and rude and blah blah blah. Grow up. I asked for advice/help. If you don't have it then don't post.

[jnorsky]

I hope people here have read the unique perspective article on success in law school (found here... http://www.top-law-schools.com/success- ... chool.html)

For whatever reason, the article really stood out to me. I was cautious at first, but now that I am fully immersed in school, I feel the need to go above and beyond. I mean, its 7:00pm right now and I am one of only 10 people in the main study hall at the library at a T1. People honestly read for class, brief the case and go home, expecting that when December rolls around, they are just going to sit down and crank out an A+ exam. To me, this is encouraging because I know that I have the opportunity to outperform my classmates.

With that being said, I need help putting together a plan. I am desperately seeking the advice of any TLS'ers who have followed this approach or one similar to it. For brevity purposes, the approach centers on supplementary texts, straying heavily from case analysis and briefs with the main goal of having a COMPREHENSIVE understanding of the material for the final exam. Seriously, if you haven't read the article I suggest it. I digress.

I have been trying to set up a study plan following the logic behind the article but I am finding it difficult. If anyone who has seriously practiced this approach can give me any advice as to how carefully I should read the E&E's, when I should start reading the HB's, where I should be in relation to what my class is covering, when I should start outlining, what my outline should include (supplements, class notes, cases, etc.).... just about any advice would be appreciated as I flounder in the murky waters of 1L'dom.

Gracias

well, im pretty sure that opportunity you got was cause you went to law school, not cause you are in the library later than everyone else when its the beginning of september. but you should read all the E&E books and the hornbooks. The hornbooks are great on policy and the E&E books have a lot of detail. Also, you should be drinking a shit ton of myoplex after you read, it helps rejuvenate your mind for the next day. The last tip i have is to take as much vitamin E as possible, Vitamin E = increased neurotransmitters = more connections for the brain to make.

[Chupavida]

.

[California Babe]

I asked for advice/help while attempting to let everyone know how much smarter and harder of a worker I am than the rest of my classmates.

Fixed. And now maybe you'll understand why you got the reaction you did.

[kalvano]

Honestly, thanks for the advice after all the bashing. Why you couldn't do that without making me feel bad is a little confusing, but thanks anyways.

Eleventy billion times smarter? If you sat in my contracts class you'd probably disagree. On a more serious note, what's your problem? You have absolutely no right to talk to me like that. I get it. It's the internet. It's TLS. People on here are vicious and sarcastic and cynical and rude and blah blah blah. Grow up. I asked for advice/help. If you don't have it then don't post.

That made you feel bad? The real world is going to make you throw up on a daily basis.

I was simply throwing out a possibility it seems you didn't consider, and I did offer some advice earlier on in the thread.

[LAWYER2]

I just read his essay on Exam prep and focusing, and over-all I found a lot of consistent points from which I've gathered from other successful students and exam takers.
However some of the info he touched on could turn out to be a gamble. I firmly believe that instructors know more about the exam they are giving than I ever could and to simply bypass the professor and delve into treatise theories and expanded ideologies of the law is a risk that I wouldn't take. Just yesterday my contracts professor laid into a guy for over-explaining what he was asking for. He specifically reiterated that his exams and the bar exam will cover exactly what he covers in class and in the notes that he provides.
Now I can see that maybe the information Hornbooks and E&E's give you a broader context of how the law is defined and very well may be covered later in the course and included on the exam, but my professors has been very clear that he will ONLY cover what is on the exam and the BAR exam.
Bottom line, it is absolutely critical to find what works for you! The guy who wrote that could be a visual learner and you may be a Kinesthetic learner and following his advice to a tee could be extremely detrimental to you

[paratactical]

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