People are doing nothing Forum

[charlesjd]

.

[Cupidity]

Hate to admit it, but I have been one of those "doing nothing students", but be aware, a lot of us set Nov. 1st as the day to start preparing for battle.

Starting this week, my free time is now going to outlining and the summer job search. Burnout is a real threat, I know that I can can do 10-12 hour days for a month and a half and not much longer which is why I've waited this long.

Also, I know someone at a T-20 who got a 4.0+ and didn't outline until December. There are people out there who work like that, don't write the off either.

[Other25BeforeYou]

Lots of folks (including myself) never outline or read hornbooks before the weekend prior to exam period. There's a method to our perceived madness.

[beach_terror]

Even though I'm with the OP in terms of being on top of things, I definitely recognize that I'm not at any cognizable advantage over any of my classmates... as much as I'd like to think so.

I'm also in the "drinks a lot" category.

Lots of folks (including myself) never outline or read hornbooks before the weekend prior to exam period. There's a method to our perceived madness.

Care to elaborate?

[Cupidity]

It's all how your brain works. I've got an insane short term memory. For me, the last few weeks are going to be a sprint instead of a marathon.

[rayiner]

I get this impression that a lot of people are not outlining, (they went out the entire past weekend), and drink a lot overall. I feel like most people just read cases. The few of us (two that I know of) who did 0L prep, etc, are working our asses off to outline, etc. Anyone else experience this? I am at a T50.

How much each phase of the law school timeline counts towards grades:

September - 0%
October - 0%
November - 0%
December - 100%

[Amy wineBerry]

It's all how your brain works. I've got an insane short term memory. For me, the last few weeks are going to be a sprint instead of a marathon.

Same here...everyone tried to scare me out of doing this, but it's the way I operate.

[dood]

...

[Dr. Van Nostrand]

grades are arbitrary

Grades may be a little arbitrary in any given class, but they are hardly so when one takes a longer/broader view. Certainly grades are, in the aggregate, NOT arbitrary once you get a whole year's worth.

^^Absolutely agree. Saying a year's worth of grades is "arbitrary" is a great feel good excuse for not doing well.

[Merr]

I get this impression that a lot of people are not outlining, (they went out the entire past weekend), and drink a lot overall. I feel like most people just read cases. The few of us (two that I know of) who did 0L prep, etc, are working our asses off to outline, etc. Anyone else experience this? I am at a T50.

I have been more focused on going through practice tests/test sections as soon as I know the material rather then outlining. I have always needed to have a good idea of what exactly is coming before contemplating strategies as different profs. want different things. Now that I have a good idea of what is coming the outlining shall commence.

[Grizz]

Outlining starts tomorrow broheim.

[RVP11]

I get this impression that a lot of people are not outlining, (they went out the entire past weekend), and drink a lot overall. I feel like most people just read cases. The few of us (two that I know of) who did 0L prep, etc, are working our asses off to outline, etc. Anyone else experience this? I am at a T50.

A lot of people who wait until November to kick it into gear still do well.

Very few people who wait until December do very well.

[kalvano]

I get this impression that a lot of people are not outlining, (they went out the entire past weekend), and drink a lot overall. I feel like most people just read cases. The few of us (two that I know of) who did 0L prep, etc, are working our asses off to outline, etc. Anyone else experience this? I am at a T50.

For me, outlines are a review. Making them, then going through them. Why should I be reviewing stuff I learned last week?

Waiting until closer to exams to start means I get to review all the stuff I learned way back in August, and go over it again with a much better perspective.

Also, keep in mind that some people you perceive as "not doing anything" because they don't outline are in fact doing a lot of work. I spent several hours this weekend reading for Civ Pro, Torts, and Crim.

[Cosmo Kramer]

They're the ones you should fear the most.

[09042014]

If I can learn how a transistor works in a day, I can learn Property in a day.

Looks at UGPA.

SHIT I BETTER STUDY

[Charles Barkley]

Just keep focusing on what you're doing.

[Aqualibrium]

I get this impression that a lot of people are not outlining, (they went out the entire past weekend), and drink a lot overall. I feel like most people just read cases. The few of us (two that I know of) who did 0L prep, etc, are working our asses off to outline, etc. Anyone else experience this? I am at a T50.

How much each phase of the law school timeline counts towards grades:

September - 0%
October - 0%
November - 0%
December - 100%

+1 I did nothing, and ended up just fine with regards to jobs and grades.

[Renzo]

grades are arbitrary

Grades may be a little arbitrary in any given class, but they are hardly so when one takes a longer/broader view. Certainly grades are, in the aggregate, NOT arbitrary once you get a whole year's worth.

Grades aren't arbitrary, but they are largely random. Grades are a product of (A) time spent preparing, (B) innate ability, (C) examsmanship skill and (D) random chance. (D) is a large number, but it's not entirely determinative.

[MrKappus]

grades are arbitrary

Grades may be a little arbitrary in any given class, but they are hardly so when one takes a longer/broader view. Certainly grades are, in the aggregate, NOT arbitrary once you get a whole year's worth.

Grades aren't arbitrary, but they are largely random. Grades are a product of (A) time spent preparing, (B) innate ability, (C) examsmanship skill and (D) random chance. (D) is a large number, but it's not entirely determinative.

http://thesaurus.com/browse/arbitrary

[Renzo]

grades are arbitrary

Grades may be a little arbitrary in any given class, but they are hardly so when one takes a longer/broader view. Certainly grades are, in the aggregate, NOT arbitrary once you get a whole year's worth.

Grades aren't arbitrary, but they are largely random. Grades are a product of (A) time spent preparing, (B) innate ability, (C) examsmanship skill and (D) random chance. (D) is a large number, but it's not entirely determinative.

http://thesaurus.com/browse/arbitrary

No, random, not arbitrary

[MrKappus]

They're synonyms brosef.

[eandy]

Outlining starts tomorrow broheim.

This. Climbing into my bunker now.

[Renzo]

They're synonyms brosef.

Not to people who know what they mean.

Arbitrary decisions are not necessarily the same as random decisions. For example, during the 1973 oil crisis, Americans were allowed to purchase gasoline only on odd-numbered days if their license plate was odd, and on even-numbered days if their license plate was even. The system was well-defined and not random in its restrictions; however, since license plate numbers are completely unrelated to a person's fitness to purchase gasoline, it was still an arbitrary division of people. Similarly, schoolchildren are often organized by their surname in alphabetical order, a non-random yet still arbitrary method, at least in cases where surnames are irrelevant.

[MrKappus]

Roget's got my back.

[worldtraveler]

Some people also appear to be doing nothing yet are working their asses off when you don't see them. There are also some who like to pretend they don't study when they really do.