Drop out or stay? Forum

[laballer92]

I'm going to cut to the chase.

I'm a 1L at a T1 school. I got my grades back and am not all that pleased to report that I'm hovering somewhere below the middle of my class with a shiny C+ smiling out at me from my browser. I have somewhat of an idea of what happened. I didn't study smart at all. I didn't hit practice tests for any of my classes until 2-3 days before exam day and it took me a long time to get a bigger picture of the class and to understand what the hell was going on. Classes like Civ Pro didn't become understandable to me until literally the day before. Until then, I was going to classes and with a tenuous grasp of the rules and the cases.


So my question is, if you guys were in my position, would you drop out or stay? Would I still have a shot at internships? If I were to improve my grades a bit, would I have a realistic shot at employment at graduation?

In case people are wondering, I'm not the type of guy who hates my school or reading cases. I actually found law school to be interesting and at times even enjoyable. I guess I learned the hard way that I don't have "the stuff."


I know this is TLS, so I'm not expecting posters to coddle me and tell me I can still make top 1% of my class at graduation, get my clerkship, and become the next Chief Justice or whatever bullshit comes to mind.

This topic never seems to die and probably never will. But advice, jokes, and nonsensical responses are welcome.

[CanadianWolf]

Stay.

[uwb09]

If you really want to be an attorney, and that's why you are in law school, then there really isn't a choice.

If you are only in law school because of a) potential financial benefits, b) someone else pressured you to go, c) it was the best option at the time, then maybe talk to some upper level students at your school and attorneys in the area and see what your career prospects are as of right now, I think if you are right around median you still have a shot at finishing in the top 30-40% of your class, and having a good shot at landing a decent job (with realistic expectations)

[laballer92]

If you really want to be an attorney, and that's why you are in law school, then there really isn't a choice.

If you are only in law school because of a) potential financial benefits, b) someone else pressured you to go, c) it was the best option at the time, then maybe talk to some upper level students at your school and attorneys in the area and see what your career prospects are as of right now, I think if you are right around median you still have a shot at finishing in the top 30-40% of your class, and having a good shot at landing a decent job (with realistic expectations)

Well here's the thing. I'm not 100% sure of what area of law I'd like to practice as I was back in fall, but I'm open-minded at the moment. I won't say I really want to practice law as I'm just a 1L who still hasn't done any real lawyer work. Going for big law IMO is out of my league, not that I was looking into it! I don't have any pressure except a creeping fear in the back of my mind that I'm in the wrong place. As for best option....hard to say!


I'm probably somewhere below the median. I'm fairly confident I know what to do for classes now that I got a wakeup call. Only question is whether that'll be enough?

[uwb09]

just my opinion, sounds like you want to practice law for the most part, which is good, so i'd stick it out for at least spring and see what happens

start applying for summer internships, and during spring also see if you can maybe meet with some working attorney's in the area and just talk to them about their jobs, what their days are like, and start to kind of get a feel of what life after law school will be like, and also hopefully start to figure out what areas you want to be in. Also start talking with your professors about it, sometimes I just go talk to my professors about life after law school, careers, internships, etc... and they've helped shed some light on things that I was uncertain about.

I think unless you really feel in your gut it's the right time to leave, then you should stay for at least spring

[Big Shrimpin]

I didn't hit practice tests for any of my classes until 2-3 days before exam day and it took me a long time to get a bigger picture of the class and to understand what the hell was going on. Classes like Civ Pro didn't become understandable to me until literally the day before. Until then, I was going to classes and with a tenuous grasp of the rules and the cases.

Welcome to law school, you got curvepwnd. Put your head down and work much harder this semester. If you still do bad, then quit.

FWIW, in 1L I and many I know felt/did exactly the quoted above (some didn't even do practice tests). We finished in the top 10%, top 15%, and around median. It's the LS curve, dood...the merciless arbiter of 1L aspirations. Moral of the story: recalculate your approach and hit it again. If you don't hit the mark and aren't on a sweet scholly, then bail.

GL!

[BaiAilian2013]

What are you paying?

[laballer92]

I didn't hit practice tests for any of my classes until 2-3 days before exam day and it took me a long time to get a bigger picture of the class and to understand what the hell was going on. Classes like Civ Pro didn't become understandable to me until literally the day before. Until then, I was going to classes and with a tenuous grasp of the rules and the cases.

Welcome to law school, you got curvepwnd. Put your head down and work much harder this semester. If you still do bad, then quit.

FWIW, in 1L I and many I know felt/did exactly the quoted above (some didn't even do practice tests). We finished in the top 10%, top 15%, and around median. It's the LS curve, dood...the merciless arbiter of 1L aspirations. Moral of the story: recalculate your approach and hit it again. If you don't hit the mark and aren't on a sweet scholly, then bail.

GL!

Guess that's the ticket for now. Interviews aren't going to be easy, that's for sure.

[laballer92]

What are you paying?

Not on a scholly, just grants. So close to sticker.

[BaiAilian2013]

What are you paying?

Not on a scholly, just grants. So close to sticker.

Is sticker like $10k per year or like $40k?

[laballer92]

What are you paying?

Not on a scholly, just grants. So close to sticker.

Is sticker like $10k per year or like $40k?

More like 30K after grants.. Excludes housing and other living expenses.

[thuggishruggishbone]

I'd stick it out this semester to try to bump up your gpa. If you get another report card with c's, tho, then it might be time to call it quits.

[laballer92]

I'd stick it out this semester to try to bump up your gpa. If you get another report card with c's, tho, then it might be time to call it quits.

I'd be more than just happy with an A, A, A, then C.

Wishful thinking!

But I get your drift. First time I've gotten a damn C since sophomore year in high school. Spanish II was a killer.

Oh well. Not much else to do for now except pinpoint what I did wrong and make my own game plan.

[BaiAilian2013]

I'd stick it out this semester to try to bump up your gpa. If you get another report card with c's, tho, then it might be time to call it quits.

I would do this too. I wouldn't want to look back and wonder what would have happened if I'd given it just a second shot. And talk to as many 2Ls/3Ls as possible to see what jobs people are getting and whether you'd want those jobs. But if next semester still leaves you below median and you're taking on loans to pay tuition (and living expenses?), I'd think really hard about paying for another two years.

[Amy wineBerry]

Geeez, you have me even more worried as I feel as I will be in the same predicament.

Although I don't have any real advice for you, I do hope everything works out for the best.

[MrAnon]

drop out. Unless you want to hem yourself into a very middling career. If you decide to stay I would forgo any attempt to raise my grades and focus solely on looking for in-semester jobs, internships, whatever. Anything where people can get to know you and you can prove your worth in other ways. Don't spend the next 2 semesters trying to evaluate and adjust your performance on exams in some vain attempt to make a B+. The grades ship has sailed and you are not on it. You need to jump on another boat.

[laballer92]

drop out. Unless you want to hem yourself into a very middling career. If you decide to stay I would forgo any attempt to raise my grades and focus solely on looking for in-semester jobs, internships, whatever. Anything where people can get to know you and you can prove your worth in other ways. Don't spend the next 2 semesters trying to evaluate and adjust your performance on exams in some vain attempt to make a B+. The grades ship has sailed and you are not on it. You need to jump on another boat.

I'm not much of a fatalist, but hey, maybe I'm just overtly optimistic and my head's up in the clouds. I'm still going to do some job-hunting throughout the years. If it's doable, I might even double-load my upcoming summer doing unpaid clinics and internships. But I still need to keep the grades. I've got 5 semesters left. Why throw away an opportunity to boost my grades to at least a tad bit closer to the midpoint?

[RUQRU]

drop out. Unless you want to hem yourself into a very middling career. If you decide to stay I would forgo any attempt to raise my grades and focus solely on looking for in-semester jobs, internships, whatever. Anything where people can get to know you and you can prove your worth in other ways. Don't spend the next 2 semesters trying to evaluate and adjust your performance on exams in some vain attempt to make a B+. The grades ship has sailed and you are not on it. You need to jump on another boat.

Maybe you can explain how this all works. No matter how smart you are, no matter how hard you study and so forth, only half the class is above median. Because of the curve only 10% +/- are getting As. Also, 90% are not in the top 10%, duh.

So if everyone below median quits because they will have bad career choices what changes? The new reduced number of students will also have the same mathematical outcome. There is no way to escape this. Taken to its logical conclusion there would only be one person left in class.

I think if you want to be a lawyer you stay. You must have realistic goals and a clear picture of what kind of law you want to practice and might be able to practice based on your reality. The curve and basic math dictate that only a few will be at the top. Yet there are tens of thousands of lawyers making a decent income who were not in the top 10% or even above median.

[colts18]

I would stay. Contrary to the vibe one gets from reading this board, your life isn't over if you're not in the top 10% and don't work for a big firm.