Do people usually pay attention in class? Forum

[vtoodler]

Or do they usually mess around with their computers?

[tourdeforcex]

buddy. it's called 'lawl school' for a reason.

[kalvano]

I take naps in class. Where else am I going to sleep?

[orm518]

Or do they usually mess around with their computers?

This is a question that I would seriously like an answer to as well, so don't feel bad that no one has yet. I feel like the handful of current law students I know all tell me that everyone is just on AIM/GChat or something during class(really, AIM, it's 2011)....

Small sample size, but it's spread among several schools from T20 to T4. I'd like to think next year I won't partake, but who knows.

[lawschooliseasy]

Everyone is on gchat.

[FiveSermon]

tag

[mths]

Or do they usually mess around with their computers?

This is a question that I would seriously like an answer to as well, so don't feel bad that no one has yet. I feel like the handful of current law students I know all tell me that everyone is just on AIM/GChat or something during class(really, AIM, it's 2011)....

Small sample size, but it's spread among several schools from T20 to T4. I'd like to think next year I won't partake, but who knows.

I generally pay quite a bit of attention in class and I know everyone here (cornell) does too. This may partly be because we don't get internet in the classrooms (well done Cornell) so we don't have much of a choice. However, I'm mostly glad we don't have an option not to pay attention because usually what the professor says is pretty freaking important. Also, you're paying a fuckton to go to these classes.

We do have a macbook wide gchat going at all times but that's not horribly distracting cause you usually talk about what's going on in class.

[kalvano]

Everyone messes around to some degree. It just depends on the person. I'm guilty of it.

I typically chat with a couple friends and listen to the lecture. I can't pay attention to one thing only, like a lecture, so I find that giving 90% of my attention to the lecture and 10% to chatting helps me get more out of class....meaning, I don't "zone out".

[eandy]

Everyone is on gchat.

This. Nothing is better than getting cold called, not knowing the answer, and looking down to see that 4 people have gchatted it to you already. Usually yes, we do talk about class, but sometimes not.

You will learn that 90% of class is worthless. You need to be there, yes, for that one sentence or two that your professor says about the exam or is actually helpful. Most of class, though? That can be achieved while multitasking.

Having a computer doesn't hurt me much in terms of paying attention. I have a class where no laptops are allowed. I don't pay attention. I don't know what it is that I do (I don't play on my phone or anything like that) but I drift off for extended periods. I think sometimes having a computer can help me maintain focus a little bit.

[Cupidity]

Last semester everyone payed attention in 2/3 of the classes, this semester everyone pays attention in 2/4. It depends on the professor, how interesting they make it or how frightening they make it, or how essential class is to doing well on the exams. You could not have gotten higher than a B in my K's class without paying serious attention in class every day. My CivPro class I could have succeeded in simply by reviewing Glannons.

[PWFan]

Depending on the class and how interesting the professor is, MANY people "multi-task" in my classes. The girl in front of me in Property constantly has the solitaire game going and/or is on the internet. That being said, when the professor called on her to brief a case, she nailed it quite impressively, then moved right back to solitaire when the prof was done with his questioning. Very smooth. I have no doubt she knows her stuff and will probably do fine on the finals. Some people really can do several things at once.

Me on the other hand... I really try not to get onto anything other than Westlaw or something when I need to. I know my limits.

[LoriBelle]

SO depends on the class and professor. I DO pay attention in class, but I also use my computer to survive class. It's a rare class session where I don't check my email at least once. I also chat occasionally with friends via GChat or FBChat. Sometimes the topic is relevant to class, and sometimes (okay, usually) it's not. Here's the deal: professors say important stuff...sometimes. The true art of doing well in law school without being bored out of your mind is learning to discern between "the professor is telling us something important" and "the professor is telling us a self-aggrandizing story about his cat."

The internet is also an awesome thing when a gunner raises his/her hand and asks a question that's (a) completely over your head, (b) irrelevant to the topic at hand, and (c) extremely unlikely to be on the exam. Hey, it keeps me from throwing things at gunners...can't be all bad.

[Vronsky]

I'm going the be the contrarian here and say all kinds of stupid shit happens on computers in class, especially at a TTT, and especially amongst the tards. I find it distracting when someone is on the computer watching champions league (last semester) or the big east tournament (this semester) for example. Also, dumb girls will frequently go on shopping websites like zaphos. Facebook is ever present. It is seriously distracting when people are watching things that I like (like sports) because I would rather watch that then listen to prof. lecture if both are in my line of sight.

It's also irritating when idiots are on their computers and have to ask the professor to repeat when he or she literally just asked the damn question. "What did the trial court hold? Mr. Tard?" "Um, can you please repeat the question?"

I'm sure the scenario is different at elite schools where people can actually multi-task and know their shit. But I don't find that to be the case at my school - there's no multi-tasking, they are single-tasking their entertainment. Honestly class discussion is much more engaging in classes where professors have banned computers. I don't think teachers should ban computers because some people actually take notes on them, but I would say >50% of people with a computer in front of them are doing something else.

In fairness, this happens more in "boring" classes. It just blows my mind that people will spend over $40,000 a year to not pay attention. But, in the end, it makes it easier for me. So here's to you, Mr. Below-median-facebook-and-championsleague-surftard.

[Sean1269]

It seems like a lot of 0Ls have answered this, and I remember as a 0L wondering the same thing...so here is my answer as a 1L.

There are of course gunners in law school, they take copious notes, answer every question, and like to hijack the class with their own hypotheticals. They will have 50 pg. outlines etc. They usually sit front and center. Professors often make fun of gunners, but most gunners don't think they're actually gunners. Other students don't like them, often making betting pools to see who will answer the most questions, or ask the most questions for the day. In my experience, they don't do substantially better than anyone else, maybe even worse.

They are the normal students. You see them playing on facebook, reading the news, etc, and then switching back to their notes when something important is said or repeated. They often have their book open which reveals highlighting, and thus the fact that they read before class. They do just fine switching between messing around and paying attention. This group is the vast majority.

The last group is the opposite of the gunners. There is a rebuttable presumption gunners will do poorly. With the quiet kids in the back, who often do not pay attention, there is a rebuttable presumption they do well. They're sleepers. Trying to fool you into thinking they are dumb. In reality, they study hours on end at home and are prepared for class. They usually have the belief that they only need to come to class to fulfill the ABA attendance requirement.


There you have it. The three groups. The middle is the largest. Don't be a gunner.

I forgot to mention, sometimes the people in the last two groups intentionally try and mimic gunners by asking ridiculous hypos, or contesting the facts of a case.

[nealric]

Also, you're paying a fuckton to go to these classes.

You paid for classes? I paid my money for some OCI bidding slots and a piece of paper that said I could take the bar.
I'm only half joking.

[MrPapagiorgio]

Also, you're paying a fuckton to go to these classes.

You paid for classes? I paid my money for some OCI bidding slots and a piece of paper that said I could take the bar.
I'm only half joking.

+180

[Fark-o-vision]

buddy. it's called 'lawl school' for a reason.

To be fair, I got put on blast for suggesting that some people try to pay attention more than others do. General consensus at the time seemed to be that paying attention in class was utterly worthless all the time and it was stupid to think it had anything to do with law school performance.

I'm still going to take my misguided, inexperienced opinion into class with me and pay attention, though.

[Renzo]

If you can't Gchat AND pay attention, you're behind the curve.

[zeth006]

If you can't Gchat AND pay attention, you're behind the curve.

Yep. After the first few weeks, you get a decent feel for the teacher's style. Some will go on useless tangents for 15 minutes straight before going back on point. For others, you kind of learn whether the information is important or not and switch between typing those 2-3 lines of notes and gchatting.

[cornellbeez]

1L year I did.

Now, I struggle to stay awake.

[FiveSermon]

That's sad. I like professors who give useful information in class.

[sconnielaw13]

...

[luckdragon]

It depends on the professor. For instance it literally hurts physically to pay attention to my Constitutional Law professor, listening to him is like talking to a schizophrenic. So I try to block him out.

[DukeCornell]

I sat in on two of Emory's 2L classes, and from where I was sitting (in the back of the room) it seemed as if the vast majority of the 2L class was either chatting on facebook or buying shit on eBay. But I will say, to their credit, whenever the professor would call on someone to answer a question or spar with him- those kids were on their shit- they knew their info, big time! I was impressed. Oh, and I saw the same shit when I visited Duke and UVA. The kids at Duke would actually quick text notes to one another if they felt as if someone was struggling through answering a question.

[gothamm]

wtf is gchat?!??!

I mean, I know what it is...but did not know it was that popular.