Did your grades drop significantly 2nd semester of 1L? Forum

[Sebastain12]

So I'm curious to hear from some 2L or 3L on this topic. I'm just heading into finals. Was right at top 5% last semester. I have worked about the same this semester but have been far more efficient. I aced the two midterms I had ( crim and con law), A's on both. Still I find myself nervous that I might fall grade wise. I suppose it's only natural, as law school is basically a bunch of super paranoid egos in a small space. What's the prognosis though? Do those at the top usually stay there? Is it brain power? Study habits? Other?

[DreamShake]

Not sure of exact percentile drop, but probably from top 5% to top 10%. Blew off two classes during the semester (an 8:30a.m. class and the 1-credit skills class) and then got sick just as finals started. I'd had success first semester doing no prep for a couple classes until the night before the exam, so getting sick basically destroyed my preparation for all my finals except the first one.

Don't be cocky--you never know when getting sick will screw you.

Edit: to respond to post above--if you've put in the same amount of work, the type of exams is consistent (e.g., all your finals last time were pure issue spotter and the same is true this semester), and you don't feel like a certain prof has a weird style that's going to throw you off, there's little reason to think you're going to drop significantly, if at all.