Do 2nd semester 1L's really improve a lot? Forum

[tedalbany]

I'm scared my grades are going to plummet. DOWN TO THE MEDIAN I GO.

[Sogui]

I was very complacent during my second semester and definitely hurt my grades.

[Blindmelon]

The curve doesn't change at all. While you'd expect that people would improve, the smart get cocky and lazy, some of the middle and bottom give up, and many well meaning students who genuinely work harder take the wrong message from their first semester grades and use that extra effort unproductively.

I'm not saying you can't improve, but if the median grade in first semester was 60-70 points scored on an open book exam, the median second semester will be about the same.

This. People shift around a ton in 1L grades. I went up by .2, which doesn't sound like a lot, but at T30ish schools it can be a world of difference for OCI. I was out for blood second semester - knowing that 1 semester's grades could mean the difference between unemployment and actually being able to pay your loans is a ridiculous motivator.... once you hit 3L though, lol grade tumble.

[nymario]

ugh. It's awful having a 4.0. The best I can do is the same as last semester. Most likely, it will be worse. I wish I would have done worse so I'd have room to improve this semester

Pretty solid humblebrag if not trolling. Nevertheless, I had the same problem after 1L: It's a lot more pressure when an A- tanks your GPA.

[Ludo!]

C'mon dude that's just a straight up brag, there's nothing humble about it. It's fine to still want to maintain your GPA but in no way is it "awful" to have a 4.0

[WolfmansBrother]

The curve doesn't change at all. While you'd expect that people would improve, the smart get cocky and lazy, some of the middle and bottom give up, and many well meaning students who genuinely work harder take the wrong message from their first semester grades and use that extra effort unproductively.

I'm not saying you can't improve, but if the median grade in first semester was 60-70 points scored on an open book exam, the median second semester will be about the same.

This. People shift around a ton in 1L grades. I went up by .2, which doesn't sound like a lot, but at T30ish schools it can be a world of difference for OCI. I was out for blood second semester - knowing that 1 semester's grades could mean the difference between unemployment and actually being able to pay your loans is a ridiculous motivator.... once you hit 3L though, lol grade tumble.

Fordham?? .2 increase can be huge. When the top 10% cut off is 3.57/8 historically for 1Ls, a .2 improvement or drop is the difference between top 25% and top 10%, a HUGE difference for OCI.

[Blindmelon]

The curve doesn't change at all. While you'd expect that people would improve, the smart get cocky and lazy, some of the middle and bottom give up, and many well meaning students who genuinely work harder take the wrong message from their first semester grades and use that extra effort unproductively.

I'm not saying you can't improve, but if the median grade in first semester was 60-70 points scored on an open book exam, the median second semester will be about the same.

This. People shift around a ton in 1L grades. I went up by .2, which doesn't sound like a lot, but at T30ish schools it can be a world of difference for OCI. I was out for blood second semester - knowing that 1 semester's grades could mean the difference between unemployment and actually being able to pay your loans is a ridiculous motivator.... once you hit 3L though, lol grade tumble.

Fordham?? .2 increase can be huge. When the top 10% cut off is 3.57/8 historically for 1Ls, a .2 improvement or drop is the difference between top 25% and top 10%, a HUGE difference for OCI.

Not Fordham, and I wish I went up to the top 10%. I went from median to top 1/3rd where a job through oci became a possibility.

[umstah]

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[jjlaw]

My thinking is that the people who "got it" first semester aren't likely to lose that analytic ability second semester. So as long as they're paying attention in class, they should be able to learn the rules and apply them correctly on the exam. My fear is that I never really "got it" to that same level, so now I still don't know if I can analyze a fact pattern the way that they can, even though I know the law a lot better this semester than I did last semester.

[alicrimson]

Was top 2% last semester. I'm thinking my gpa will plummet this semester and it just kind of bums me out because there were so many possibilities but now? Ugh....

[TFR]

My thinking is that the people who "got it" first semester aren't likely to lose that analytic ability second semester. So as long as they're paying attention in class, they should be able to learn the rules and apply them correctly on the exam. My fear is that I never really "got it" to that same level, so now I still don't know if I can analyze a fact pattern the way that they can, even though I know the law a lot better this semester than I did last semester.

1L here, got A's first semester, so I'm talking from the other side, if you will.

The trick is not knowing the law, but applying it. I feel like there was alot less competition fall semester. First semester, a huge amount of people did not realize that knowing cases and doctrines will only get you thus far, but have since seen their mistake. Meaning, if you got what exams were about first semester, that automatically gave you a huge boost.

As long as you realize where you can improve, you should be on even ground for these exams. The only thing is that some people have pre-established gpa's, which if they maintain, is pretty much impossible to compete against.

[jjlaw]

1L here, got A's first semester, so I'm talking from the other side, if you will.

The trick is not knowing the law, but applying it. I feel like there was alot less competition fall semester. First semester, a huge amount of people did not realize that knowing cases and doctrines will only get you thus far, but have since seen their mistake. Meaning, if you got what exams were about first semester, that automatically gave you a huge boost.

As long as you realize where you can improve, you should be on even ground for these exams. The only thing is that some people have pre-established gpa's, which if they maintain, is pretty much impossible to compete against.

I agree, and it's exactly what I was thinking. Knowing how to apply the law may always be the holy grail for me, if I still don't do well after this semester, which is very possible.

[Haymarket]

Was top 2% last semester. I'm thinking my gpa will plummet this semester and it just kind of bums me out because there were so many possibilities but now? Ugh....

[alicrimson]

Was top 2% last semester. I'm thinking my gpa will plummet this semester and it just kind of bums me out because there were so many possibilities but now? Ugh....

Actually, yeah...that's about it.

[tedalbany]

So we can't even wait until the grade waiting thread this time to start with the TOP5%PROBLEMS ?

[Sapientia]

C'mon dude that's just a straight up brag, there's nothing humble about it. It's fine to still want to maintain your GPA but in no way is it "awful" to have a 4.0

Whatever, dude.

Maybe awful is the wrong word. Inconvenient? Not ideal? Either way, sometimes i wish id have been median pwned last semester so i wouldnt care right now.

[tedalbany]

C'mon dude that's just a straight up brag, there's nothing humble about it. It's fine to still want to maintain your GPA but in no way is it "awful" to have a 4.0

Whatever, dude.

Maybe awful is the wrong word. Inconvenient? Not ideal? Either way, sometimes i wish id have been median pwned last semester so i wouldnt care right now.

From someone else who is also doing pretty well so far and worries about his grades: shut the fuck up.

[071816]

shut the fuck up.

[piccolittle]

I did okay, just okay, last semester but this semester I completely dropped the ball. Didn't go to class, didn't read (no idea why, guess I got cocky). Very very scurred.

[blurbz]

C'mon dude that's just a straight up brag, there's nothing humble about it. It's fine to still want to maintain your GPA but in no way is it "awful" to have a 4.0

Whatever, dude.

Maybe awful is the wrong word. Inconvenient? Not ideal? Either way, sometimes i wish id have been median pwned last semester so i wouldnt care right now.

You will convince literally no one that having a 4.0 is "inconvenient" or "not ideal." For someone claiming to have a 4.0, you seem kind of like an idiot to me.

Advice:

shut the fuck up.

[Ludo!]

C'mon dude that's just a straight up brag, there's nothing humble about it. It's fine to still want to maintain your GPA but in no way is it "awful" to have a 4.0

Whatever, dude.

Maybe awful is the wrong word. Inconvenient? Not ideal? Either way, sometimes i wish id have been median pwned last semester so i wouldnt care right now.

QFP for the people who told me you were joking