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How much of an advantage would extra time be on 1L exams?
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 9:47 am
by dirtyjesus
I made a mistake and chose the wrong law school for me and I need to crush the exams like Stalin so that I can transfer. I can most likely get ADA accommodations for ADHD. How much of an edge would this give me if I had say 50% extra time? All of my exams but one are closed book.
Re: How much of an advantage would extra time be on 1L exams?
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 9:51 am
by kwais
I'll just take care of this thread
"would you get any extra time in a law firm?"
"you will make no friends this way"
"OMG, ADHD is real! Stop being so insensitive!"
"Guys, don't let this devolve into one of those threads"
"This is unfair! Law school exams are all about time!"
MODs "I'm warning you guys"
"Anyone want to talk about AA?"
Banhammmer
OP "But for serious..."
Re: How much of an advantage would extra time be on 1L exams?
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 9:56 am
by dirtyjesus
kwais wrote:I'll just take care of this thread
"would you get any extra time in a law firm?" no but i want an edge solely for transferring
"you will make no friends this way" i dont give a shit
"OMG, ADHD is real! Stop being so insensitive!" this is a ? for a psych, i was diagnosed regardless
"Guys, don't let this devolve into one of those threads"
"This is unfair! Law school exams are all about time!"
MODs "I'm warning you guys"
"Anyone want to talk about AA?"
Banhammmer
OP "But for serious..."
Re: How much of an advantage would extra time be on 1L exams?
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 10:00 am
by kwais
Would you go into more detail on this "mistake" you made in choosing schools. Like "oops I forgot my brown bag lunch at home today?" "Oops I go to Cooley?" Was is like that?
Re: How much of an advantage would extra time be on 1L exams?
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 10:10 am
by dirtyjesus
dirtyjesus wrote:kwais wrote:I'll just take care of this thread
"would you get any extra time in a law firm?" no but i want an edge solely for transferring
"you will make no friends this way" i dont give a shit
"OMG, ADHD is real! Stop being so insensitive!" this is a ? for a psych, i was diagnosed regardless
"Guys, don't let this devolve into one of those threads"
"This is unfair! Law school exams are all about time!"
MODs "I'm warning you guys"
"Anyone want to talk about AA?"
Banhammmer
OP "But for serious..."
kwais wrote:Would you go into more detail on this "mistake" you made in choosing schools. Like "oops I forgot my brown bag lunch at home today?" "Oops I go to Cooley?" Was is like that?
Most of it is personal but has to do with me being in the same city that I went to undergrad and a girl pressured me into staying. I also feel like I made a mistake in my decision because I went to a school where my LSAT is 10 points above 75%ile and my GPA is at 75%ile. I got accepted based on a lower Oct. 2011 LSAT but retook in June and got 10 points higher. I know if I had waited I could have gone to a much better school.
So back to the original intent of the post. How much of an edge would an extra 50% time on exams be? I need to leave and want to leave as little to chance as possible.
Re: How much of an advantage would extra time be on 1L exams?
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 10:15 am
by I.P. Daly
dirtyjesus wrote:I made a mistake and chose the wrong law school for me and I need to crush the exams like Stalin so that I can transfer. I can most likely get ADA accommodations for ADHD. How much of an edge would this give me if I had say 50% extra time? All of my exams but one are closed book.
If a student goes into the exam with a thorough understanding of how to approach a law school exam, and with a thorough understanding of the black letter law, extra time for someone who probably does not really need the extra time would probably be a huge advantage. You'll have more time to think about and spot issues, and write a well reasoned answer.
Re: How much of an advantage would extra time be on 1L exams?
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 10:43 am
by cinephile
It really depends on the exam. On a couple of strict word-limit exams I had first semester, I finished with an hour or more to spare. Getting extra time wouldn't have made any difference. Second semester we had one take-home, so extra time wouldn't have made a difference there either. Supposedly the classic exam is the time crunch, issue spotter. But I've only had one or two of those. But at least on those extra time should help.
If the real issue is that you think you made a mistake in picking a bad school for you, you could still possible get some kind of refund if you dropped out now. Better to do that than take the risk that you're stuck here.
Re: How much of an advantage would extra time be on 1L exams?
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 10:45 am
by dirtyjesus
I.P. Daly wrote:dirtyjesus wrote:I made a mistake and chose the wrong law school for me and I need to crush the exams like Stalin so that I can transfer. I can most likely get ADA accommodations for ADHD. How much of an edge would this give me if I had say 50% extra time? All of my exams but one are closed book.
If a student goes into the exam with a thorough understanding of how to approach a law school exam, and with a thorough understanding of the black letter law, extra time for someone who probably does not really need the extra time would probably be a huge advantage. You'll have more time to think about and spot issues, and write a well reasoned answer.
I think it is hard to determine if someone truly needs extra time. In UG, I was usually 1st or 2nd to finish a test if it was multiple choice but I am a notoriously slow writer. I was usually one of the last to finish a mostly essay exam and when writing a paper, it takes me 3 to 4 times as long as my friends.
My theory is that my concentration is fine when dealing with something that has a simple A,B,C,D solution and I can move quickly from one problem to the next but when I have to deal wth the same problem my mind wanders and I get easily distracted.
I was diagnosed with severe ADHD at 4 or 5. I currently don't take any meds because the amphetamines that are prescribed raise my BP too much and I dont want to have to take one medication to cancel out the side effects of another.
Re: How much of an advantage would extra time be on 1L exams?
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 10:50 am
by Nicholasnickynic
kwais wrote:I'll just take care of this thread
"would you get any extra time in a law firm?"
"you will make no friends this way"
"OMG, ADHD is real! Stop being so insensitive!"
"Guys, don't let this devolve into one of those threads"
"This is unfair! Law school exams are all about time!"
MODs "I'm warning you guys"
"Anyone want to talk about AA?"
Banhammmer
OP "But for serious..."
/thread
Re: How much of an advantage would extra time be on 1L exams?
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 11:00 am
by MarcZero
I know 2 of the 4 tests I will take will be to throw too much at you to have time to discuss everything. The profs. want to see how you handle time management and put the students under pressure. I think having extra time would be highly beneficial in this case. However, with the way you worded the quesiton (in regards to wanting to crush the exam and not concnerned with being equal with everyone else) makes your claim seem spurious.
Re: How much of an advantage would extra time be on 1L exams?
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 11:31 am
by Gorki
OP you should talk to student services and/or the dean's office about this. We have students get extra time, though to be honest the way their grades came out they essentially needed that extra time to stay above median... Which is the reason they get extra time.
However, if you are in a perma-depression b/c you chose this school you should try to see if it is even worth staying (As in, refund of some sort and redo next cycle). We had an almost identical situation at my school last year. Guy took LSAT really late in the year, accepted at our school when he could have got into H otherwise... Problem was, as he realized how crazy the law school curve is he basically withdrew from his social life and gradually burned out/got depressed... Despite all his talk of transferring and huge expectations our section had for him, second semester he never came to class until finals, was getting emails from the school, as far as I know did not get a single OCI, and did not even try to write-on. He is in two of my 2L classes this semester and routinely no-shows.
I know this is anecdotal, but just think you need to do some soul-searching maybe. I know many very successful people with ADHD, but they got there by honing their strengths and NOT b/c they cast themselves as inferior/diseased.
Best of luck.
Re: How much of an advantage would extra time be on 1L exams?
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 8:37 pm
by goodolgil
The (few) people I know who got extra time are at the top of the class. Too small a sample to draw a meaningful conclusion I guess, but people complain here and there.
Re: How much of an advantage would extra time be on 1L exams?
Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 6:25 am
by idk
dirtyjesus wrote: I went to a school where my LSAT is 10 points above 75%ile and my GPA is at 75%ile.
I hope they gave you a full ride? If you qualify for the accommodation, I think you should take it. Even if the extra time doesn't help you, it won't hurt you. You owe it to yourself to do everything you can to maximize your success as a transfer applicant. Did you have an accommodation on the LSAT?
Re: How much of an advantage would extra time be on 1L exams?
Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 10:22 am
by hasmith
Take the extra time, use it for either the exam or to buy fresh rolls at your local bakery.
Re: How much of an advantage would extra time be on 1L exams?
Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 10:48 am
by aroquentin
dirtyjesus wrote:
I was diagnosed with severe ADHD at 4 or 5.
Pretty sure that's not what the DSM calls it, special severe snowflake.
Re: How much of an advantage would extra time be on 1L exams?
Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 10:52 am
by smaug_
idk wrote:dirtyjesus wrote: I went to a school where my LSAT is 10 points above 75%ile and my GPA is at 75%ile.
I hope they gave you a full ride? If you qualify for the accommodation, I think you should take it. Even if the extra time doesn't help you, it won't hurt you. You owe it to yourself to do everything you can to maximize your success as a transfer applicant. Did you have an accommodation on the LSAT?
This thoughtful contribution totally warranted necroing this thread.
Re: How much of an advantage would extra time be on 1L exams?
Posted: Sat Oct 13, 2012 11:36 am
by RPK34
goodolgil wrote:The (few) people I know who got extra time are at the top of the class. Too small a sample to draw a meaningful conclusion I guess, but people complain here and there.
I only know 3 people at my school who have it. One is like top 40%, and the other two are bottom half.
There are a few problems. 1. Some exams aren't "give me every thought you think of." Some profs really value intillgent well thought out responses, even if you raise less point than other people. These exams, the top grade might be someone who finished after 2 hours on a four hour exam. I had 2 exams like this. 2. You get tired eventually. After 4 hours, you might have written 12000 words, the adrenaline is running out, your stress levels are through the roof. I remember one exam after 3 hours and 50 minutes, I had ten minutes to review stuff. But your mind can be so tired, you've forgotten what points you've made, etc. It's just mentally exhausting and that extra ten minutes was useless.
I doubt it would hurt, but I think people might overstate the help. Especially if you actually need the help
Re: How much of an advantage would extra time be on 1L exams?
Posted: Wed Apr 17, 2013 12:40 am
by gahgahblacksheep
Interesting to see this. I am procrastinating and ended up here. Anywho, extra time is really crucial for people who need it. This semester, I've decided to use it. I was stubborn last semester and didn't want to use it. I am just at median, because I BOMBED two exams where I needed the time (one of them, I had a crazy answer all over the place. yeah, I basically studied my butt off, but that doesn't matter if you can't think clearly.) The other one, I didn't even do five of the qs for cause I ran out of time. I truly regret not taking the extra time when I could have BUT I KNOW I need it. My grades are all above median for take-homes, exams that are not tightly timed, etc. That's the true test. If you're using extra time for some other ends-> don't think that will solve your probs.
Re: How much of an advantage would extra time be on 1L exams?
Posted: Wed Apr 17, 2013 1:43 pm
by mirodh
Your law school peers will hate you if you do it, you will probably hate yourself if you don't (especially if you don't get high enough grades to snag a job). Decide which of those options you prefer.
Re: How much of an advantage would extra time be on 1L exams?
Posted: Wed Apr 17, 2013 1:51 pm
by Pokemon
Re: How much of an advantage would extra time be on 1L exams?
Posted: Fri Apr 19, 2013 3:42 pm
by nebula666
What a douchebag move. This just makes people with actual disabilities look bad.
Re: How much of an advantage would extra time be on 1L exams?
Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2013 10:25 am
by gahgahblacksheep
I did it. Here are the results.
No extra time- 3.15
Extra time- 3.9
With the extra time, I was able to realize I completely misread something that would have completely destroyed my grade (hence why my gpa was low.. I was getting high grades when I had less time pressure and very low grades when I had time pressure.)
Re: How much of an advantage would extra time be on 1L exams?
Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2013 11:13 am
by DorthyMantooth
How difficult is it to be granted extra time if you have an ADD/ADHD diagnosis?
Re: How much of an advantage would extra time be on 1L exams?
Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2013 11:18 am
by NotMyRealName09
DorthyMantooth wrote:How difficult is it to be granted extra time if you have an ADD/ADHD diagnosis?
It's probably more difficult for your school to deny it to you than for you to obtain it if you have a documented medical condition.
Re: How much of an advantage would extra time be on 1L exams?
Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2013 11:25 am
by ManOfTheMinute
gahgahblacksheep wrote:I did it. Here are the results.
No extra time- 3.15
Extra time- 3.9
With the extra time, I was able to realize I completely misread something that would have completely destroyed my grade (hence why my gpa was low.. I was getting high grades when I had less time pressure and very low grades when I had time pressure.)
I guess this proves that you deserved the extra time... cuz I'm sure people without ADHD couldn't have the exact same result