Is law school really like high school? Forum

[togepi]

I've read in several threads that people have compared their journey through law school to resemble some aspects of high school life, mainly the notion of not sleeping with other people in your section (I've even heard to just wait until 2L haha). But other than the spread of gossip like wildfire, are there any other variables that come into play? Like is everyone really "clicky" and form study groups from the start and sort of stick to their posse or is everyone really chummy with everyone else?

I know everyone will have different experiences, but I would like to hear the opinions of current law students or graduates about their personal experiences with this (even you poor souls who slept around with other people in your section )

[shoeshine]

Social experience = High School

Academic Experience = Hell

Professional Experience = (IDK yet, I start my SA job in a couple weeks)

[angrybird]

i don't talk to anyone and mostly play video games. yep, pretty much.

[rad lulz]

It's a "clique" breh

[Tom Joad]

I can only hope law school is as awesome as high school.

[togepi]

i don't talk to anyone and mostly play video games. yep, pretty much.

This could easily be me.

[LSATNightmares]

Cliques, yes. Sadly, it's very hard to make friends after the first month or so, especially if you're an older student who just can't make it to late-night bar reviews where the socializing happens. People tend to lock themselves in the library during free time, and you really only talk to people you sit next to or if you participate in some club (but clubs are much less important in law school than in high school).

Gossip... at least from my personal experience, my friends did not gossip unless something major happened. Like there's been a bit of a "honor code" incident by other students/the professor in one of my classes that's being investigated, so there's been major gossip on that. No one has gossiped about who slept with whom.

Honestly, as a married student, I'm not even aware of students sleeping with each other. Married students or those who are in long-term relationships/engaged tend to hang out. Buuuuut I do have a friend who met her fiance in her 1L section, and they actually began dating as 1L's.

Other things that resemble high school... lockers. Preoccupation with how you compare to your classmates (in high school, you were concerned whether you would get into as good of a college; in law school it's grades/jobs).

[Tom Joad]

Preoccupation with how you compare to your classmates (in high school, you were concerned whether you would get into as good of a college; in law school it's grades/jobs).

What kind of high school did you go to? When I was in high school we were preoccupied with finding booze, seeing bewbies, and playing football. College was just a place we heard about on American Pie movies that sounding cool because of potential booze, bewbies, and football.

[FlanAl]

its like high school, but without the fun parts of high school and most of the lame ones.

[northwood]

its like high school, but without the fun parts of high school and most of the lame ones.

andyou have to pay a whole lot more

[Mr. Pancakes]

I can only hope law school is as awesome as high school.

[freaknroll]

I can only hope law school is as awesome as high school.

+1

[togepi]

Cliques, yes. Sadly, it's very hard to make friends after the first month or so, especially if you're an older student who just can't make it to late-night bar reviews where the socializing happens. People tend to lock themselves in the library during free time, and you really only talk to people you sit next to or if you participate in some club (but clubs are much less important in law school than in high school).

Gossip... at least from my personal experience, my friends did not gossip unless something major happened. Like there's been a bit of a "honor code" incident by other students/the professor in one of my classes that's being investigated, so there's been major gossip on that. No one has gossiped about who slept with whom.

Honestly, as a married student, I'm not even aware of students sleeping with each other. Married students or those who are in long-term relationships/engaged tend to hang out. Buuuuut I do have a friend who met her fiance in her 1L section, and they actually began dating as 1L's.

Other things that resemble high school... lockers. Preoccupation with how you compare to your classmates (in high school, you were concerned whether you would get into as good of a college; in law school it's grades/jobs).

Seems tolerable. I hope the law school I go to has mixers so I can meet a pharmacist and be a stay at home dad who chugs pills and gets my child taken away from child services and then later gets divorced, but half of my wife's holdings.

[dresden doll]

Seems tolerable. I hope the law school I go to has mixers so I can meet a pharmacist and be a stay at home dad who chugs pills and gets my child taken away from child services and then later gets divorced, but half of my wife's holdings.

Only if the judge chugs pills too.

[ilovesf]

Cliques, yes. Sadly, it's very hard to make friends after the first month or so, especially if you're an older student who just can't make it to late-night bar reviews where the socializing happens. People tend to lock themselves in the library during free time, and you really only talk to people you sit next to or if you participate in some club (but clubs are much less important in law school than in high school).

Gossip... at least from my personal experience, my friends did not gossip unless something major happened. Like there's been a bit of a "honor code" incident by other students/the professor in one of my classes that's being investigated, so there's been major gossip on that. No one has gossiped about who slept with whom.

Honestly, as a married student, I'm not even aware of students sleeping with each other. Married students or those who are in long-term relationships/engaged tend to hang out. Buuuuut I do have a friend who met her fiance in her 1L section, and they actually began dating as 1L's.

Other things that resemble high school... lockers. Preoccupation with how you compare to your classmates (in high school, you were concerned whether you would get into as good of a college; in law school it's grades/jobs).

This is kind of how I see it too. Only we didn't have any big scandals to create that kind of gossip. People here do kind of gossip about hook ups, but not a lot. I have a lot of friends outside of LS and don't hang out with that many LS people so I'm sure there's a lot that I miss out on too. The worst part is the preoccupation of how you compare to other people. I think most people do it, but some people are really vocal about it while others just keep it to themselves. I heard someone who sat near me say to her friend, "Wow, you had to apply to 30 jobs for the summer, and you still don't have anything lined up? I only applied to 3 and got 2 offers. That sucks for you." Comments like that really make me hate law students. I have a feeling that when a lot of people ask what you're doing over the summer, if you aren't actually friends, are only asking so they can see how good of a gig it is, not because they are actually interested.

[togepi]

That's really lame. I hope I don't run into any people like that. From what you remember, was there a group of people that were just totally clueless as to how important grades were? I mean, everyone strives to do well, but was there anyone who literally had no idea that if you were below median you had a long uphill battle ahead of you? I guess what I'm trying to say is, were there a lot of people who just seemed like they were there coasting along and oblivious to how things worked?

[ilovesf]

That's really lame. I hope I don't run into any people like that. From what you remember, was there a group of people that were just totally clueless as to how important grades were? I mean, everyone strives to do well, but was there anyone who literally had no idea that if you were below median you had a long uphill battle ahead of you? I guess what I'm trying to say is, were there a lot of people who just seemed like they were there coasting along and oblivious to how things worked?

I think some people don't understand exactly how important they are, or rather they think they can still get biglaw if they are at median... which you can't from my school. Some of my friends also didn't apply to a lot of jobs/internships for the summer and thought it was okay to just take classes and have a non-legal day job to make money.

[togepi]

For some odd reason, I picture kids at T2-T4s assuming that law school is like medical school and that so long as they don't murder anyone they'll be guaranteed a job. I'm sure someone has stories about shit like this.

[boredatwork]

For some odd reason, I picture kids at T1-T4s assuming that law school is like medical school and that so long as they don't murder anyone they'll be guaranteed a job. I'm sure someone has stories about shit like this.

Fixed.

[yngblkgifted]

Social experience = High School

Academic Experience = Hell

Professional Experience = (IDK yet, I start my SA job in a couple weeks)

+1 on everything.

[MrPapagiorgio]

For some odd reason, I picture kids at T1-T4s assuming that law school is like medical school and that so long as they don't murder anyone they'll be guaranteed a job. I'm sure someone has stories about shit like this.

Fixed.

Yea. I'm at a T30 and I know a guy who did absolutely nothing 1L year and ended getting straight C-'s (the lowest most of our profs' will give). His take on everything? "Psshh, it's not like we're not gonna get jobs. We'll all get jobs, dude."

To answer OP, yes, it is like high school, right down to the lockers. The only difference is that you actually have to do work to do well and the gossip is just about the same if not worse.

[togepi]

Social experience = High School

Academic Experience = Hell

Professional Experience = (IDK yet, I start my SA job in a couple weeks)

So when I hook up with a girl, I'll have to stop at second base?

Togepi don't play that shit.

[PARTY]

Social experience = High School

Academic Experience = Hell

Professional Experience = (IDK yet, I start my SA job in a couple weeks)

So when I hook up with a girl, I'll have to stop at second base?

Togepi don't play that shit.

clearly. those hand-things are just so suitable.

[northwood]

dont hook up with anyone in your section.

[togepi]

dont hook up with anyone in your section.

I have one more year in South Korea teaching English. I have a really bad tendency to lose all shame when I'm drunk. I really need to work on that. If you watched Doug when you were younger then you might get this reference when I say that I've bagged a few nematodes that I'm not proud of.