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Contracts- C, LRW- B, Civ Pro- B, Torts- B for a whoppin 2.67 GPA. Contracts is five credits so that sucks

I'm at a random T2, not really random because it's in my state and I have a big conditional scholarship that I need a 2.8 GPA or top 80% of my class to keep it. What do you suggest I do? I have a bachelor's in history from an ivy league school, but no work experience. I have no clue what went wrong nor am I going to stress over it.

Do better next semester. If you lose your scholarship, consider alternate career path. Who knows, if you are threatening to drop out maybe the school would let you keep some it so they can still make $. Doubtful though.

Someone once told me, when I first started school that if you understand the phrase "apply law to fact," that you will do well in school and pass the bar. I always thought I knew what it meant. But, by my third year when I did super well, I really knew what it meant. I use it now in practice. It's hard to explain . But, sit down and really really think about it. Until you know in your gut what it means.

Troubled1L wrote:I have no clue what went wrong nor am I going to stress over it.

This is kind of a weird statement. I'm not suggesting you should stress over it per se, since it is what it is and you can't change it at this point. But you seem like you don't give a shit. You should at least be trying to figure out what went wrong so you can do better next semester. If you lose that money the prudent thing would be to drop out.

Do you actually want to be a lawyer, or is this one of those "didn't have a better idea after undergrad" things?

An ivy league grad who's not very concerned about getting bad grades from a bad law school is a strange concept.

If you want to stay in law school, I highly recommend you "stress over" what went wrong so you can fix it.

That's actually not that bad.

I mean, no offense OP, but if you need a 2.80/top 80% to keep your scholarship and you're at a 2.67, that is kind of bad.

I'm assuming big scholarship means not a full ride

Even with a full ride, I'd just cut my losses now and drop out. No shame in that, just find something else to do.

BigZuck wrote:I'm assuming big scholarship means not a full ride

Even with a full ride, I'd just cut my losses now and drop out. No shame in that, just find something else to do.

This is poor advice.

f.glenn wrote:

BigZuck wrote:I'm assuming big scholarship means not a full ride

Even with a full ride, I'd just cut my losses now and drop out. No shame in that, just find something else to do.

This is poor advice.

Why's that?

Probably worth it to ride out the second semester at say 25% tuition + COL or whatever OP is paying to see if grades improve no?

I mean, what else are you going to do by like, Monday?

BigZuck wrote:

f.glenn wrote:

BigZuck wrote:I'm assuming big scholarship means not a full ride

Even with a full ride, I'd just cut my losses now and drop out. No shame in that, just find something else to do.

This is poor advice.

Why's that?

Dropping out? What, if anything, makes you qualified to give a law student school/career/life advice?

f.glenn wrote:

BigZuck wrote:

f.glenn wrote:

BigZuck wrote:I'm assuming big scholarship means not a full ride

Even with a full ride, I'd just cut my losses now and drop out. No shame in that, just find something else to do.

This is poor advice.

Why's that?

Dropping out? What, if anything, makes you qualified to give a law student school/career/life advice?

Because the OP asked, "What do you suggest I do?"

BasilHallward wrote:

f.glenn wrote:

BigZuck wrote:

f.glenn wrote:

BigZuck wrote:I'm assuming big scholarship means not a full ride

Even with a full ride, I'd just cut my losses now and drop out. No shame in that, just find something else to do.

This is poor advice.

Why's that?

Dropping out? What, if anything, makes you qualified to give a law student school/career/life advice?

Because the OP asked, "What do you suggest I do?"

Again, that is POOR advice.

What, if anything, makes you qualified to opine on the quality of Zuck's advice?

TheSpanishMain wrote:What, if anything, makes you qualified to opine on the quality of Zuck's advice?

When someone gives that poor of advice someone should interfere whether qualified or not.

Okay, why is that poor advice?

The "not going to stress" part may have been poorly worded by the OP or misinterpreted by the hive (which is kind of what I think happened) but if the OP means what it sounds like then the OP should definitely cut his/her losses now

I think it comes down to the strength of the OP's THIRST for JUSTICE and how much the OP just NEEDS to be a lawyer, and the OP's debt level. If the OP is like the other 97% of law students who are just kind of doing the law school thing cuz "Meh, whatever, what else do you want me to do, get a job?" then the OP should drop out. Or, if the OP is going like 100K in debt (decently likely if not on a full ride) for some middling to bad-ish school (decently likely when the school has scholly stips) then the OP should drop out (unless maybe that THIRST is simply UNQUENCHABLE I guess).

If that was me, knowing what I know now (which is impossible of course because how could 0L me know what 3L me knows?) then I would drop out.

eta lol i'm an idiot

BigZuck wrote:The "not going to stress" part may have been poorly worded by the OP or misinterpreted by the hive (which is kind of what I think happened) but if the OP means what it sounds like then the OP should definitely cut his/her losses now

I think it comes down to the strength of the OP's THIRST for JUSTICE and how much the OP just NEEDS to be a lawyer, and the OP's debt level. If the OP is like the other 97% of law students who are just kind of doing the law school thing cuz "Meh, whatever, what else do you want me to do, get a job?" then the OP should drop out. Or, if the OP is going like 100K in debt (decently likely if not on a full ride) for some middling to bad-ish school (decently likely when the school has scholly stips) then the OP should drop out (unless maybe that THIRST is simply UNQUENCHABLE I guess).

If that was me, knowing what I know now (which is impossible of course because how could 0L me know what 3L me knows?) then I would drop out.

this is shitty advice. do not listen to this advice. it has nothing to do with your grades. it is just unabashedly shitty advice. thirst for justice has nothing to do with hiring. "meh" is THE worst attitude anyone has towards legal hiring. the thirst is real regardless of T14 or not,

xael wrote:eta lol i'm an idiot

The Hive appreciates your contribution all the same

I guess what I posted is confusing but to me, here at 2 AM, it's pretty clear

OP, I would strongly consider dropping out. You almost certainly have a bottom 15% GPA on a conditional scholarship that doesn't cover full tuition. Your dilemma is exacerbated by the fact that your school has such a seemingly brutal curve--bottom 15% at a T20 would probably still place give you a GPA with a "3" in front of it (avoiding the "scarlet letter" that comes with a 2.XX for employers). If you live at home while attending school, then maybe you should stay for another semester. In a similar vein, if your grandparents/parents/family are paying for you to be loan-free, then I would probably stay, too because you don't have any work experience. However, I don't think the cost of tuition + books + COL + lost income would be worth it if you are financing via loans.

Although there's nothing to suggest that you can't raise your grades substantially next semester, there's also nothing suggesting you can, and absent nearly perfect grades, you'll still be in rough, rough shape.

You have an ivy league degree! I know TLS/T14s are filled with these things so it doesn't seem like that big of a deal (and you've been surrounded by people who have the same credentials as you for like the last four years), but there are still many, many markets filled with employers who will hire you into entry level positions just based off of the brand of your degree alone. I would look into maybe working as a loan officer (random, I know, but this is just an example) in a Chase/Wells Fargo/PNC/BB&T type bank. The pay is okay but the job is very respectable to average Americans and it buys you time to figure out a different career path. It also gives you $ to pay w/e loans you have back or just chill.

Only you know how much you studied/tapped into 2L/3L resources/prepped for exams, though. If you think that this semester was a complete aberration and you'll be able to crush it next semester, then maybe hold off on dropping out. You should have a clue about what went wrong.

f.glenn wrote:

TheSpanishMain wrote:What, if anything, makes you qualified to opine on the quality of Zuck's advice?

When someone gives that poor of advice someone should interfere whether qualified or not.

With all due respect, I read your advice thread, and its full of suggestions that are awful. For instance working as a paralegal with a jd.

Am I unemployable even if I hit 2.8? I would work any job a JD could get me if I could just get an A range grade in one of my classes next semester and keep my scholarship. I'm not being completely honest. I don't have my Torts grade yet, but that's a modest prediction. Who knows, maybe I got a B+ or better in Torts and I'm on the borderline. I've only taken out $15k in loans for the year.

I think going to law school was a mistake and I don't "have" to be a lawyer.

So if going to law school was a mistake and you don't have a burning desire to be a lawyer, why stay?
If you don't want to be a lawyer, you should drop out even if you had a 4.0.