Law School Grades Are Finally In

Law school grades finally came in after being back in school for a week. I personally cannot complain about my grades. I finished off doing well in criminal law and it brought my average up. Hopefully, the grade brought my average up enough to place me in the top 30%. I had hoped to do better but after hearing the horror stories and watching law students drop like flys. I am content with my grades.

The start of your second semester of the 1L year is different again then any other beginning in school. I have my grades back now and the logical next thought is, “what can I do different to improve my grades?” The problem is the answer to that question is not simple. Just like every other answer in law school; there really isn’t a correct answer to that question.

So here is my theory...(Please join me in crossing your fingers over the semester)

I spent a whole lot of time highlighting, reading, and taking class notes last semester. Then during the last 2 weeks and during pre-exam preparations, I studied outlines from fellow classmates and hand-me down outlines from upper classmen. What I came away with after taking the exams is that memorizing those rules is the most important thing a 1L can do. Making sure you know your outline(s) like it is your bible.

So this semester, I am going to change it up and spend more time during the semester memorizing black letter law and rules (aka my outline). This way when that month before exams comes, I will have a base of memorization through repetition.

Of course, I feel like I have to work on my writing and most of all time management. Those tests are made so that you do not have enough time to thoroughly go through every issue on the page. This posed a problem for me because issue spotting really has not been an issue for me (haha no pun intended).

But there is my theory that I think will work for me and might work for you or might not.

Win Prizes Searching the Internet

My brother sent me this site called Blingo and it's pretty cool. It uses the Google search engine and gives you prizes for searching. Prizes can range from $5,000 visa gift cards to $25 visa gift cards or a new car, tv, or a fandago movie ticket.

It works for me whenever I'm in class and should be paying attention. Nice little distraction.

Click Here if you want to check it out.

My brother has won a $1,500 visa gift card and 2 movie tickets already. His wife won a $500 visa gift card also. We all know law students can use any extra cash.

Funny Times and Troubling Times

It seems like with law school you have days that are troubling or funny. And more typically days that are both. A troubling day could be getting stood up in Contracts and not being prepared. A funny day could be someone else getting stood up in Contracts and not being prepared.

Today, was a little bit of both.

The day started off well with my property professor. We were talking about brokers and he made a joke using the word idiot. Like most law professors, just about anything can lead them off into a tangent. So he went on about how his children won't let him use the word idiot in front of some of his grandchildren. Now his last name is McLaughlin which is key. So He goes on to imitate them, "Daddy Mac, Mom said you couldn't say that word!"

Needless to say, the class all started laughing and it took the professor a little while to realize he was being funny.

So on to Constitutional Law, We're covering Marbury v. Madison and Judicial Review. I really enjoy this class because of the background history and politics that I hope are all through out it. I guess being a political junky and history nut explains that. Anyway, the troubling part came halfway through con law via a text message from my brother, "Call Mom ASAP, It's about grandma."

My grandma has been in the hospital since New Years Eve and I guess she's doing what all people do when they're her age. I guess law school and the busy schedule that accompanies it makes these troubling days/events that much harder.

I've heard from other 1Ls that are getting divorced now, one man's father having surgery, and the list goes on. This must be why law school is much more about survival then anything else.

Law School Grades

Law school grades are a funny thing. Let me give you a little background on this post. All you need to know is I just got my grades back and I'm a little disappointed (little background).

So grades start pouring in. Of course they only give you the first three grades turned in. In my case, this was Property, Civ. Pro. and Torts. I'm nervous when I go to check them and come away feeling like crap but happy that I beat the median so far.

Property, the exam I left and felt the best about, was my worst grade. I don't know if it's the whole idea that if you left feeling good you missed stuff. Civ. Pro. I knew I did bad and I did ehh alright to bad. Realizing a hour into the exam that you have a 7 page fact pattern is a bad thing. Torts at the time I thought was my worst test next to the hated contracts and it turned out to be my best grade.

But they are funny because of the dynamic of a law school class. You have the students that immediately tell you their grades and then the students that say the cryptic statement of "I'm satisfied." I've also realized that the kids that do really well are the ones talking and the ones that didn't do so well are quiet or "satisfied."

So Christmas break is over and you're back to school with only 3 grades. That's real cute. Then a few days back you get one of the two grades back and your average goes from ehh to worse. With one grade still out, I am beginning to feel very apathetic to the whole thing. I guess I've realize the testing structure and that really what you do in class doesn't matter. All that matters is that week and half of studying and hell called exam time.

But I truck on and try to keep my spirits up. All while reading, studying and waiting for that next week and half of hell.