Advice for doing well in law school (at a T2) Forum

[creamedcats]

good call on channeling raistlin

This is a great thread, Arrow, and I am pleased to see the Master of the Tower of High Sorcery making a TLS cameo.

Harry Potter my ***. If the main character doesn't at least ponder killing his twin brother, killing the Gods and turning the world into a lifeless ash heap to prove a point, he's just not trying hard enough.

[Arrow]

Arrow, Great advice! I hope everything goes well in Boalt.
One little questions I may face at this time, I try to open your Criminal exam prep file but it does not show me anything. (just a blank page with a white screen.) Here is the link I use--- http://www.scribd.com/full/17016168?acc ... jyuwiaz2xa
I tried to use firefox and IE, but neither of them work. Any suggestions that may fix this issue will be truly appreciated!

Best!

I'm not sure what you're doing for the links, but they work for me (and others). I can link them again and hopefully they will work. Good luck!

--LinkRemoved--
--LinkRemoved--
--LinkRemoved--

[xiening]

Arrow, I cant believe that I receive your response this quick, Thank you so much. I tried the link you post again, it worked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry about posting stupid questions like this. I am truly appreciated!!
BTW, I am following your method for the law school now, it seems to be worked. you are the model, Man. I feel like if I keep going, i can do this,and finish it nicely. Hope everything goes great!

Best!

[SuperFreak]

Sticky?

[snowpeach06]

I will be coming back to this thread when I start 1L. You seem to have your shit together, and understand the need for balance. I really liked your point about "are you really working hard?" Some of my friends studied ALL day in undergrad, and didn't do that well, primarily because they were slow to understand and just read things. I could do one hour and get the same amount of information because I do ridiculous things like talk to myself, re-write, practice what I'll write on the exam, ect. Glad this strategy will hold in law school.

[traehekat]

This advice sucks, IMO.

[heathbar88]

Thanks!

[tikiman6]

Congrats on your success. That said, I find your approach dissuading. It sounds like you achieved results mostly through over-preparation. (Blew your whole summer reading E&E's? Really?) Your approach to social life has issues, to paraphrase: having friends is important because networking is important in finding a job. You need a balance between social life and school life because having people skills is important as a lawyer. Make friends with Upperclassmen, because this will help your grade. This is not having a social life. This is using people as a means for your original goal: succeeding professionally, not socially. Perhaps there is a better way to disagree than rabblerousing in your own thread, but as a caution to other 0L's out there, this may simply not be the way for you.

[Duralex]

Nonsense, Arrow is awesome. And why are you assuming Arrow has no friends?

Back to more important matters: do you have to cough up blood to brief like Raistlin?

[tikiman6]

I assumed nothing about Arrow's friends, I merely paraphrased his thoughts on social lives as can be found in the section of the advice concerning social lives. (See original post)

[Duralex]

You mean this part?

XIX. Work/Life Balance

Go to social events! It will be fun. There are a few things I always did not matter what. I would always go to the gym and work out. I would also play pick up basketball games on campus or go bboying once a week. I think being physically fit is essential for being mentally fit.

In addition, I would go to various social events on Friday/Saturday nights once or twice every few weeks (“Bar” review, Turb Club, Club meetings). Networking is important, and you still have to do it even with epic studying going on. Plus, the free food was nice. We all have to eat, so socialize while eating. Having a good work/life balance is important in keeping you sane. Also, having human interaction is an important skill as a lawyer (and totally fun), so be sure to meet your amazing classmates. Upperclassmen also hold a plethora of tips when it comes to specific professors and their exam tendencies. Ask them (in person or by email) what professors they had in the last few years and if they had any advice or tips.

...

Your social life may have nothing to do with your grades, but I am including this section here as a reminder that your people skills are ALSO a key to success in life. If you want to make partner one day and do some serious rainmaking, networking is essential.

Sounds about right....

[tikiman6]

Reasons for having friends listed:
- Networking
- Free Food
- Easy to Socialize while eating, a necessary activity
- Work/Life Balance (One good reason)
- Useful to hone interaction skills for later use as lawyer
- Upper classmen can help you with classes
- People skills are a key to success

Assuming you have friends, is this why you hang out with them? Because of food and networking skills?

[Artemis]

This is by far the best article I've ever read on TLS. Thanks for the great advice, Arrow!

[Oakley84]

Great advice! Just started as a 1L at a low T2 and determined to end up at a UC --> at least at a T30 school or above. I'll be following Arrow's advice, so hopefully it all works out!

Thanks Arrow!

[mynjb26]

Great post!! Thanks for such a thorough contribution

[DeeCee]

I'm in grad school and I will be finishing in May and attending law school August 2011. Although I admire your determination, grad school (at least my grad school) is quite similar to law school, i.e. you have more hours of work than you can EVER do in the day, your classmates are *extremely* competitive for internships, you have to find out everything on your own besides the parts presented in lecture, professors are perplexing, et cetera. But--my field does not have loads of books about how to succeed in grad school, how PLS2 and that entire genre of books (depressingly and ungraciously) does. I find it all so strange, and I now believe I must be joining the ranks of students who are OCD like myself.

That being said, I studied 10+ hours a day 7 days a week my first year of grad. I thought it was essential, and I read a bunch of things that never mattered in the end. I practically killed myself and almost ruined close relationships in the process. After that year, I knew I was working much harder than I needed to. This year, I took harder classes, changed my ways by dropping unnecessary materials and buying less optional class textbooks, and put in about 2/3 the time to study that I did before. Yet, I'm still holding a 4.0 after my grades came out last week and I enjoyed my free time. I know you're doing great but I personally felt that once I gave time to MYSELF on weekends and nights, rather than making school my absolute life, I was happy, and I still made great grades. Now, I do ~8 hours of studying (including class meetings in that time block), 5 days a week, much like a 9-5 job.
I might not be exactly comparing apples to apples here, being a 0L, so obviously do what works for you. I just feel that sometimes, these overbearing techniques can be detrimental to our lives, especially since we are all such overachievers (it was certainly detrimental to mine). Anyway, I just wanted to offer a different perspective from the ones offered in PLS2 and other books.

EDIT: Guess I should have paid attention and not revived such an old thread.

[northwood]

BUT U did

[megaTTTron]

BUT U did

. . . with 0L study advice.

[BackToTheOldHouse]

I want to start doing the 0L reading right now .

[niederbomb]

tag

What is E&E?

[BackToTheOldHouse]

tag

What is E&E?

I haven't used this in a while, so: --LinkRemoved--

[DeeCee]

tag

What is E&E?

I haven't used this in a while, so: --LinkRemoved--

I almost did the same thing but decided not to

[niederbomb]

tag

What is E&E?

I haven't used this in a while, so: --LinkRemoved--

Yeah, of course "Torts E&E" or "Contracts E&E" or "Civ Pro E&E" is easy to Google. But "E&E" by itself just brings up a bunch of results about Electrical Engineering.

Thanks for clarifying, douche.

[beachbum]

tag

What is E&E?

I haven't used this in a while, so: --LinkRemoved--

Yeah, of course "Torts E&E" or "Contracts E&E" or "Civ Pro E&E" is easy to Google. But "E&E" by itself just brings up a bunch of results about Electrical Engineering.

Thanks for clarifying, douche.

I've heard there's also a search function on TLS. And the second result from a search for "E&E" is this: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... =5&t=79688. HTH.

[BackToTheOldHouse]

tag

What is E&E?

I haven't used this in a while, so: --LinkRemoved--

Yeah, of course "Torts E&E" or "Contracts E&E" or "Civ Pro E&E" is easy to Google. But "E&E" by itself just brings up a bunch of results about Electrical Engineering.

Thanks for clarifying, douche.

No problem, bitch.