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"IT IS NOT THE END OF THE WORLD IF YOU FUCK UP ON A PRACTICE EXAM. THAT'S WHY IT'S A PRACTICE."
I did not do well on my practice torts exam (B- on a B curve -- we got grades, but they don't count). And you know what? I'm not freaking out. You know why?
I now know the following that I didn't know before taking the exam: • This prof likes it if you do what you have to do to advocate for your client. If she says, "you're the lawyer for Bryan," write the answer so Bryan wins, unless it's impossible. (This is opposed to my crim law prof, who prefers a smack-down of the hyopthetical client). • This prof really likes Examples and Explanations. In fact, she designed her grading guidelines in part based on the test chapters. She said this flat-out. I took that as a hint to read the damn book, or at least the test chapters. Ya think? • I didn't get the law wrong; I just had never tried to do this before so I didn't know what to expect and I fell into a bunch of newbie traps. (And reading a book on how to do it is meaningless unless you've actually done it.) I'm considering this like my practice LSAT -- once I knew were my problems were, I focused on those (using a book), and raised my score from the 25th percentile at my school to probably the second-highest score in my entering class. • This prof -- as opposed to Prof. Contracts -- does NOT like issue-buzzword-dropping. If it's not relevant, don't mention it just to show how smart you are. If it's relevant but obvious, mention it and move on. There's no reason to go on about "Jack met all of the elements of battery when he hit Michael in the face" when it's obvious, especially you're spending time on obvious things that you should be spending on Jack's not-so-obvious defenses or the battery or negligence Paula can or cannot sue for when Michael recoiled from the hit and set her hair on fire with a cigarette.
Anyhow. I know these things now that I didn't know before, and I am in a better position to apply these things to future exams (and my own practice) and improve my performance.
But there was actually someone in tears (literally), considering DROPPING OUT yesterday because she got a B. On a B curve. On a practice exam. Only 30 percent of the grades are allowed to be higher than a B. She can't handle being in the 70 percent, I guess (and scholarships here are just contingent upon remaining in good standing, not upon a specific GPA or rank, so it's not even that). And the prof also said that more people who did poorly on the practice last year got As in the course than vice versa, probably because the people who did well on the practice got complacent.
I wonder if that woman in tears has really been looking for an excuse to quit, and has found a flimsy one she can live with.
Gah. People are annoying.
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