Post-Grade Release Support/Q&A for 1Ls

[helloall]

First off, congratulations to all the 1Ls for finishing their first semester of law school! The first semester is a tough time, and you should be proud of your accomplishment. 

I know that 1Ls recently got their grades back. I definitely would encourage students to reach out to their mentors for any advice. If you're concerned about your mental health, I'd like to remind students that the Peer Mental Health Support Program is a fantastic student-run resource. There's also the Mental Health Office and personal counselling available within the law school.

That being said, as a 3L, I recognize that some students might not feel comfortable with discussing their grades or asking questions in real life. I thought creating a thread would give a chance for students to pseudo-anonymously ask questions. Please feel free to message me if you'd like as well.

[Turtles]

I'll throw this out there for the lurkers. 

This semester I got my highest grade in my hardest course. I got my lowest grade in my easiest course. There's a lot at play with grades -- how well everyone else does, the amount of effort you put in, your aptitude for the material, your actual interest level, how well you slept the night before a 100% exam, how well you might predict the questions on the exam in advance or can figure out what the prof is looking for, or even if you fell down the trap of spending too much time on 1 question and couldn't spend enough on the rest.

Law school grades can be particularly tough because you can do all the right things, but a single error (e.g., in my case, not being able to fall asleep the night before and only getting 1.5 hours of sleep) can disrupt 4 months' work. At the end of the day, a grade is a grade. What's important is that you learned a lot from your courses and will allow yourself to learn more in the next semester and throughout your career. 

Nearly 100% of the cohort will land a job in the end. Don't worry, a disappointing grade here or there is probably more than fine. Focus on learning for the sake of learning and try to enjoy the broader law school experience. 

Edited January 23, 2023 by Turtles