(no subject)
Jan. 2nd, 2006 11:10 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
vicarzI LJ suck - it seems I only LJ as a way to fight ADHD at work or when I'm unhappy. As I'm inbetween semesters I've been super-social with a couple people (and parties since I don't have time for many dear friends - you know the madness that is my life right now, happy madness, but madness none-the-less) I have mostly blown off LJ. However, I am here doing errands (on-line errands, wow) and to my shock I received an email from a prof:
"Jose – Nice job! Paper grade: 98 Writing grade: A Course grade: A"
It's only a 2cr course, but at least my record is consistent: while law school is the first time I have not been cum laude in college/grad school, I have yet to have a semester that was "A free."
A notice to people who talk to people who are in law school: Law school is not like graduate school. There is no comparison. Shut up.
1. All classes are graded on a curve - that does not mean curved up. That means everyone there is scored against their peers no matter how good or bad they do. The good not only study, but outline, buy commercial outlines, study in groups and separately, research prior exams, take sample exams at real-time speed under realistic conditions, research the academic works of the professor to guess what they ask and like to hear, and may research the professors the professor studied under.
2. GPA is meaningless. Saying "I'm sure you got an A or a B" doesn't apply. Class rank is the only measure in law school - it determines your ability to get a job.
3. You cannot do law school like grad school. You cannot take a class or two at a time - you must take what you are told when you are told for at least the first year, and you carry at least 3 classes per term even if working full-time and taking classes part time.
When you start to talk to a law student and compare their experience to your grad school experience, or offer advice to the law student, you may notice a grinding noise. That is the sound of gritted and grinding teeth as the law student subverts the urge to wrap their tired fingers around your neck.
While I'm at it:
Graduate school is not like getting an MBA. Athletes often get MBAs. MBAs are fake grad degrees. MBAs are graduate degrees you can get from correspondence / internet "colleges." An MBA is the equivalent of going to confession "Forgive me, for I chose a bad major in college and my alternative plans to riches have failed." "Yes my son/daughter. Go to the alter, say 5,000 Hail Marys, and pay the coffers another $20-50 grand."
"Jose – Nice job! Paper grade: 98 Writing grade: A Course grade: A"
It's only a 2cr course, but at least my record is consistent: while law school is the first time I have not been cum laude in college/grad school, I have yet to have a semester that was "A free."
A notice to people who talk to people who are in law school: Law school is not like graduate school. There is no comparison. Shut up.
1. All classes are graded on a curve - that does not mean curved up. That means everyone there is scored against their peers no matter how good or bad they do. The good not only study, but outline, buy commercial outlines, study in groups and separately, research prior exams, take sample exams at real-time speed under realistic conditions, research the academic works of the professor to guess what they ask and like to hear, and may research the professors the professor studied under.
2. GPA is meaningless. Saying "I'm sure you got an A or a B" doesn't apply. Class rank is the only measure in law school - it determines your ability to get a job.
3. You cannot do law school like grad school. You cannot take a class or two at a time - you must take what you are told when you are told for at least the first year, and you carry at least 3 classes per term even if working full-time and taking classes part time.
When you start to talk to a law student and compare their experience to your grad school experience, or offer advice to the law student, you may notice a grinding noise. That is the sound of gritted and grinding teeth as the law student subverts the urge to wrap their tired fingers around your neck.
While I'm at it:
Graduate school is not like getting an MBA. Athletes often get MBAs. MBAs are fake grad degrees. MBAs are graduate degrees you can get from correspondence / internet "colleges." An MBA is the equivalent of going to confession "Forgive me, for I chose a bad major in college and my alternative plans to riches have failed." "Yes my son/daughter. Go to the alter, say 5,000 Hail Marys, and pay the coffers another $20-50 grand."
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no subject
Date: 2006-01-02 04:57 pm (UTC)The umbrella of 'grad school', though, varies widely. In music you've got the classes themselves plus the hours spent practicing, recitals, performing in ensembles and writing lesson plans. You also must take what you are told when you are told because of prerequisites, and I didn't know anyone carrying as few as three classes. Plus, you've got the assistant-ship and/or full time job that many people do at the same time. So, maybe, just maybe, some of those people offering advice have some good things to say.
And so, I shall ignore your warning! And tell you the one thing that got me through 5 years of grad school and two masters degrees...there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Good job on the A!
no subject
Date: 2006-01-02 07:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-02 08:57 pm (UTC)Those people were the hardest working folks I have ever seen, in my academic or professional careers.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-02 05:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-02 05:08 pm (UTC)Ha. Defensive much? ;)
I think grad school experiences vary widely.
When are you finished with this damned degree, anyway?
no subject
Date: 2006-01-02 07:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-02 05:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-02 07:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-03 02:17 am (UTC)Again, the first year of the Ph.D. program was brutal. Law school was a cake walk by comparison.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-02 05:20 pm (UTC)I've said the same thing, though with different motivations. Law school doesn't have quals that can get you failed out of the program in one shot. Law school doesn't insist you do anything fundamentally new. Etc.
Also, neither grad school, law school, nor business school are like med school, art school, architecture school, drama school, div school, nursing school, forestry school... Hell, within grad school, every single degree and field is different from any other. Everyone's got their own crosses to bear.
Except the bio people. Those fuckers live high on the hog making $30K stipends. Bastards...
JRJA
no subject
Date: 2006-01-02 07:04 pm (UTC)Oh, SNAP!
no subject
Date: 2006-01-02 05:20 pm (UTC)It's a great diversion to give my little brain a break when I'm working, and it's a meager substitute for human interaction since I work at home. I don't feel obligated to post or make comments. I only participate if I truly want to do it.
Congratulations on the grade-A achievement!
no subject
Date: 2006-01-02 07:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-02 07:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-02 11:12 pm (UTC)