Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Crim Law - Eight Hours

Torts was awful. Really bad. Like so bad I had to force myself to remain in my chair and not just get up and leave. However, I think I did reasonably well on the second essay. I don't know if it will make up for the disastrous first essay or the crazy multiple choice.

I didn't finish 30 minutes before the exam was over, either. When people finish and leave before time is called, I just shake my head. I don't know what that means. Are they so fast and accurate that they spotted all the issues and wrote such fabulous essays that they checked and double checked? Or is it that they've just reached that screw it point and wrap it up. I don't know. I'm one of those people that usually takes the entire exam period, especially on an essay exam.

Today is Crim Law, the exam for which I am least prepared. This prof has a reputation for giving a very fair exam and having extremely fair grading practices. I think that will work in my favor. He did a really, really good job of drilling things into our malleable little brains in class. I also realized toward the end of the semester that if I sat in rapt attention, my mind NEVER wandering from what he was saying even for a nanosecond, that I would not get called on! It never failed that the instant my mind would briefly wander, even to something Crim related, that I would get called on.

Yesterday I spent wallowing in depression, the same way I spent the day after each of my other exams.

Law-rah posted some 1L advice yesterday that was really helpful for me. I don't think it's sunk in all the way yet, but one thing rang true for me. She talked about having the firm belief that if you want something bad enough and work hard enough, you will get it. That's me! I still think that way, though. I still think that next semester, if I work harder and smarter, I'll do better. However, what she said planted a seed. I'm a muller. I have to think for some time and let them rattle around in my head.

And gosh, grades aren't even out yet. I could still do okay! Actually, right now I just want to pass, or get B's. Please, please, please.

8 comments:

Law-Rah said...

Including summers, this is my seventh law school exam season and I am still struggling to take my own advice:-) If it is any consolation, the worse I feel about a test immediately after, the better I did...so you probably rocked torts!

Butterflyfish said...

I won't tell you "I'm sure you did fine" because if anyone tells me that when I blog about MY zams next week, I'll probably go all Michael-Richards-crazy on them.

So I'll say this: hang in there. You've done your best. You're in my prayers. And I wish you much post-zam good wine.

LawNut said...

Good luck...unfortch, I wish I could say that it gets easier, but so far, I'm not seeing it.

Liza Jane said...

It doesn't necessarily mean that they're more accurate, but that 1. they can't think of anything to write, and double checking only uses up so much time, 2. they're sick of taking the exam and have decided to be done, or 3. like you said, they've reached the screw it point. However, as someone who usually leaves early, I can say that it usually just makes me feel like I've missed something.

Entropos said...

I'm sure you did just fiiiiiiiiine.

Jeanne said...

I usually finish exams early, if only by 10 or 15 minutes, because I am out of things to say and don't have time to check the whole thing over well. I accept defeat and leave at that point.

Zuska said...

2 things:

1) I think it DOES get easier. Truly. First of all, as a 3L and 4L, you get more take home exams, papers, and other non-3 (or 4) hour marathons of doom. Second of all, you just get more used to the whole marathon of doom mentality - make an outline, write out practice answers, yada yada yada. I only had one Marathon of Doom this year (1st quarter of 3L), and honestly - my stress level was LOW.

2) I leave early. If I'm done, and I feel like I did as well as I could, I'd rather get up and leave than start second-guessing myself and stressing out. There have been plenty of times where I have no choice but to work all the way to the end - but if I"m done before the 3 (or 4) hours are up - I'm outta there!!!

Zuska said...

3L and 4L, that was cute.

as a 2L and 3L ..... (i need to stop telling myself I can type).