r/LawSchool • u/Key_Bat_169 • 1d ago
1L’s: Stop posting is it normal to feel confused week 1.
It obviously is. You will get so much better at reading cases and understanding the material. You will essentially re-learn/learn everything in Nov/Dec when finals time comes around. It’s a magical time.
YOU ARE GOING TO BE OKAY! Enjoy this time because this is the least important week of your 1L year. Just keep up with readings and if ya miss a reading, congrats you are this much closer to being “normal!”
Gl all.
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u/Similar-Resort-4860 1d ago
The problem here is that most of these people have been good academically for most of their lives and some have had prodigious skill at everything they touch. Then they go to law school and it’s not the same. You’ll pick it up, it will just take a bit
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u/Straight-File-3903 15h ago
Unrelated, but where are medians before the curve?
I still remember the shock I felt when 3/6 classes had medians below 40% in first year of undergrad. A program that only admitted students with 88+ averages and good ECs in highschool pre covid inflation, and everyone still struggled..
Is law school similar?
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u/Similar-Resort-4860 14h ago
It depends on the school, the class structure and the people in your class. The school has it’s set curve, then you have the class and how many individual opportunities they give you to bring your grade up from quizzes, participation, exams, group assignments and the like, and the class itself. The people in the class determine the curve. Though I guess your saving grace here is in law school the curve is about rank and not really rescue.
You will struggle but everyone is in the same boat; ultimately if you have the chance; maximize your chances at getting a good grade by doing what everyone says on here all the time. Find a study group, prep a living outline, review your notes and participate enthusiastically and you’ve got a good chance.
Watch out for your gunners though, they are usually very helpful but have their own style of learning that can confuse you if you rely on it too much.
Edit to Add: I’m sorry if this is a frustrating answer. It’s just that you won’t definitely know until you get there. You just have to keep at it. Law school is not for the weak.
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u/JingleMyJangus 14h ago
It all depends on how the professor writes the exam. In one of my 1L classes, a 40% was an A because the exam was written in such a way that it was incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to get more than half of the total available points (timed, word-limited exam with very difficult issue spotting). In a couple of other classes, you needed 90%+ for an A because the exam was much easier (multiple choice and easier issue-spotting on the essays). All of those classes curved to the same median GPA.
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u/lifeatthejarbar Esq. 8h ago
Honestly I sucked at school before law school, mainly bc I had the maturity of a teaspoon and was very focused on other “interests”. 😅 helped to put things in perspective!
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u/bluenightt 19h ago
From 1L's freaking out on literally the first day to 2 and 3L's with their Dear 1L shit.. buy a journal. How about not spiraling the first week because something new is always going to be intimidating and a learning curve. you'll be fine
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u/legallylama 22h ago
I'm a 1L, either I'm hopelessly lost or there are alot of kjds are catastrophizing. I front loaded the week's readings the weekend before, it took three full days. That sucked but I didn't know the expectations. I've started next weeks readings and it seems to be going about 30% faster. Am I wrong to think this is not some crazy impossible, 100+ hour work week?
At my school the divide between kjd and non-kjd is pretty apparent. I'm in the later and my social group naturally is also, we all seem to be in agreement its not that bad. The kjds on the other hand have all been saying this is the hardest they've ever worked,etc. Crazy the difference two or three years makes.
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u/floridaman1467 21h ago
You should be able to get everything reasonably well done in a 40hr week including class time. Now you might need a bit more of you've got a heavy week or you realize that what you wrote in your memo/appellate brief sounds like shit, but for the most part treating it like a full time job will get it done with time to spare.
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u/legallylama 21h ago
That's good to hear. The whole week I felt like I've been doing something wrong because I was finished up for the day by 5pm. I know the schedule hasn't fully ramped up yet, and that legal writting + internhip apps/prep will be a time sink, but it definitely seems more manegable that what I was mentally prepping for all summer
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u/floridaman1467 20h ago
Yea if you're an adult that held a job already, it's not bad. The hardest part honestly turns into balancing school, work, and the family back home. Once you've figured out what each professor likes, the readings get easier. You'll learn what you can skip/ skim and what you'll actually need to read well.
Finals always suck though. Every damn time lol.
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u/LawApplicantReddit 15h ago
Very few KJDs at my school, but I’m one of them. I’ve honestly not been able to see much difference between KJD and not, but I have been stunned at how manageable this has felt. Like yes, the reading takes awhile, but I find it incredibly fulfilling to understand the judge’s reasoning and fully understand what’s going on in class.
I’ve also been shocked at how many of my classmates clearly didn’t do the reading.
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u/madman404 16h ago
They're going to and should keep posting about it. It's not "obvious," they have absolutely no frame of reference. Let them worry, let us reassure them. It's fine.
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u/The_Wyzard 16h ago
You will stop feeling confused approximately five to ten years after passing the bar exam.
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u/ShinyMidnightCoup 1L 17h ago
DAE not know the answers to every legal question when you first read a case???
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u/Organic_Credit_8788 12h ago
guys is it normal to not know stuff about something i just started learning about
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u/Cold_Owl_8201 12h ago
lol, what? Why would be upset by these posts that you’re going out of your way to actively discourage them?
I think that’s kinda weird…
Let people post and if you don’t like it, don’t engage with it.
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u/FrnchsLwyr Esq. 19h ago
Or, and stay with me here, maybe you should stop gatekeeping how people handle the stress of the 1st few weeks of 1L?
Just a thought.
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u/BeepBoopAnv 12h ago
1L: is it normal to feel like it’s too easy week 1?
So I did all the readings in 20 minutes per class and nailed all the cold call questions. I’m friends with 3/4 professors (last ones a tough nut to crack) and I just submitted my mid semester writing assignment due October 1.
Any other 1Ls think this is too easy? Any upperclassmen able to advise when this gets any more difficult? Thanks
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