Does anyone else think law school is alot easier than you thought it would be?

[ElizaB]

I keep reading posts about how hard everybody thinks law school is and how much work they are doing.  So far, my experience has been very different and I am starting to think that I am missing something. The workload is by no means unbearable and even if I am unclear on something when I am reading the case, the prof always straightens it out in class.  And I really, really like all of my profs!  They break all of the concepts down so that they are very easy to understand.  And not only are they great teachers, they are also very nice people.  One prof had a keg party at his house and another one takes students out to lunch (and pays) twice a week!  Am I missing something?

[lawgirl]

It is easier than I thought it would be, but when I started out and felt that way, it was because I hadn't been exposed to law school finals yet (as well as some of the more complicated classes). It is just different than what I expected and there is nothing wrong with the way you are feeling right now.

If you are a 1L, just a cautionary note. Your feeling now will probably change when you start studying for the final and after you walk out of your first set of finals. My guess, if you are anything like I was, is that your feelings right now reflect where you are at in the learning process, which is far different than where you need to be when you study for finals. Right now, you are understanding each individual concept and that is terrific. It is exactly where you should be right now. For the final, you will have to put it all together and figure out how to apply it. That concept is a whole different animal.

[n2dchemdepen]

 Can't say I share in your opinion.  I have to admit, I am working harder than I ever had to.  I think this will make me appreciate graduation.

[eray01]

I feel about the same way the OP does. The material isn't exactly rocket science, and the profs clear up most ambiguities. I haven't done any drinking with any of them though. I was prepared for far worse coming into this thing. Despite all that, I do recognize that I haven't taken a final yet, so we'll see how I feel after that. In fact, I haven't done anything for a grade yet. That really gives a false sense of security. I feel like I fully understand all of the material up to this point. I'm encouraged by the fact that I can talk about it lucidly and apply it to different hypothetical situations and across subjects, but there is alot to hold in my head at once. As the semester moves along the amount of material just builds. I don't want to be so bold to say I'll be able to marshall all of that material for an exam. Understanding rules is not a big deal to me. It's the spotting of all the possible issues that could be problematic. I can't apply the rule until I've spotted the issue. Right now I just try to do a good job just for today, and hopefully alot of good days will add up to a good semester. At this point it seems easy, but I have no clue whether I'll pass or fail. I think it's a little bit like getting on a big f-ckin' roller coaster. They strap you in, and you sit and wait for the ride to start. That's the wrong time to say, "this isn't all that bad."

[dft]

There are so many other things you can do to help yourself really understand the material, as well as stuff other than reading and briefing that is either necessary or at least helpful in getting ahead:

1) Outlining (this takes a ton of time)
2) Going over your notes
3) Playing with hypos
4) Commercial outlines, E&E's, CALI lessons, etc.

Just to name a few

Have you started outlining yet??

I keep reading posts about how hard everybody thinks law school is and how much work they are doing.  So far, my experience has been very different and I am starting to think that I am missing something. The workload is by no means unbearable and even if I am unclear on something when I am reading the case, the prof always straightens it out in class.  And I really, really like all of my profs!  They break all of the concepts down so that they are very easy to understand.  And not only are they great teachers, they are also very nice people.  One prof had a keg party at his house and another one takes students out to lunch (and pays) twice a week!  Am I missing something?

[midjeep]

Well the light bulb just clicked with me a week ago, so I am not stressing law school as much as I used to (plus I have already been called on in three classes thus far). I think the thing most people are stressing (me included) is the unknown. It's hard to study for a test when:
a) you never experienced something similar
b) the idea of trying to remember black letter law, elements, policy, and some interesting tid bit your prof might have mentioned in class which would make your essay stand out
c) the idea that you are competing for your grade
d) Legal Writing
e) Getting called on (at least in certain classes)
f) (and the one I fear) having a complete relapse during the final

Our dean talked about all students experiencing "THE WALL" sometime during their 1L. Usually it occurs a month before finals when memos are due, outlines are being made, and students everywhere are in "panic mode." That is the moment I am dreading and worried about, but I am not going to cry over spilled milk when it hasn't happened yet.

Last week I looked outside the whole "law school thing" and realized that we are in an awesome situation. No deadlines (for the most part), we are reading about interesting stuff (try comparing the Civ Pro textbook to Molecular Biology....it will become a page turner in that retrospect), and the fact that we are actually learning the law (plus it's kinda fun watching Law & Order and pointing out procedural flaws).

[eray01]

Oh yeah. Law school sure beats having a job. The mid-day siesta has got to be my favorite part. I'm sure gonna miss that when I get in the real world.  I'd definitely rather do this than have a job. Not indefinitely, of course bcause I want to make money sometime. The main downside to law school is there is a sense of alot being on the line. I could be detached from what kind of grades I make like some of my classmates, but that's just not in my nature. Funny thing is, I'd probably make better grades, and be stress free. Although the classmates I'm talking about use "I don't care about grades" as an excuse to not read, not as some kind of Zen technique.

[Cutehonesty]

Are you out of your mind?  Law school is like the worst schooling I have EVER experienced by far.  I'm a 1L and the reading load is unbelievable.  I work a full-time job and go to school at night, 3 times a week and it's killing me.  I can't read all the cases and brief them and expect to memorize the black letter law.  Where am I going to have time?  I am not fortunate enough to be able to cruise through law school w/o working. 

I HATE LAW SCHOOL RT. NOW.  THERE IS JUST NOT ENOUGH TIME IN THE DAY TO UNDERSTAND ALL THESE CONCEPTS.  *SIGH* SHOULD I QUIT???  THIS IS VERY STRESSFUL!!

[ElizaB]

I think the difference between your experience and mine is that you are working full-time.  I definately feel for you!!!  This would be much, much harder if I had a job.

[Highway]

Having a FT job doesn't make school more difficult for me - having a wife and two small kids is what makes it more difficult. It's hard to get much done on the weekends.