Done finals, freaking out

[Jhuen_the_bird]

What do you call a medical student who graduated at the bottom of his class?

Doctor.


Same applies to law school.

[TheReasonableMan]

If you want to work in Biglaw and you're not in the top 10%, you're F***ed.  If you want to graudate, take the bar and do what the other 95% of attorneys do, just learn from whatever mistakes you made, keep your head down and keep plugging away.  It may take a little more effort to get that first job, but within a year of working, nobody will EVER ask you what your class rank was again. None of this is as important as they want you to believe it is. 

[Falcoffej]

Don't drop out if you're not in the top 20% of your class. You'd be an idiot if you did. My first exam last year (my 1L year) is the worst grade I've gotten so far... a B-. It was the first grade I got back. I did well enough on the rest of my exams that semester and was sitting at around the top 20-25% mark. Then second semester, I did really well and jumped to the top 12%. So just because you have a bad exam or two first semester doesn't mean you can't make it up.

Good grades are important if you want to work in Biglaw, but don't drop out just because of a bad grade or two.

[Prizark]

Don't drop out if you're not in the top 20% of your class. You'd be an idiot if you did. My first exam last year (my 1L year) is the worst grade I've gotten so far... a B-. It was the first grade I got back. I did well enough on the rest of my exams that semester and was sitting at around the top 20-25% mark. Then second semester, I did really well and jumped to the top 12%. So just because you have a bad exam or two first semester doesn't mean you can't make it up.

Good grades are important if you want to work in Biglaw, but don't drop out just because of a bad grade or two.

Great advice. You're like 1 of the only people that says don't kill yourself if you don't to well.

Applause!

[thorc954]

If you dont do well, kill yourself

i think there are certain situations where you really need to weigh your options.  You have to be in law school because you want to be a lawyer.  The money and respect you get from friends/classmates from going into big law is great, but it really isnt everything.  At least half the attorneys i interviewed with were just doing the job to pay off loans so they could get out and get the government jobs that attorneys lower in the class got.  Realistically, that one judge (Alito?) didnt pay off his loans till he got on the supreme court.  You dont have to pay anything off forever and you can survive.  So, if you dont do well, try harder and just be thankful that you have more options on where to work when you graduate then someone in the top of your class.  It is very hard for someone in the top to turn down 160K+ to work in the government, but it is a lot easier for you to pick whatever job you want in that range. And, if you are just after it for money, its a waste, money doesnt really matter in the end.  All it brings is girls that just want you for your money and expensive toys you dont need and now have to worry about and probably can never even use.

[juliemccoy]

I'm convinced that I failed one of my exams, but all of my classmates feel the same way about that exam. I'm just going to try to put it out of my head. That's what martinis are for