Socratic method = russian roulette?

[falkies]

I just finished my first week of law school.  Does anyone else feel that Socratic method is just like Russian roulette?  You just wait to see if you get shot that day.... LOL

[SASS]

LOL. I am a 2L and I can tell you it's not that bad but I know how you feel! You should only be really worried if you are not prepared for class. Everyone else is just a nervous as you. Good luck in your first year!

[Pauly680]

Hey Falkies ,

Im in my first week too and I know what you mean !! Today was my day lol .It def sucks !!

[tbrewing]

every time you go before a judge, you'll have to defend your reasoning the way that you're doing it with your professor.

every time a sr. partner walks into your office and starts questioning a memo you sent him, you'll have to defend your reasoning.

it's good training.  it teaches you to be prepared and to think on your feet.

[amanda.tyer]

well well everybody feels like that in the beginning but once you are over that hill
the sky lightens up and you can see the light at the end of the tunnel
but if you only passed your first week...then you gotta be patient girlfriend!!!
good luck! 

[Miche]

It's been two months. I bet you feel a lot less like it's a bullet to be dodged, and more like it's a nuisance to be avoided. :-)

I remember that I liked classes with Socratic panel: a group of students who were all expected to be prepared and expected to participate. Took the pressure off the rest of the class and made the students in the "hot seats" feel companionably miserable.

Also, I liked the classes where students promptly admitted to being lost or unprepared. After the prof hears a few of those, the expectations are lower.

[Randyco02]

 

[BikePilot]

Maybe I'm a gunner, but I liked it and generally hoped to get called on - makes class a bit more interesting and I'd prefer anything over boredom.  Never really got the I-hope-I-don't-get-called-on mentality.  You'll be fighting for work, clients and tough questions as a lawyer, might as well grow to like it now!

[EarlCat]

Raise your hand every day and say something stupid.  You'll never get cold-called again.

[bigs5068]

I think the first week or so everyone is scared. Fortunately after a week everybody loosens up and you realize if you want to be a lawyer you should be able to a say few rational things about cases you were told to read More importantly you realize everyone does a roughly equivalent job and as long as you read the case you can say a few coherent things about what you read. The only time it gets really embarrassing is when someone freezes up and cannot put a sentence together As long as you talk most people are relieved they were not called on and will just listen to the exchange. I would say 95% of students do a fine job. It really is as simple as reciting something you read and had a few insights about. If you did even a half-assed job of the reading you won't look like a complete idiot and nobody will even remember if you screwed one or two things up.  Telling someone about what you read is really simple if you think about it, but the first few weeks it seems so difficult. It really makes no sense, but after the first semester I don't think there was any anxiety whatsoever about being called on.