How do you let it go?

[just dot]

Redacted- 'cause I was being a whiner.   

[vap]

redacted to honor OP's redaction.

[UnbiasedObserver]

So, I had my first exam yesterday.  I think I did ok, but I certainly didn't blow it out of the water.  How do I let go of it and move on?  I keep going over it again and again in my mind.  I've only thought of one area I could have done better (I think I spotted a sub-issue but might have classified it as a similar, but wrong thing), but that's exactly what I'm afraid of.  What if I was clueless, sucked, and I still don't even know it?  I know in my heart I'm just not going to be at the top of my class.

I think I'm just a little disappointed in general.  I thought if I read all of the "how to succeed in law school" books and really, really worked hard that I would be in the top 10%.  Now, I'm starting to believe everyone who said that either you will or you won't be and all of the preparation in the world won't get you to the top if you aren't meant to be there.  I don't know how I could have possibly been any more prepared than I was.

Rambling, I know.  What do you all think? 

I also had my  first exam yesterday.  I wouldn't worry about it too much--it's hard to tell how you did.  Remember, you're graded on a curve, and it's hard go gauge your performance relative to others'.

Anecdotally, I've often found that the people who studied hard and worried the most often are the ones who did well.  Of course, that was undergrad, and this is an entirely different beast, and I'm only a 1L, so who knows....

[tbrewing]

because it's pointless to continue worrying about it, as worrying will not change the grade you receive.

you're wasting time and energy that could be devoted to doing better on another exam

[just dot]

because it's pointless to continue worrying about it, as worrying will not change the grade you receive.

you're wasting time and energy that could be devoted to doing better on another exam

You're totally right.  I just needed a little neurotic-freak-out time and now I'm over it and moving on.  It's probably counter-productive to worry about something I can't change at this point.  "Eye of the Tiger" and all of that.

Good luck, everyone!

[nycdog]

i think the best strategy is to leave the room as soon as the exam is finished. if i hear another "did you finish?" "oh! i think i missed that cause of action in question 2"... i swear - somebody is going to get hurt. i found that what affects me most is people's comments after the final. 
there is a way to move on - start think about your next final. keep your mind busy.
i also meet with my non-law school friends after a final. maybe it's not fair that they have to endure me talk obsessively about the exam but it helps me to move on.

[Talk Is Cheap]

I couldn't even tell you what the hell I did on the exam yesterday...but you know what, while taking it, I DO remember feeling just fine. Sure, the time flew by and that sucked. But as I didn't feel lost, panicked, or woozy, I feel okay about it. There is absolutely NOTHING you can do about it at this point, and fretting about past exams isn't going to help you mellow out and get in the right mindset for those you still have to take.

It's totally out of your hands now...stop worrying about it.

["Legapp" Stands for "Legal Application"]

ok this is not the typical response but... you leave the exam room asap, do NOT talk to any law students, and get your a** to a bar.  drink about three beers over the course of the afternoon.  go out to eat with a non-law student friend.  if you like, sober up and study that night--but i liked to declare test day a no-study zone.  (during my first semester, i learned that even if i tried to study on a test day, i really got nothing done.)  i prefer to watch a movie.  if you must hang out with a law student, make a pact to NOT discuss exams.

basically, this helps in three ways:

1.  you don't burn out over the course of the exam period.
2.  you don't worry about things you can't change.
3.  you have something to look forward to.  instead of your inner dialogue saying, "damn, after this torts exam then there's civ pro..." you say "after this torts exam i'm having margaritas and watching Hoosiers [NOTE:  movies about overcoming adversity are always good for this time!]."

good luck, especially for the 1Ls.  remember, once you're an upperclassman you can arrange your course load so that you never have an exam period like this again.   

[senseless]

ok this is not the typical response but... you leave the exam room asap, do NOT talk to any law students, and get your a** to a bar.  drink about three beers over the course of the afternoon.  go out to eat with a non-law student friend.  if you like, sober up and study that night--but i liked to declare test day a no-study zone.  (during my first semester, i learned that even if i tried to study on a test day, i really got nothing done.)  i prefer to watch a movie.  if you must hang out with a law student, make a pact to NOT discuss exams.

basically, this helps in three ways:

1.  you don't burn out over the course of the exam period.
2.  you don't worry about things you can't change.
3.  you have something to look forward to.  instead of your inner dialogue saying, "damn, after this torts exam then there's civ pro..." you say "after this torts exam i'm having margaritas and watching Hoosiers [NOTE:  movies about overcoming adversity are always good for this time!]."

good luck, especially for the 1Ls.  remember, once you're an upperclassman you can arrange your course load so that you never have an exam period like this again.

I like this advice! 

[Tetris]

I can relate to this feeling.  On one exam, I noticed a handful of typos (using the wrong word here, omitting a word there).  On another, I answered an element of the question in a really stupid way -- basically we were asked whether as a prosecutor we would maintain the status quo or make a common law argument to incorporate a new rule into the jurisdiction that other jurisdictions use (maintain the MPC rules for conspiracy or adopt the PInkerton doctrine).  I argued for a modified Pinkerton doctrine because I thought it was over-inclusive.  I've been beating myself up since I handed the test in, because I realized I didn't have any authority to backup my modified doctrine, and legal arguments are all about the pre-existing authority.  Sigh.