A Tip To Soon-To-Be Undergrads

[shae]

I don't know how transferring classes and testing out of classes works outside of texas; but for those of you in Texas, here is some advice.

-Take classes at a community college over the summer and get A's; you could even take some online during the school year (make A's in those too).  This could really raise your GPA (AP and CLEP tests wont).

-Prepare and take the LSAT early, if you can (by early I mean june after your junior year or dec/feb of your junior year).  This will give you plenty of time to re-take it and you wont be studying for the LSAT while freaking out about applications.

-From day one, start finding some profs that could write LORs.  You may get lucky and meet a cool prof your junior or senior year, but it would be great if you could have someone in mind already.

If I think of anything else, I will post it here.

[FossilJ]

More importantly, do the following:

1. Do what interests you.  If you think law's the direction you want to go in, your major really doesn't matter too much.  Interesting majors = interesting courses = interested students = greater prof/student relationships = better LoRs and higher GPAs.  But the last two shouldn't even matter.

2. Do NOT freak out about one bad grade.  A bad grade is not the end of the world.  Even two won't kill you.  That said, do put effort into your work, but not for the grade, necessarily.  Do it because you owe yourself the education.

3. For ECs in undergrad, do stuff that looks like fun.  If you're not going to have fun doing it, why do it at all?  Someone else would probably love to take your spot, and there's likely a cause just as worthy out there that requires your attention which you would love a lot more.

4. Take classes that force you to read and argue.  The best ones in this vein would be history, philosophy, or literature courses.  Philosophy is probably the outstanding candidate in that list.  Learn to read critically and write lucidly.

5. Germane to the last point is my fifth commandment: LEARN HOW TO WRITE.  Do yourself a favor and explore the essentials of essays.  Learn what's right and what's wrong.  Read Elements of Style by Strunk and White.  Understand the concepts of thesis, antithesis and synthesis; experiment with flow.  Most importantly, recognize that the essay you write in university is only one type of essay that's been privileged by academia, but in order to transcend this mental manipulation, you will have to master their "tools" first.

6. Finally, relax.  Find ways to enjoy yourself.  Sure, your future is important, but life isn't only about tomorrow.  And, in the end, you will have other options.  Don't let the potentiality of law school paralyze you. 

[misery]

If by texas you mean UTexas, I thought ap/clep still counts towards the gpa... 

[ChlorasepticRelief]

I would say that AP classes are your friends. Try to CLEP out of various classes as well. When your friends start their 5th year as undergraduates, you will certainly thank yourself. Also, as it has already been mentioned, learn how to write. Bad grammar is fine on the internet or in friendly conversation, but not on any scholarly work. Don't spread yourselves too thin in regard to ECs. Pick one or two, and really get involved. The most fundamental rule of all: GO TO CLASS! Sure, it sounds simple now, but when you're hungover, it's 8:30 in the morning, there's snow on the ground, and your favorite movie is on, the temptation to skip will appear like that one more fix of crack you so desperately need. Try not to give in.

...last but not least... have fun!

[shae]

Ap/Clep dont count towards GPA at texas public colleges (as far as I know).

I know for a fact that they dont at A&M.

[SCgrad]

go to class, don't drink and drive, and wear a condom.  you'll be set.

[shae]

class is overrated; give in to the urge to sleep in 

[01100110011]

Ap/Clep dont count towards GPA at texas public colleges (as far as I know).

I know for a fact that they dont at A&M.

That doesn't mean they don't count for law school, which uses a different computation...

At my school (a private midwest college), AP grades do not count in the college's computation of your GPA, but the school does still give you a grade for them that appears on your transcript.  When LSAC recomputes your GPA using their method, they include these AP grades.

[shae]

Ap/Clep dont count towards GPA at texas public colleges (as far as I know).

I know for a fact that they dont at A&M.

That doesn't mean they don't count for law school, which uses a different computation...

At my school (a private midwest college), AP grades do not count in the college's computation of your GPA, but the school does still give you a grade for them that appears on your transcript.  When LSAC recomputes your GPA using their method, they include these AP grades.

we do not recieve any type of grade for them- on our transcript or otherwise.