Law School Finals

     In undergrad and high school there were typically weekly assignments or quizzes and then every few weeks we would have a test to measure our understanding of topics while we were learning. When someone would ask how school was going or how you were doing in a certain subject you would have somewhat of an idea based on these scores. Now, when someone asks me how the semester is going or how I am doing in a certain class I tell them I really do not know until finals. Yes, I know if I am understanding a topic or not based on that weeks readings and the questions and discussions we have in class. However, with many of our grades dependent on one final exam it can sometimes lead to some uncertainty of whether or not you are understanding a topic as thoroughly as required for the final exam.

    I remember my first finals period in my 1L year and the pressure of knowing that my entire grade relied on just one exam. While I do not necessarily see this as something negative I do think that this is something that does lead to some added pressure when it comes to final exams. I have learned over my semesters in law school that it is crucial to ask questions, take detailed notes and write down your questions no matter how big or small so when you are preparing for the final exam you have even more of a roadmap of your personal thought process during the semester. Many professors will also offer practice questions that they will give you feedback on that somewhat compare to those you will see on their exam which is also extremely beneficial. While it can be scary to have some classes rely on one grade to determine your performance in the class, this is ultimately what the bar exam will do as well. Therefore, I do not mind the idea of taking one big exam in many of my classes but it was defiantly something that took some getting used to when I first entered law school.