Welcome to law school! This is a biweekly series with tips and tricks for success in law school. We’ll cover things like time management, outlining, preparing for exams, and more! Although this series covers skills and tricks that might be new to 1Ls, I hope that every member of the law school community can find something helpful here.
Midterms may still be underway, but you’re going to start getting your results back soon. It’s common for students to be surprised by their results – and not always in a positive way!
First, don’t get discouraged if the grade wasn’t what you expected. You belong in law school, and you can succeed! These were your first law school assessments, meaning you’re still learning what to expect. Students come to law school from many backgrounds, and you may not be used to this type of assessment. Many professors make the midterm a small portion of the overall grade for this precise reason. Now you know what types of questions your professor is likely to ask on the final exam.
Second, don’t be surprised if the uncurved class average is lower than you expect. Law school assessments are hard and, depending on your school’s policy around curving, your professor may write a slightly harder exam so that the curve helps the class. Just because the class average is lower than you might expect doesn’t mean the class isn't learning the material.
So, you have your results. What do you do now?
Regardless of your result, you should review the midterm for substance. Many law school exams are cumulative, so even the material you’ve been tested on during the midterm can make its way onto the final exam. Take advantage of whatever opportunities you have to review the midterm, following your professor’s protocol. For each question you should ask yourself: Did I miss an opportunity to earn more points? Did I get the answer correct by guessing? What facts influenced the outcome? If allowed, take detailed notes on what laws you were expected to apply and where you made mistakes.
Additionally, if your professor publishes a model answer or rubric, use that to your advantage! Analyze the model answer for what rules of law it applied, how it used the fact pattern, and its analytical structure. Compare the model answer to your own and note where you were not as precise. For example, if the model answer's rule statement was "minimum contacts," did you also have that or did you have "some touches"? The rules of law are precise, so you should aim for the same level of detail and precision as shown in the model answer.
Also, don’t hesitate to reach out to your professor or TA to review any pending questions after your initial review. They may be able to provide additional insight into where you went astray and how to improve for the final exam. The professor can also clarify if you don’t fully understand the rubric or sample answer.
Besides diving into the substance, the midterm is also a good time to assess your study habits. Did you spend time outlining, memorizing, and practicing with the material? Each component is a crucial step of knowing the law for your exams, and you may not have put enough time into each before the midterm. Reflect on how you prepared for the midterm exam and how that might have impacted your results.
Finally, don’t ignore exam-taking strategy. The strategy of how to approach an exam question can often play a key role in your success. When you review your midterms, consider whether you got questions incorrect because you didn’t know the law or because you ran out of time. Or maybe you missed questions because of your reading comprehension under the stress of the exam environment. Exam-taking strategies can have major impacts. Your school’s academic support professionals, TAs, and professor can help you fine tune your strategies.
Ultimately, your midterm exams may not have turned out how you expected, but don’t just set them aside saying “I’ll do better next time!” Instead, take the midterm as a learning experience and use it to identify your next steps. You’ve got this!
(Dayna Smith)
