The Curve

"The dreaded curve."  "The awful curve."  "The unfair curve."  Whatever it is - fair or unfair - it's there.  Live with it.  Let's look at how to do that.  

FAQ #1.   My classmates are very bright.  Because of “the curve” isn’t it impossible for me to influence my grade?  I mean, given that everyone else is trying their best to do really well, I really don’t have much control over where my grade winds up, right?

A.    Actually, you have quite a bit of control over your class rank - that is, your grade for each course.  The reason it seems to you that you don't ... hence, the question ... is that the question is based on a false premise.  Don't kick yourself for this ... you have no way of knowing about the false premise.

The fact is that everyone is not trying their best to do really well.  Actually, not that many are.  You classmates fall into several categories in this respect – some of those categories are described here.

     Some are “trying their best to do well,” just like you are.

       Many are trying hard, but they are spinning their wheels. Trying hard means doing your best efficiently.  Especially in the first semester of law school, many students spend too much time in non-productive enterprises and honestly believe they are doing all they can do to achieve high grades in law school.  Efficient and effective law school study techniques and methods are critical ... many students don't pick up on the cues that are given to them by those who are trying to help them learn the ropes. 

     Many of your classmates have not yet realized that this is the beginning of their law careers - not just an extension of their college years.  Some of these students you will find at the local watering hole in the late afternoon ... or in the early morning.  Often.  Some of them you will find in the cafeteria, chatting with friends about how easy or tough law school is.  Often.  (Or maybe you won't find them in those places, because you aren't ever there to see them!)

     Many of your classmates don’t care about high grades.  “Just let me graduate – then I’ll pass the bar and be on my way.”  Many, many students have told me that they are in law school simply to get their bar card or their JD. They have no desire to do what’s necessary to wind up in the top ten percent. Or fifty. I think that’s fine for them … (but I wouldn’t want to hire a lawyer who wants to come in second during a trial).

So here’s the deal – do the best you can possibly do.  If you have the aptitude and intelligence to do very well, you ought to outscore most or all of the wheel-spinners and the “just let me graduate” bunch.  That puts you in the top … what? … half?  …quarter?  …ten percent?  Well, I don’t know, but if you’re doing all you can do to score as high as you can on exams, and if the Dean of Admissions didn’t make a big mistake by letting you in the door, you ought to see some pretty good results.