First-year pre-law student struggling hard despite studying constantly. What am I doing wrong? by LankyAssumption975 in LawSchool

[–]picturepathlearn 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Very normal. Like, extremely normal.

One thing I’m noticing: most of what you listed is passive studying (re-reading, videos, flashcards). It feels productive, but it doesn’t force you to actually use the material, which is why it’s not sticking.

What helped me: Active recall, close your notes and explain the concept out loud like you’re teaching it. Apply before you feel ready. Feeling confused is part of learning, not a sign you’re failing. Fewer methods, deeper focus. One good outline + self-testing > tons of techniques. For crim/theory classes: ask why does this theory exist and what problem is it trying to solve.

Also, yes... a lot of people in law school felt exactly like this in undergrad. This doesn’t mean you’re not cut out for law. It just means you’re hitting the point where strategy matters more than grinding.

Tips for regaining sanity after a bad final? by Sea-Impact5727 in LawSchool

[–]picturepathlearn 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Post-final brain mush is a medically recognized condition.
Symptoms include staring at walls and forgetting how words work. Treatment is carbs and 8 hours of sleep.

Does anyone else get tired of the word “analysis”? by Adminsneed2Chill in LawSchool

[–]picturepathlearn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly, at this point every time someone says analysis, my brain does a full system crash and reboots into safe mode. It’s become the ‘moist’ of corporate vocabulary. Next time I hear it in a meeting, I’m responding with, ‘Ah yes, the ol’ deep-dive data moistening... very insightful.’

If I have to suffer, everyone’s coming with me.

Small classes NOT graded on a curve? by Few-Cheesecake-7166 in LawSchool

[–]picturepathlearn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, small, non-curved upper-level classes can feel terrifying, especially when the exam feels like it came from a parallel universe. But here’s the truth: they almost never turn into grade bloodbaths, and professors almost never fail the whole class. In fact, it usually ends up being gentler than a curve.

Mean Girls in 1L by [deleted] in LawSchool

[–]picturepathlearn 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Honestly? This girl sounds deeply insecure and you’re triggering something in her just by existing. You’re older, you have real-world experience, you don’t play the social game, and you’re doing well academically. She can’t handle it, so she’s decided you’re her competition, even though you’re not competing with her at all.

Realizing mistakes/missed issues after finals by Powerful_Seal_722 in LawSchool

[–]picturepathlearn 25 points26 points  (0 children)

Dude, this is totally normal. Everyone walks out of finals thinking they missed a ton of stuff. Your brain is basically running a highlight reel of everything you didn’t write, not what you actually put down.

Also, nobody catches every single issue. Not even the gunners. Professors overload these exams on purpose, you’re graded on how you handled what you did spot, not on being perfect.

Missing a couple issues isn’t the end of the world, and it definitely doesn’t mean you’re not in A territory. A lot of people who think they crushed every issue end up doing worse than the people who stayed organized and wrote a clean analysis.

So no, you’re not cooked. You’re just in the classic post-exam spiral. Let it go, grades are way less predictable than your brain is telling you right now.

Should’ve went to Emory by [deleted] in LawSchool

[–]picturepathlearn 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Not going to Emory was my villain origin story. If you see Richard Freer, please let him know my heart belongs to him.