Monday, September 19, 2005

Check, Check Plus, Check Minus

It's ridiculous, not since first grade has a check plus excited me so. There is only one class this semester, "Legal Research and Writing", in which a single test does not determine my entire grade. I've never been one to worry much about mid-terms or exams. I participate, I do well on papers throughout the semester, and then review in a reasonable manner come test-time. But here, there is a dull throb of anxiety stemming from the knowledge that regardless of whether I ace an answer in class, the amorphous, long, intimidating and all-determining three hour exam looms in December.

In light of this, the weekly assignments in my Legal Research and Writing class have taken on disproportionate meaning. Other than two final legal memos we turn in, we are given checks, check pluses, or check minuses on these weekly assignments. These signals are the only feedback I will receive in any course during the semester.

The giddy thrill I get from seeing that plus on my assignment is only tempered by my frustration at the lack of comments on the subsequent pages. I know that I've erred in my explanation, I know that my application is full of mistakes, and yet the professor has provided nothing. Not a single word.

And so I'm left with a meaningless check plus. An infinitely weak level of feedback and as such, an infinitely weak defense for the psyche against the shadow of exams.

4 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Grades aint nuthin but a number (or in this case a check). The reality is, once you hit the real world, you don't get the feedback. You'll need to start recognizing on your own when you put out a good work product and when you don't (colleagues can help). In the meantime, you will still have to get through exams and all the other things that make life as a student so joyful.

8:47 AM  
Blogger Ms. Runner said...

Thanks for the comment, I was appreciating the similarity between the "no feedback" in law school and what I experienced over the past three years in "real world" jobs. I guess I just expected it to be different since I'm back in the academic world. But if law school is supposed to mirror the real world (HA!), this is one aspect that's right on.

1:22 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

While you get very little feedback officially, there are a bunch of ways to try to better understand how you are doing as the semester rolls (or clicks and clacks :) -- I saw the latest post!) by.

Your level of understanding in class (are you completely lost? Do the series of questions/discussions make sense to you?) is one indicator. Of course, you will not know all of the answers to the questions, but if you generally follow why the question was asked, and how you are being asked to think about the case, then you're looking good.

Meeting with the professors is another way to get more feedback. Even if you make up a question ("I was hoping you could explain a little more about -some part of a recent case/issue discussed-?") will help you think more about what goes on in class and will help build a relationship with the professor. This will be easier to do where you are somewhat interested in the subject. Or go in and ask for help in how to analyse the cases to best prepare for class ("I mostly understand what I'm reading, but was wondering if there were certain questions to ask myself, or to ask about the case that would help prepare me better for class or that would help relate the individual cases back to the broader themes.") That type of question shows you are interested, trying to excel, and helps you get an idea of how the professor wants you to look at the cases and view the material and themes -- exactly what you'll be asked to do on the exam!

Study groups help with this, and with overall preparation, in my opinion, not because you can't understand it alone, but because it offers you other opinions on HOW to get from A to B.

And, finally, if you spent months feeling lost and clueless, it still might work out okay. It was about 8 pm the night before my civil procedure exam before anything "clicked" for me. And I did okay.

Way to go on the Check Plus!

11:55 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Nice blog...

I can relate to a lot of what you saying. I am a 1L in Boston and a runner.

Here is my blog:

http://blog.myspace.com/joshuagordon

3:06 PM  

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