Post #12: Dealing with Midterm/First Semester Grades

Blog Post #12: Dealing with Midterm Grades

So, you got your midterm grades back, and you are thinking one of the following:

• "Wow! I did awesome! I'm going to do great in law school!"
• "Hmm, well, I met/beat the curve, I'm doing okay, I'm going to be just fine!"
• "Oh my god. What happened? I can't believe I got a D! Maybe I am not cut out for law school!"

For those of you who are happy with your grades: Congratulations! You are doing a great job! :) Keep working hard, being diligent, and asking for help when you need it.

For those of you ranging from a little disappointed to flabbergasted/shell-shocked, I understand how you are feeling.  You were generally a good student in undergrad - and you simply cannot believe you got a C or D (or whatever grade you consider to be poor)! 

Before you get overwhelmed, lets break down how to deal with your midterm grades.

 

1. Perspective 

The first thing you need is perspective. Midterm grades are worth somewhere between 20% to 40% of your final grade, and are not the 'be all and end all' of your final grade. Your midterm performance is not indicative of your final performance, and there is plenty of room to improve. I know it seems overwhelming now, but I speak from personal experience when I tell you that your grades can be improved by over an entire letter grade (e.g. from a C to a B) or higher. This is the time to figure out what you did wrong at midterm, and apply yourself to improve for finals.

 

2. Review your Examinations

Every semester, the law school gives students the opportunity to review their examinations, with an answer key provided by the Professor. I strongly recommend, whether or not you were happy with your grades, to go review your examination. 

Viewing examination is on a first-come-first-served basis, and will give you the opportunity to see what you did correct, and what areas you need to improve. The number of students allowed in the room is limited and no electronics can be used. You will be able to review all of your examinations, and make notes on a piece of paper provided in the room. I would recommend:

(a) re-read the examination question;

(b) re-read your examination answer;

(c) compare it to the answer provided by the professor, and make detailed notes.

Consider:

(i) what you missed in answering the question;

(ii) the way the professor laid out their answer, particularly for hypothetical questions- did the Professor start off by identifying the relevant law, and then breaking it down by section? Did they indicate their conclusion first and then go through the analysis? Did the professor provide more detail in an area you did not or analyze something you did not? This is particularly relevant for criminal law, where the Professor is asking you to make a determination or analyze the appropriateness of a charge. 

(iii) how many cases were cited, and to what extent were the cases described or used in the answer? In courses like contracts, cases are particularly important. You should consider not only the number of cases used in the answer, but also how the professor used the cases to make a persuasive answer.

 

For the 2013-2014 academic year, you can view your exams in the Conference Room (Rm 1111) on:

Friday January 31st, 2013 - 10:30am to 8:30pm

Saturday Februrary 1st, 2013 - 11:00am to 3:00pm

Sunday Februrary 2nd, 2013 - 11:00am to 3:00pm

Monday Februrary 3rd, 2013 - 8:30am to 1:00pm

 

3. Attend Academic Success Sessions

EDIT Jan 23rd, 2014: Originally, this section advertised the option to sign up for Peer Tutoring. It has come to my attention that Peer Tutoring is NOT available for first year students, because students may attend Academic Success sessions, which has a designated TA for each course. 

If you failed one or more midterms, or are unhappy with your grades, view your exam, speak to your professor if you have any questions, and start attending Academic Success Sessions . 

For upper year students: the law school has began a pilot project of Peer Tutoring, where you can be matched up another student who tutors you for a maximum of 5 hours. For more questions regarding this program, or to sign up for a tutor, contact the Peer Tutoring Program at ptplaw@uwindsor.ca or Talia Feder (feder@uwindsor.ca) for the 2013-2014 years. 

 

 

 

~ Fariya Walji

2013-2014 PMP Student Coordinator

* Disclaimer: The above post is entirely of my own opinion, and was not counseled by Windsor Law or reflective of the thoughts, opinions, or attitudes of any other Windsor law staff or students. Individuals reading this post should read it only as a personal opinion piece, not as academic or career advice.