What To Do If You Are Unhappy With Your 1st Semester Grades

One semester of dissatisfying grades doesn’t mean all hope is lost. Take these three, relatively painless, steps to get back on track this semester.

So first semester didn’t go exactly according to plan, eh? You worked hard, spent many late nights in the library, and had absolutely no social life. Yet, you still did not achieve the grades you wanted and expected. With the level of time and effort you put in, you don’t understand how you could have gotten anything less than an A. To use a perfectly cliche saying: if I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard this story, I would be a very, very rich person.

You’ve probably figured out by now that there is a lot more that goes into succeeding in law school than just putting in a tremendous amount of time and effort. You must also have the right plan and strategy to reach your goals. But don’t panic. One semester of dissatisfying grades doesn’t mean all hope is lost, that you should quit while you’re ahead, and drop out of law school now. Take these three, relatively painless, steps to get back on track this semester.

  1. Look Back to Move Forward

When you have a disappointing semester, your natural inclination might be to put it behind you as quickly as possible. Many students think, “I didn’t do enough” or “I simply need to work even harder.” However, this usually isn’t the case. More often than not, the reason students don’t see the grades they want has more to do with strategy than effort. So, as much as you might want to pull an “ostrich” and bury your head in the sand, the first thing you need to is reflect on last semester.

The key to effective reflection is to perform a helpful fact-finding mission rather than a self-defeating shame spiral. There is a thin line between being open and honest about where you need to improve and being flat out mean to yourself. Try these tips to make your process as productive as possible:

  • Review your final exams: Look out for an important email or other announcement (most likely coming from your Registrar’s office) about the process for reviewing final exams. This is a critical step in law school success that many students miss out on. If you don’t know what went wrong the first time, you can’t possibly make it go right the next time. Also, finals tend to be a blur. And after they are over, it is almost impossible to remember what happened during the test. Reviewing them now allows you to revisit the exam, and the choices you made during it, in a less stressful situation. If your professor provides a sample answer, be sure to review that thoroughly as well. Compare it to your response and make a list of the differences you find.
  • Meet with your professors: If even the thought of this put a little lump in your throat, I understand. Law professors can be an intimidating group of people. But, for the most part, they really do want you to come in and talk to them so they can help you learn. After you review your final exams, make an appointment to meet with your professor. You should prepare for the meeting by coming up with a list of specific questions you have based on your exam. Your professor will appreciate that you gave thoughtful reflection before meeting, and this will ease any nerves you have about the meeting. Be prepared to receive constructive criticism with an open mind. Remember, the reason you are having the meeting in the first place is to discover how to do better in the future. Don’t allow yourself to be closed off to the answers.
  • Reflect on your study habits by answering these questions:
    1. Was my study environment conducive to my learning?
    2. Was my study schedule productive?
    3. What were my biggest “time sucks” (i.e., Facebook, Netflix, Snapchat, etc.)?
    4. Were the resources I used helpful?
    5. Did I make effective use of study groups?
    6. Did I take advantage of the resources made available to me by my school (i.e., workshops)?

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  1. Seek Advice

Once you’ve gathered some information about last semester, it is time to consult with an expert. Seek out the Academic Support department at your law school. These are the superheroes whose job it is to help you be your best law student self. They can help you make sense of all the data you’ve collected and create a plan to move forward.

I have it on good authority (a.k.a. I used to be one of these people) that your meeting will be most productive if you do your homework first and come prepared with a list of questions. Don’t worry, you don’t have to know exactly what went wrong before you have this meeting (that is a big part of what they will help you figure out). However, having spent some time in your own self-reflection will show the person you are meeting with that you take your legal education and success seriously. It will also give the conversation a jumping off point so that he or she can make recommendations about your study, writing, and exam-taking skills.

  1. Let Go of Your Fear

This is probably the most difficult step. It is highly likely that you feel rattled by this experience. Most law students are pretty “type A” and take perceived failure pretty hard. Once you hit a road bump, it can be easy to get wrapped up in the fear that it will happen again.

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You may also find it hard to let go of some of the habits you developed last semester. Change is hard. But I challenge you to make a list of both the changes you wish to make this semester and the habits you have vowed to break. Keep these lists somewhere visible as a way to stay accountable to yourself and to be able to recognize when you are getting off track.

I hope you incorporate these tips and have a great second half of your first year! Everything about this experience is hard. But you are doing great, and you will be just fine. Keep working hard, and smart.


Kerriann Stout is a millennial law school professor and founder of Vinco (a bar exam coaching company) who is generationally trapped between her students and colleagues. Kerriann has helped hundreds of students survive law school and the bar exam with less stress and more confidence. She lives, works, and writes in the northeast. You can reach her by email at info@vincoprep.com.