Truman

I just got done my tax exam. My right hand feels much like my legs did after the marathon; a little numb and quite worn. It was my third typed exam in law school. My school is a little behind the times. The good news is, I feel like it went well. My first laptop exam, on the other hand really did not.

I know you think to yourself, how hard can an open book exam be? Well, I learned that open book exams are all about organization. The trick is the time crunch. Things need to be tabbed, easy to find and then click, click, click. However, in my first year, on my first laptop exam, I just froze. Completely froze. I couldn't remember anything and I couldn't find anything, I couldn't even think of anything coherent to say. All I could do was panic. It was horrible...and my worst final grade for a class in my entire life (hopefully).

Tonight, I had a little pang of remembrance. There was a woman seated in front of me who, as it turns out was from the business school. This was clearly her first law school exam because she didn't know she was supposed to have her exam number. The poor girl had the same experience I did my first year. She just panicked. Near the end of the exam I could see her hands shaking. She hardly wrote anything. She had my empathy.

Honestly, the exam wasn't hard on law school standards but if you'd never taken one before, it could be horrible. First of all, the teachers tend to focus on the random exceptions that they never really focused on in class. So you think you know everything and bam - the first question worth 40% of your final grade for the class is all about some obscure thing you can hardly remember being mentioned. Second, there are generally "wrinkles" to every problem. Meaning that at first glance, it looks like a very obvious such and such problem. Then you think about it for a second and realized that no - it is actually such and such an issue. Then you think about it again and realize it is some weird hybrid of laws. Then you write your answer.

The sad experience for a lot of first years is when they walk away thinking - I totally aced that. I slam dunked all of the questions. Then they get their grade - C. Yup, all that means is they missed the wrinkles. Well, I can only hope I didn't miss anything major tonight. You never really can tell till the grades come out. My policy: what is done is done. I don't like to talk much about actual questions post exams. I always think I did horrible.

The truth of the matter is, and Cindy can verify this, you still turn the questions over and over in your head for days after. It is almost subconscious. Sometimes I'll find myself in a panic in the ensuing days post exams thinking - OH NO!! I totally missed that issue. And then sometimes I'll think - oh...no I didn't miss it.

Well, the good news is that Truman, my little tax man from the exam, has died. Hopefully never to return....except for in my nightmares where he will resurrect with issues I didn't spot on the exam.