Conversation Awkardness
There are very few questions that can bring a conversation to a screeching halt amongst law students who are only casually acquainted. Chief among these questions: What was your LSAT score?
Don't get me wrong, I don't have any problem telling my friends in the privacy of one-on-one conversations, but last night was different. There were 6 law students, from 5 different law schools present, and we didn't really know each other well enough to delve into the whole LSAT quagmire.
The other awkward element to the conversation was the perceived difference in quality between our different schools. Thanks to US News, I can no longer have a conversation with another law student without both of us knowing exactly where we sit on the law school food chain. My friend who was present, and attends the same school I do made a few comments about how all schools were the same, and so forth, the tone was almost apologetic, which I found troublesome.
I just kept my mouth shut during the few minutes we were speaking about our schools. I don't want to make other people feel bad about the school they're at, and I won't brag about the one I'm at, but I'm also not going to apologize for attending mine, and I certainly won't denigrate something I'm so proud to be a part of to make other people feel better about theirs.
Don't get me wrong, I don't have any problem telling my friends in the privacy of one-on-one conversations, but last night was different. There were 6 law students, from 5 different law schools present, and we didn't really know each other well enough to delve into the whole LSAT quagmire.
The other awkward element to the conversation was the perceived difference in quality between our different schools. Thanks to US News, I can no longer have a conversation with another law student without both of us knowing exactly where we sit on the law school food chain. My friend who was present, and attends the same school I do made a few comments about how all schools were the same, and so forth, the tone was almost apologetic, which I found troublesome.
I just kept my mouth shut during the few minutes we were speaking about our schools. I don't want to make other people feel bad about the school they're at, and I won't brag about the one I'm at, but I'm also not going to apologize for attending mine, and I certainly won't denigrate something I'm so proud to be a part of to make other people feel better about theirs.
posted by Snubligent at 1:56 PM
7 Comments:
I understand what u are talking about. So many of my classmates talk about how the different law schools are all the same and that they wouldn't have gone to Harvard even if they got in there. For some reason I find both the idea that all schools are the same and that they wouldn't go to Harvard as unlikely.
They schools are a lot more similar than people think, but there is a difference.
My problem is that I don't like people saying it. It makes me uncomfortable. I don't want to be put in a position where someone says school x is better than school y, and have to agree and look like an elitist, or lie.
That's so weird. I don't know what I would say if someone asked me about my LSAT score. It's kind of like when we were in college and someone said, "What'd you get on your SATs?" I would make a mental note not to talk to that person again.
CM, the thing is he was actually a really cool guy, and honestly I don't care if my friends know what my lsat score is, or if someone asks me privately, but I do know that a lot of people do care, and I feel odd telling people I don't really know.
It's all about context. If it had just been us two, there would've been no problem (Although for the record I NEVER ask anyone what their score is, but, like I said, I don't care if someone asks me privately).
It's just weird when someone asks your for the LSAT score...Was it for validation of you? or them?
One thing that drives me crazy about school is ppl asking about grades on assignments, etc.
Huh.
I've never had anyone ask me for my LSAT score, and people *try* to be subtle about asking about grades on assignments.
As far as all law schools being the same, I would say I both agree and disagree, having had the opportunity to attend more than one and do a little comparison. Basically classes really *are* all the same. The profs seem about equally brilliant. The material covered is more or less identical. There are jackasses at both schools.
But I have to admit, there are some moments where one set of classmates just doesn't seem quite as quick as the other. Or they seem to grasp everything at the surface level, but never discuss underlying policy, contextual issues, etc. (That one could be the Prof's fault for not leading the conversation that way.) And I guess I would add that sometimes the classes are a bit less intellectually rigorous. (Not that I personally fall into the intellectually rigorous crowd - but I can recognize it when I see it.)
I also agree that people shouldn't put quite so much weight on a pretty arbitrary ranking system. I think that had I started at School B, I might have been a lot happier with my whole law school experience. And that's gotta count for something, right?
LQ - are you a transfer student too?
Post a Comment
<< Home