The Shark

windows 7 available to students for $30

[julie anne]

Recently, my law school's Office of the Registrar sent out the passwords to download the latest version of test-taking software Examsoft.

That's all well and good except, as discussed before, I'm a Mac living in the PC world that is law school. (By the way, based on the students who use PCs and those who use Macs in my law school classes, I can affirm that those who use Macs are in fact hipper and more attractive than their peers who use PCs.)

I had put the whole Mac or PC thing at the back of my mind in favor of learning the intricacies of personal jurisdiction, but the email brought the issue back to the fore: Should I buy a separate laptop for test taking, or should I just go ahead and install Windows on my MacBook with BootCamp?

The $120 price tag of the new Windows 7 operating system had me leaning the way of just buying a netbook that runs Windows, however, a new promotion for students from Microsoft has me considering the other option.

For a limited time, Microsoft is offering Windows 7 for $30 for students with a university email account. 

Here's a bit from an Ars Technica article about the promo:

"'In the US, students can pre-order their copy of Windows 7 beginning September 17th and can download the OS beginning on October 22nd (general availability),' a Microsoft spokesperson confirmed with Ars. For US students, we checked and saw that they need to have a .edu e-mail address or be attending one of the 158 schools."

My school wasn't on the list, but I registered my school email address anyway and received an email several minutes later confirming that I was cleared for download.

You can pre-register at www.win741.com.

great news for those indebted: new federal loan programs.

[julie anne]

Student debt in the six figures is certain to rank low on anyone's list of things that give them the warm and fuzzies, probably falling somewhere between guys that flip their collars up and Speidi.

But that attitude toward debt may change, at least for some borrowers, come July 1 when a new Perkins, Stafford and Grad PLUS loan program takes effect.

While the new policies won't eliminate debt completely, they could possibly turn someone's scary, monstrous, burdensome debt beast into something more manageable and possibly more cute and cuddly, according to a Project on Student Debt video that explains some of the changes.

If you were too caught up in the adorableness of the debt monster - I know I was - here are the basics.

According to a Bargain Babe interview with Bill Penn (who gives career advice to students at Lewis & Clark Law School), the change is twofold.

For starters, rather than paying back loans at a fixed rate, some borrowers can get something called income-based repayment, which allows lenders to cap payments at 15 percent of the buyers income. Under previous rules, this would have meant even more years of debt. Under the new program, however, whatever is not paid back after 25 years is forgiven.

The news is even better for those who go into public service. You can have your loans forgiven after just 10 years.

Find out more about what these loans could mean for you at the Project on Student Debt website. Also, check out the Project on Student Debt's Facebook page for information on the June 17 and June 24 webinars conducted by Equal Justice Works.

law school: busy hating on your pretty little mac.

[julie anne]

I heart my MacBook computer. Heck, even doggies like the stylish, sleek and intuitive notebook that's favored by graphic designers, music producers and video editors alike.

I’m not so sure it was the greatest idea to make the entire thing white because of people like me who, despite all manner of hand-washing, always manage to have something smudgy or splotchy on their hands. But despite the white notebook’s magnetic properties when it comes to dirt, I can’t imagine going back to a virus-prone, Windows-driven personal computer.

Based on the Chapman University School of Law’s computer guidelines for exams, however, it looks like I can’t get away from Bill Gates’ baby.

Like the nerd I am, I read Chapman’s Student Handbook and found this sad, sad bit of news regarding my beloved Mac:

“Users with Apple MacBook or MacBook Pro laptops can run Windows through Apple's Boot Camp software. ... Please note that ExamSoft does not provide support for the installation and configuration of Apple's Boot Camp. … If you do decide to use this option, we highly recommend that you contact ExamSoft directly and become very familiar with this program due to the fact that Examsoft is fairly new and untested for Mac computers.”

Julie Anne’s palm, meet Julie Anne’s forehead. Get used to each other. I have a feeling you’re going to be working together for a really, really long time.

Even if I do as the student handbook warily suggests, installing Windows using the Boot Camp software would require 5 GB of free hard drive space, and running a non-native operating system would make my processor work harder than all those folks on The Biggest Loser combined, according to some folks.

It seems that the best option now — rather than risk harm to my baby — would be to buy an inexpensive notebook computer that runs Windows. Or I'm open to any suggestions that readers may have. (PC users, throwing my Mac out the window is not an option.)

My advice? Before buying a new laptop, know exactly what computers and software your school allows. Duh, I know. But I figured that law schools would pick up on the popularity of Apple notebooks and adjust accordingly. Nope. 

You can find out exactly what you need by calling up your school’s IT people, looking through your student handbook, or checking through an awesome Web site called Mac Law Students, which has a great list of schools and their software requirements as well as software suggestions for people whose schools make accomodations for Apple computers.

shame on you, law school cheaters! shame on you.

[julie anne ines]

Sometimes, I imagine law students, law school and the lure of high grades akin to throwing a bunch of hungry, ugly-cute baby sharks into a small tank with a juicy piece of red meat.

Besides being fiercely competitive over-achievers, these Type-A sharkies have been told their survival in the law school tank depends on them being able to get those yummy ‘As’ and ‘Bs’.

Which is why it came as no surprise when we wrote a couple weeks ago that the Syracuse University College of Law would be taking measures to flush out cheaters who used their bathroom breaks to cheat on exams.

It is also no surprise that the National Law Journal recently reported that students are seeing more gray areas between honesty and dishonesty, and are using technology and changes in testing administration to get ahead.

What is surprising, to me at least, is that law students still see cheating as a viable option.

We’ve all been told since kindergarten that “cheaters never win, and winners never cheat,” and that “the only person you cheat when you try to cheat is yourself.” Call me square and naive, but I think both quotes are true, especially in law school exams.

Yes, law schools use exams to gauge how you fare against your classmates. But students should also take advantage of exams as an opportunity to reflect on material learned and possibly predict how well they’d do on the bar exam.

If you cheat in law school, you may be able to stay afloat and keep swimming. But when you get into the bigger ocean out there, you’ll be eaten alive if you fail to know your stuff.

a grout way to cheat

[julie anne ines]

Turns out a bathroom break isn't just a time to do your business and get pithy bits of wisdom (NSFW for language) anymore. Rather than find the answers to life's great questions in the bathroom stalls, some students at the Syracuse University College of Law decided that it was an even better idea to find some answers for their final exams.

According to Glenn Coin of The Post-Standard, those students were eventually flushed out, and the university took measures to plug the cheating leaks by limiting students' ability to, ahem, take a leak during their final exams.

While on a bathroom break, Coin writes, law students would use their cell phones, look at papers or write notes into their exam supplements. As a result, school officials have limited students to just one bathroom break per test, which can sometimes last up to four hours.

Bad news for people who've decided to down three Red Bulls that morning, I imagine.

The school is also hiring more proctors to supervise exams, inspecting bathrooms before and during exams, and reviewing computer logs to see if students have changed their answers.

multiple choice exams aren't necessarily the preference of multiple kinds of law students.

[brian lauter]

Choose the best answer:

1. Which do you prefer, multiple choice tests or written tests?

a. Multiple choice, because you always have at least a 20% chance.

b. Multiple choice, because they’re way easier for professors to grade.

c. Written, because they give you the opportunity to regurgitate an entire semester’s worth of information (or one outline) in three hours.

d. Written, because if you don’t know the answer you can write something tangential and hope for a few pity points.

e. A and B only.

f. All of the above.

g. All of the above, but not C.

h. None of the above.

Sorry if that question was worded poorly; I’m sure you did just fine.

Yesterday, an item on PrawfsBlawg asked about the pros on cons of multiple choice law school exams. It ended up being a pretty polarizing question.

Some of the commenters focused on the nature of the material. Those who favored multiple choice questions said that many questions of law are more discrete and are better suited for multiple choice exams, while others argued that the law is inherently gray and reasoned answers should be required.

Other commenters focused on the practice of law. Those who favored written tests argued that writing well under pressure is an important skill for practicing law; others argued that being able to make quick decisions on points of law is also important.

The multiple choice/written test debate is about as polarizing in real life as it was on Prawfsblawg. I know people who say they always do horribly on multiple choice tests (here are some tips) and don’t think they’re fair, and others who love them.

Personally, I prefer multiple choice tests. For me, having the correct answers on the page makes having a good foundational understanding of the subject matter more important and deemphasizes memorization, which isn’t really my thing.

I’m glad to see that professors do think about this stuff. And if you’re wondering how a multiple choice question should be worded, don’t use mine as an example, check this out.

barack obama: a gunner, and our 44th president.

[brian lauter]

We’ve already heard about how Barack Obama found his political voice in law school.  We’ve discussed his average career as an average associate and his short tenure as an “enthralling” law professor.  

We’ve also mentioned the generous financial support his presidential bid received from law professors.

Now, in honor of today’s Presidential Inauguration, one more Barack Obama law school item.

Last week, Noam Shreiber of The New Republic posted an item on The Plank discussing an article in Time discussing Obama’s urban background and how it might affect federal urban policy.  As a bonus, Shreiber relayed a law school anecdote from Obama’s law school local government professor.

Apparently, working in inner-city Chicago had piqued Obama’s interest in urban policy and he asked several questions throughout the semester about the power of inner-city populations to influence urban policy.

Obama’s professor, Gerald Frug, found Obama’s approach to city power dynamics interesting and included a question directly addressing it on the final.

Almost 20 years ago, Barack Obama lived every law school gunner’s dream, and (here comes the dramatic close) today he will live the dream of countless others.

as if you need more ideas: top internet-based finals procrastination strategies.

[brian lauter]

Yesterday I wrote about the scientifically documented rise of internet-based procrastination during finals and its psychological roots.  Since then I’ve conducted a methodologically rigorous “observational study” in an attempt to document this phenomenon.

In honor of the upcoming finals season, I’ve put together a list of the most common forms of internet-based procrastination I witnessed.  If you enjoy long titles, you can call it my 2008 List of Top Internet-Based Finals Procrastination Strategies.

1. Facebook

This one’s pretty obvious, nothing beats studying for finals like reading pithy Facebook status messages complaining about studying for finals.

2. Netflix Queue

This is a relatively new one, at least to me.  I don’t have the Netflix, but my cinemaphilic friends tell me they spend hours browsing new movies and rearranging their Netflix queues, even when they haven’t dared watch a movie in months.

3. Holiday Shopping

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or Festivus, chances are you’ve spent a significant amount of time frittering your financial aid money away at online retailers. Sure, you could just go shopping after finals are over, but bricks and mortar is just not as much fun.

4. Blogs

I’m not privy to traffic information on this blog, but I’d bet that it increases substantially during finals. There’s no better way to feel like you’re still part of the outside world than to read commentary on it from other people who never go outside. (Ed. note: He's right!)

5. Downloading Software

Scratch #1.  Nothing says finals like new software.  This year I plan on spending a few hours a week messing around with Digsby, which I hear is “life-changing.”

And last, but not least:

6. Internet Dating

Don’t be confused, this is not internet dating in the sense of going out on dates with people you meet on the internet – its finals, you can’t leave the desk, remember?  The real value of internet dating is that it vests in its users the power to judge thousands of people without leaving the privacy of their homes/law libraries.  To get started (or to have a good laugh), check out lawyersinlove.com.

I know there are many more quality internet-based procrastination methods.  Let me know if you have any additions — I’ll probably be bored with these in no time...

freud's theory of finals procrastination. (it didn't exist, until just now.)

[brian lauter]

As the ramp up to finals begins in earnest this week, most of us can expect our level of internet-based procrastination to sky-rocket.

It is well-documented that procrastination increases as finals approach, and in the computer age, it only makes sense that much of this procrastination will take place on the computer.

During the semester, without horrifying tests and deadlines hanging over our heads, it feels okay to waste a couple of hours on touch football, happy hour, or a movie.  But with finals looming, there’s just no excuse for not being at your desk – even if you’re not really working.

Like most universal problems, this one is Freudian.  And what I mean by that is I think I heard somewhere that Freud said something analogous to it, but completely unrelated.

In the spirit of pop psychologists everywhere, I’ve thrown caution and intellectual honesty to the wind in order to present to you, in brief form:  Freud’s Theory of Finals Procrastination.

finals racket, literally.

[cynthia foster]

As you head on into Finals Time and begin feeling really sorry for yourself, try to get over it by repeating after me: at least you're not at Boalt.  Unless you are, in fact, at Boalt.  In that case, well, please continue feeling sorry for yourself.