Fall grades posted; is your holiday naughty or nice?

A few minutes ago, the law school posted the results of our final exams for the fall semester. Because most professors don't offer much in the way of quizzes or class participation points, grades are sort of the Big Reveal for the entire semester. I was intensely interested in the results after my first semester of law school. I was less interested this time around (my third semester overall), but I admit I was still following Facebook chatter and texting with friends in the hour or so before grades went live. Here are my results as they appeared on the screen:

Class Grades - Fall 2010    Official Grades   Class Description Units Grading Grade Grade Points LAW 819 CONSTITUTIONAL LAW I 3.00 Graded B+ 9.900 LAW 823 EVIDENCE 4.00 Graded B 12.000 LAW 828 BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS 4.00 Graded B- 10.800 LAW 859 PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY 3.00 Graded B+ 9.900

For some reason, professors love to give me Bs. I've never received a law school grade worse than a B minus, or better than an A minus. Right now, the angel sitting on my shoulder tells me that I should be proud of my results. I do the reading, study hard, and give it my best shot. With an overall grade point average slightly north of 3.2, I am roughly in the top 15 percent of the class. Could be worse. But the devil sitting on the other shoulder tells me that, at this point in law school, it wouldn't much matter if I notched straight As for my final two years. I am stuck in the upper end of the vast majority of students who will not receive job offers from big firms with hefty starting salaries. These positions, as everyone knows, are more or less reserved for the top ten students in the class. Not top 10 percent, mind you, but top ten individuals. Don't kill yourself, the devil says. You'll do fine, probably snag a job at a smaller firm, and eventually launch your own successful practice. But wait, the angel says, you should keep your nose to the grindstone because you still have to pass the bar, and even the smaller employers look to grades to differentiate among candidates in a tight job market. Aack! Enough of this talk, both of you. I'm going to grab a beer, chase it with a shot of zen, and hang out with my family. Happy holidays to everyone. Listen to the angels if you can bear it.