Blog Posts

Grades Are Out – Now What?

Whether your grades are not what you expected, or you didn’t get the rank you wanted, or any other feeling of grief during this time, it is completely normal and valid. As high-achieving, highly-competitive individuals in law school, it can be hard to adjust to a relentless curve and a grading system that doesn’t reflect how much you know but reflects how you compare to others. No matter how much you prepare and study, you cannot control how others do on the exam – which is the ultimate determination for your grades, at least in the first year of law school.

It’s tough. But there are so many people on campus here to support you. The Wellness Initiative’s event Grades Are Out – Now What? helped provide some context to “grade grief” – the immense disappointment or anxiety felt after receiving grades that don’t meet your usual performance or standards.

You can watch the recording of that session below. Here’s a recap of some things Dr. Cornish and Alex-Marie Baez shared that may be helpful as you persevere:

  • Remember why you came to law school in the first place. You have unique and spectacular skills and abilities that got you here. Don’t forget how amazing you are.
  • Each semester going forward, set manageable goals for yourself. Instead of striving for As in every class, set a goal to prioritize your mental health, drink at least two cups of water, go for a walk three times a week, or make time to do an activity you love.
  • If you are completely unsatisfied with your academic performance, ask yourself: How can I be more efficient with my time to study/work better? Evaluate how you take notes and study. Take inventory of what worked and what didn’t.
  • Remember that success is unique to you. No one can define success for you. Don’t compare your journey to others. While we are all ranked and graded against each other, the law school journey is unique for every individual.

EVENT: A conversation with Temple Grandin

“I am different, not less.”

Temple Grandin

View more information about the event here.

Image obtained from NY Writers’ Institute

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2021

7:30 p.m., Page Hall, UAlbany Downtown Campus

135 Western Avenue, Albany 12203

Temple Grandin, often called “the rock star” of the autistic world, is a world-renowned animal behaviorist, college professor, inventor, bestselling author, and animal rights activist.

One of the first autistic individuals to write books about her life and experiences, Grandin has been an indispensable source of knowledge and wisdom for parents and teachers confronting the puzzle of autism.

Her bestselling books include Thinking In Pictures (1996), Animals in Translation (2005), Animals Make Us Human (2009), and The Autistic Brain (2013). Claire Danes won a Golden Globe for Best Actress for her portrayal of Grandin in the 2010 HBO film, “Temple Grandin.”

Copies of Temple Grandin’s books will be available for purchase at the event. You may also shop for her books in advance at the local, independent Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza.

Cosponsored by UAlbany’s Disability Resource Center and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

About Temple Grandin

Dr. Grandin did not talk until she was three and a half years old. She was fortunate to get early speech therapy. Her teachers also taught her how to wait and take turns when playing board games. She was mainstreamed into a normal kindergarten at age 5.

Oliver Sacks wrote in the forward of Thinking in Pictures that her first book Emergence: Labeled Autistic was “unprecedented because there had never before been an inside narrative of autism.” Dr. Sacks profiled Dr. Grandin in his best selling book Anthropologist on Mars.

Dr. Grandin became a prominent author and speaker on both autism and animal behavior. Today she is a professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University. She also has a successful career consulting on both livestock handling equipment design and animal welfare.

She has been featured on NPR (National Public Radio) and a BBC Special – “The Woman Who Thinks Like a Cow”. She has also appeared on as Larry King Live, 20/20, 60 Minutes, and Fox and Friends. Articles about Dr. Grandin have appeared in Time Magazine, New York Times, Discover Magazine, Forbes and USA Today.

HBO made an Emmy Award-winning movie about her life, starring Claire Danes, and she was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2016.

When she was young, she was considered weird and teased and bullied in high school. The only place she had friends was activities where there was a shared interest such as horses, electronics, or model rockets. Mr. Carlock, her science teacher, was an important mentor who encouraged her interest in science. When she had a new goal of becoming a scientist, she had a reason for studying. Today half the cattle in the United States are handled in facilities she has designed. Read more

Temple Grandin online

www.templegrandin.com/ | twitter.com/DrTempleGrandin |

facebook.com/drtemplegrandin/

Law School Coach

Albany Law alumna Mary Ann Krisa has established her business, The Law Coach.

On her website, she offers free resources, including blog posts about writing in law school, the bar exam, and much more.

From 1L to the bar exam, Coach Krisa can help.

The Law Coach

To see the services and resources she is offering, visit her website: The Law Coach.

Wellness Planning Tool


Law school is stressful. There’s no doubt about it. We’re expected to study and participate in extracurriculars while also making sure we make time to work out, cook food, and spend time with friends and family. This wellness planning tool is a great way for you to identify what your various needs are and create a plan for yourself that will help you to satisfy those needs. So the next time you are feeling stressed out, anxious, depressed, etc. you have things you know can do or people you can reach out to in your network who can help support you.