The "Reverse Perfect Score"

      I stayed with two friends of mine this time.  It was great to see them, but of course we all wished it wasn't under these circumstances.  Nonetheless, when we get together, we reminisce of course and talk about how our other acquaintences and friends are doing. These two guys, are pretty funny and we all keep it "light" while we shoot the breeze.

    So we were talking about a friend of ours called Stan.  When Stan's name came up one friend and I asked about him and how he faired on the exam.  My other friend replied, "Stan got a perfect score."  The former friend and I replied "perfect score?"  So, the second freind went on to explain.

     Stan received a 136 on the state portion and a 136 on the MBE, and aggregate of 272 for a combined 136 average.  This was not a point more nor a point less than what was precisely needed to pass.  According to my friend's logic, Stan did precisely the amount of work necessary.  He further elaborated about people that score 150s or higher and how those scores reflect a person who has wasted 10-20 days of their life studying while they could have been doing something more "worthwhile."  He concluded by saying: "Stan got the Reverse perfect Score."

     We all cracked up about this.  That's not really how I operate, but for my friend who explained this comment I understand his point of view.  He is gifted student, who, while failing the first attempt at the Florida Bar examination, only committed about 20 or so hours of work to it.  He only failed by 1 point.  In comparison, I spent at least 100 hours (and probably way more) studying for that test and I failed by 6 points.  This is a guy who, even now, is apportioning his time by completing an L.L.M. at a tier 1 Tax L.L.M. program. He was about the same in Law School.  He would pull off amazing grades with "Reverse Perfect" effort, so to speak.

     I do not buy into this theory at all.  I come hard, or I don't come at all.  "Something worth doing, is worth doing well."  Overpreparation is possible, but not for something like the bar for what my opinion is worth.  Anyway, that is the "reverse perfect score."