I write this post not because I was particularly efficient at studying for the Bar, in fact, I did A LOT wrong when it came to my studying plan. But I did learn a lot through the experience and I figure that since I have a blog in which I talk about law school and bar exams, I may as well put to paper what I think worked. So here are my "tips" for passing the bar exam.
1. The bar exam is not nearly as intimidating as it is built up to be. The exam absolutely sucks, but passing is definitely doable. It's easy to feel overwhelmed by the amount of material you're trying to learn. Just remember that it's impossible to remember everything, and fortunately, you don't have to.
2. Don't take to heart the recommendations for studying plans. Prep courses and your law school are going to give recommendations that I'm sure will result in a pass, but they are much to impractical for many people to stick to. Trust what works for you. Think of the recommendations as sort of an average or aggregate plan and then choose set up a schedule that you will stick to. You know how you learn and study better than anyone else.
3. Having a life while studying for the bar is possible. Taking a day off each week will not automatically cause you to fail. Take studying seriously, but don't completely ignore your friends, family or yourself. The last thing you want to do is walk into the exam burnt out. Keep in mind, your brain needs some down time in order to perform at its best.
4. Don't try and explain to friends and family how important the bar is or how much studying to takes to pass. They won't get it.
5. When everyone recommends not to have a major life change while studying, they mean it. If you're going to ignore them (like I did), make sure you account for it in your study plan.
6. Should you take a commercial prep course? That, obviously, depends on how you learn and how disciplined you are.
As I've reported before, I went a pretty conventional route by choosing BarBri only. I knew before the bar that
skipping PMBR was the right decision for me. After taking the bar, I'm even more certian it was the right decision. Barbri provided me with structure and with all subject outlines in one place. I am absolutely convinced Barbri is not a prereq to successful bar exam taking, but the class inserted some discipline when I lacked it on my own. And it saved me time because I had all of my materials in one place. Also Barbri was more than sufficeint to prepare me for the MBE; I definitely didn't need a supplemental course for that, especially since my state weighs essays 60% of the total score
7. Take the test and then forget it. Go on a vacation, pick back up the hobby that you stopped while in law school, start your job. Whatever you do, don't dwell on what you could have written more precisely or want you definitely interpreted incorrectly. It's over.
Relax.
-- Mya
1. The bar exam is not nearly as intimidating as it is built up to be. The exam absolutely sucks, but passing is definitely doable. It's easy to feel overwhelmed by the amount of material you're trying to learn. Just remember that it's impossible to remember everything, and fortunately, you don't have to.
2. Don't take to heart the recommendations for studying plans. Prep courses and your law school are going to give recommendations that I'm sure will result in a pass, but they are much to impractical for many people to stick to. Trust what works for you. Think of the recommendations as sort of an average or aggregate plan and then choose set up a schedule that you will stick to. You know how you learn and study better than anyone else.
3. Having a life while studying for the bar is possible. Taking a day off each week will not automatically cause you to fail. Take studying seriously, but don't completely ignore your friends, family or yourself. The last thing you want to do is walk into the exam burnt out. Keep in mind, your brain needs some down time in order to perform at its best.
4. Don't try and explain to friends and family how important the bar is or how much studying to takes to pass. They won't get it.
5. When everyone recommends not to have a major life change while studying, they mean it. If you're going to ignore them (like I did), make sure you account for it in your study plan.
6. Should you take a commercial prep course? That, obviously, depends on how you learn and how disciplined you are. As I've reported before, I went a pretty conventional route by choosing BarBri only. I knew before the bar that skipping PMBR was the right decision for me. After taking the bar, I'm even more certian it was the right decision. Barbri provided me with structure and with all subject outlines in one place. I am absolutely convinced Barbri is not a prereq to successful bar exam taking, but the class inserted some discipline when I lacked it on my own. And it saved me time because I had all of my materials in one place. Also Barbri was more than sufficeint to prepare me for the MBE; I definitely didn't need a supplemental course for that, especially since my state weighs essays 60% of the total score
7. Take the test and then forget it. Go on a vacation, pick back up the hobby that you stopped while in law school, start your job. Whatever you do, don't dwell on what you could have written more precisely or want you definitely interpreted incorrectly. It's over. Relax.
-- Mya