The Activist Guide to Passing the Bar Exam

It’s February! That means you have about 3.5 weeks left. Seeing the word February on your calendar can create anxiety, but it doesn’t need to. You are almost done, and that should bring some sense of relief.

You should pivot shortly to memorization and practice mode (from learning, creating materials, and practice mode). You may be worried about finding time to do more than you have already been doing. If you’ve been studying 10 hours a day, there is no time in the day to ramp up. That’s ok. The truth is that you don’t necessarily need to spend more time. You won’t be spending time watching lectures or making study materials.

If you haven’t put in the time, however, you really have no time to lose. You need to step up your game immediately. Make sure that you are doing some form of practice every single day – MBEs, essays, or MPTs. Ideally, you’ll do more than one type of practice every day because you don’t have as solid of a foundation of practice as you would like to have.

You also want to make sure you have a solid plan for what you will use to memorize. If you haven’t been making study materials, make sure that what you have from your bar review company, or the materials that were passed down from a friend, will actually work for you.

Make no mistake, February is intense. Whether you’ve been on top of your game or not, it is natural to feel more pressure in February. But remember that you are only human and there is only so much that is humanly possible to do. You still need to take breaks. You still need to eat well, exercise, sleep, and have some fun.

You’re almost at the finish line! The light at the end of this tunnel should provide you with the motivation you need to get through the final weeks!

Don’t get lost in the daily grind of just going through the motions to check things off of your bar company’s to do list. Make sure you take the time to reflect on each task after you have done it. It’s not enough to say “oh, I got that wrong, I don’t understand mortgages at all.”

You want to dive a bit deeper. Ask yourself why you got a question wrong. Was it because you didn’t know the doctrine? Ok, what are you going to do to make sure you learn the doctrine? Did you put that rule into your outline, or on a flashcard?

But chances are, you’re also getting questions wrong for test-taking reasons, not doctrinal reasons. Pay attention to those reasons too. Look for patterns, such as reading the question too quickly and missing something key, or reading too slowly and over-analyzing or adding something in that isn’t there.

Every day you should think of 2-3 takeaways – general lessons that you learned and will take forward to the rest of bar prep. Think globally, beyond each individual question. Use those takeaways to change how you approach future questions. Reflection is how we grow.

Happy New Year!

It’s 2019, and that means it’s the year you’re going to take the bar exam! It’s time to get into a routine. Remember that every week day should include the following things (not necessarily in this order):

• Lecture
• Creation of Study Materials
• Practice (MBEs, essays, or MPTs)
• Relaxation
• Caring for Your Physical and Mental Health

You should start to get into a routine this week so that you know what you’re doing each day. This article has some tips on getting into a routine, and how to be most productive.

The biggest mistake people make is not practicing enough. Don’t wait until you feel like you know enough to practice. Doing the test is how you learn to do the test.

The holiday season is upon us and you may be thinking about how to balance bar study with holiday celebrations. If you have already begun studying for the February bar exam, you are in great shape!

Remember that you have a long haul ahead of you and it’s important to take real breaks. So, take time to celebrate whatever you like to celebrate with your loved ones.

Many people take a full week off from their jobs between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. I would not recommend that you take that amount of time off from bar study. But, it is a good idea to at least take a couple of days off to rest, recharge, and reconnect with your long-term goals. Keeping those goals in mind will help when you are feeling stressed out in the midst of your bar studies.

I’ve been having a lot of conversations recently with people who are retaking the bar exam. The hardest part of retaking the bar is always starting to study again. After you get through the first few days, you’ll be back into a groove. Here are five things to keep in mind:

1) Be kind to yourself. Having to retake the bar exam brings up a lot of emotions. Give yourself some time to feel the sadness, anger, frustration and grief. Then push through it and study. The only thing you can do now is to once again give the exam everything you’ve got. It may feel like you are alone, but you are not. Lots of people have had to retake the bar and do so successfully. Many people are feeling the same things you are right now. Reach out to them. Seek support from loved ones and from your law school. You are smart and capable. You will pass the bar this time. Keep telling yourself that.

2) Start with a subject you like. Many people feel like they should start with their weakest subject so that they will have more time to work with it. Getting back into studying is difficult enough. Start with a subject you feel pretty good about. You can get to that tough subject next.

3) Remember that you have done a lot and you know a lot. You’re not starting from zero. Spend some time taking stock of the materials you have, and deciding what study materials you can use, and what you want to make anew. You don’t need to do everything all over again. You don’t need to watch all of the lectures again. Use the materials you have. You have laid a very solid foundation for yourself. That gives you a leg up.

4) Prioritize practice. You’re not seeing anything new for the first time now. You have already been through this process. Use all of that extra time to practice actual bar questions. Do MBEs and essays every day. Do MPTs at least once each week. Practice practice practice. Reflect on that practice every time you do it. Add every rule that you learn or clarify through a practice question to your outline or flashcards. Keep a journal of tips for yourself based on your common mistakes.

5) Take care of yourself. Self care is an essential part of any bar study plan. It is especially critical when you are retaking the bar. Make sure that you build in practices that are good for your physical, mental, and emotional health every single day. Give yourself a daily opportunity to wind down. Pay attention to your stress level and your physical exhaustion. You need to be well to be productive. It’s important to build in wellness practices early on, and maintain them as the exam gets closer and more stressful. (This will be important to maintain after you earn your law license as well.)