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December 26, 2008
tips for bar study from 06 graduate
SARA’S TIPS FOR PASSING THE BAR
1) ATTEND BAR-BRI - do not skip a day...do not skip an hour...do not surf the internet. Pay attention in BarBri. You will learn a lot about the topics, but also how to answer questions on the bar exam. Fill in the blanks in your Bar-Bri books and take a few notes in the margins if necessary. This is not, however, like a law school class where you have to take down every word that the teacher says. Follow along with the outlines. (There is one caveat...if the outline is basically that...an outline with nothing to fill in...take some notes on the rules they are going over. If I recall from my Bar-Bri course, Crim law was like that.)
2) Re-do outline: After each day of lecture, I went back home, ate lunch and sat down and re-typed the Bar-bri lecture outline in my own format that I had used in law school. I did not include all of the examples, but I did include at least a few examples that they had in the outline. This does 2 things:
a) Forces you to review the material after you have time to digest it; and
b) Forces you to begin the outlining process
[Schmitz' comment - do this only if it helps - the idea, as below, is do what works for you. don't feel you have to do everything.]
3) Update your outlines: These outlines you have just created are very basic. They are not all-inclusive of the rules that you may need to know on the exam. Here are some good ways to update them:
a) Do practice essays/MC questions (When you do a practice essay, they always have a sample answer. These answers contain very nice statements of the rules that you will need to know on your exam. Ex. – You do an agency and partnership essay for practice. You get done and realize that you did not have the rule of law that they reference in your outline. Figure out where that goes in your outline and put it in. Your outlines will grow and you do practice problems and review other materials such as your full/condensed outlines.
4) USE SCHMITZ – Although she is a beautiful woman, she is not there for decoration! She is there to help. Keep in mind, there will be many students seeking her advice this summer, so make an appointment, send her an email, stop by her office. She can’t read every essay that every student does, but she will take the time to help you when you need it. Believe me, I spent a few days on the phone with her and in her office crying and frustrated. She is like the “Bar Goddess.” So use her.
5) Study Habits: Everyone says, “get into a routine.” Make your own routine. Although sometimes comforting to work in a group, for me the Bar exam was a very individual routine. You are the only person that knows how you study and what you need to do to study. Studying with someone is great, but make sure you know the material before you start quizzing each other.
6) Change locations: For me, studying in the same place every day was NOT fun. Change it up a bit if you need to. Study in the library at a table then switch to a cubical. Study in the lounge, or at a coffee shop.
7) Personal Time: You have to take some time to yourself during your studying. I took time to go home for a wedding one weekend and to go to the water park on a Saturday. You cannot be studying all day every day the entire summer. Go to the gym, go for a walk, go home and see your family, go see a movie. You have to stay healthy physically and mentally. This is not a sprint, but rather a summer long marathon. If you go full speed ahead in the beginning you will be exhausted by the end. I think I spent about 8-10 hours a day studying (including going to BarBri). Don’t stay up till 3 or 4am and expect to be functional the next day. You have all summer as long as you plan accordingly. If you need help with a study schedule please email me. I can try to put something together for you.
8) Practice Problems: In the beginning, I think it is important to learn the material and to learn how to answer the essays and multiple choice questions. For me, in the beginning I was not as worried about timing myself as I was learning how to answer the questions and doing it correctly. I gradually started timing myself to make sure I was ok on time. If you need help with Multiple Choice, please see Prof. Schmitz. I am a HORRIBLE Multiple Choice test taker and she really helped me a lot. I couldn’t have passed the par without her.
9) Practice exam: I assume professor Schmitz will do a practice exam day near the end of the summer. YOU ARE REQURED BY ME TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS. I don’t care if you feel you aren’t ready, or you just need another day to study. This was the most valuable thing I did all summer. It is a full day of essays. You need to get used to writing that much and under the time constraints.
10) RELAX-----The most important thing to remember is just to relax. Be confident in your abilities. You would not have made it this far if you couldn’t do it. You have proven yourselves by getting through law school. This is for you!!!!! I believe in you and know that you can do it. You dedicated yourselves for 3 years to the study of law. Now put that into action! Always keep your head up, even if it seems hopeless. You can learn all you need to know to pass the bar! Many have done it before you, and many will do it after you.
Posted by Suzanne at December 26, 2008 10:58 AM