<<First Name>>,
I get questions like these sometimes:
- "Should I get a tutor?" I have nothing against investing in your success for the right purpose. Just consider how far you've taken your self-study efforts and your reason for needing outside help.
- "Is there another tool I could use to improve my scores?" I may have suggestions that fit your situation, but remember that the tool itself won't help unless the wielder uses it.
My answer is always basically the same:
S&T is perfect to start with, especially if cost is an issue. Add AdaptiBar later if you need what the other offers. Some people go the other way, starting with AdaptiBar then seeking the guidance of S&T.
S&T is on paper (like the actual MBE) and covers a broad range of issues with excellent explanations you can learn from. AdaptiBar is online and has about 1,000 more questions and software analytics.
You also could get both. But you don't need to get both at the same time. They're both excellent resources. People (including I) have passed using either one.
(Btw, you can get $30 off AdaptiBar with offer code MTYLT. I wrote a review if you're on the fence.)
There might be different reasons and motivations for asking these questions: finances, not being sure what each is really about, wanting to find the "best"... I can respect that.
If it's about finances, I put together a supplement shopping list that will tell you the recommended supplements based on your budget level, including a $0 budget.
If it's about wanting to find out more or knowing which is the "best," each has its perks. I noted them above. Go with what fits your needs.
The moral of all this is, simply start where you are.
Choose a GOOD ENOUGH option and GET GOING. If you have two equally good options, either will work. The act of trying to decide keeps you stuck.
We agonize over finding the "best" teaching tool when we should be asking ourselves how to be a good student. You can only learn, not be taught. [Share on Facebook]
Don't overcomplicate things. Don't worry about making perfect choices in the beginning. Don't find ways to avoid getting started. (I have a Start Here page.)
We're not buying a house here. You can always optimize as you go. You can always add what you need as you need it.
Moving the wrong way is better than staying still because at least you can correct course and still come out ahead.
You can't really mess up. There's not a lot in life that you can mess up permanently, unless you don't even take the opportunity.
Some of my biggest regrets in life are from "waiting to see" and not taking action when the chance was there until it was too late.
Likewise, some people are perpetually “getting ready”—
The Tool Collector: Jumps from one program or study tool (or schedule or tutor) to another that will somehow plug them into the Matrix and upload everything they need to know for the bar.
Bar prep summarized. Everyone pack up and go home.
People love agonizing over how to find the "best" but never stop to ask... "How can I be a good student?"
They end up overwhelmed with files and books collecting dust that they never use or can't get to. The resources out there can all be useful in their own ways. I could give you the perfect tools and tactics, but their utility depends on how YOU use them.
That's why my material is also focused around WHY and HOW, not just WHAT. (Magicsheets and Approsheets cover the WHAT and HOW and work together beautifully.)
Like with anything else, having too many moving parts only complicates your life. Keep it simple. The right things are not necessarily the easiest but are often the simplest.
The Inquisitor: Asks question after question but doesn’t do anything with the answers.
“How many questions do I need to do to pass?” Up to you. “Do you recommend X? Where can I find Y?” Dude, it’s literally in the email you responded to. “I’m taking the bar exam. Any advice? Sent from my iPhone”
Almost none of these inquiries will lead to any changes in behavior. They're feeling stuck and believe that answers and information will make them act. Certainty feels safe.
Don’t get me wrong; questions are fine. But the most successful students pay attention, do their own legwork, and are specific and thoughtful with their questions. Then they get to work, report back in a few months, and pass their wisdom forward to the community.
The Hourly Biller: Does anything but feel their brain squeezed from conscientious mental exertion and blows to their ego. Thinks it’s all good as long they put in the time.
Reading outlines day after day, chasing after that percentage meter, listening to 4 hours of exhausting lectures every morning, religiously filling in the blanks, writing an essay and putting it away, slapping their book closed as soon as the to-do list is done… zzz…
You are your own client. Would you pay for the time you spent? Don’t make me cut all your hours.
They’re waiting for their discomfort to disappear. There’s a difference between perpetually “getting ready” and accepting that you’ll never feel perfectly ready.
I get it. It’s all so tiresome. It’s hard to focus. Of course bar takers get lost and exhausted when there are so many different ways to go about preparing.
You could try to do everything yourself, or you could find a few sources of help you trust and ignore the rest.
Too much conflicting information actually STOPS you from doing anything.
I want the right insights, not just information. It doesn’t even have to be perfect, as long as it makes sense to me and gets me out of stagnation.
One thing is for sure. Stockpiling knowledge is no longer acceptable.
Just “knowing” what to do is different from doing it.
Just “knowing” a rule is different from knowing how to apply it to a fact pattern.
Just “knowing” about issues is different from being able to identify and organize them.
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It’s tempting to convince yourself that you’ll be able to feel your way through the questions as long as you’re familiar with the material.
And let me first be perfectly honest here. I shouldn’t even be saying this…
Winging it just might work for you!
Don’t let me stop you from doing your thing. I’ve seen it go either way. There truly is no ONE RIGHT WAY to do this.
Just be aware that underestimating the exam and overestimating yourself are the riskiest things you could do on the bar. Hope is not a strategy.
“Knowledge without practice can create a kind of arrogance that is dangerous.”—Kyle Eschenroeder
We know this intuitively.
The reason the scores on my first attempt were poor was not practicing enough, let alone practicing effectively. I could write beautiful rule statements. I thought that equipped me to pass. But apparently I couldn’t actually solve the problems.
I knew just enough to be dangerous to myself.
“OK! So just ‘practice practice practice,’ right?”
It's hard to put practice to practice even if you know to. Here’s the kicker, though:
Practice alone is not enough.
Yeah, I said it: PRACTICE ALONE is NOT GOOD ENOUGH.
What good is doing problems if you don’t know whether you did them right? If all you do is "practice," that’s like getting off the scale, getting back on, and expecting the number to change.
There’s something else I learned about learning during my rematch with the bar. We'll talk about it next week.
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Brian
PS. Did this help? Your answer will be tallied on my end: Yes / No
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Not retaining any information from your bar course? Not enough time? Stop getting overwhelmed. Focus on practice and memorization with these condensed rule outlines organized in logical groups and indentations.
Approsheets (essay approach checklists and flowcharts)
Got blank-page syndrome? Go from blank page to finished essay/outline. Identify all the relevant issues with these attack sheets so you don't leave any points on the table.
Passer’s Playbook 2.0 (self-study toolkit)
Step-by-step blueprint, study schedules, cheat sheets, guides, and other tools designed to help you orient yourself and propel you toward improvement. Passing is inevitable if you continue to improve.
Organize your emotions and deal with the mental barriers of bar preparation. Go from overwhelmed to focused, unmotivated to productive, and anxious to calm.
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| Make This Your Last Time |
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