Ahh shit... You utter the first word of the day as a dying declaration.
Because it’s time. It is really that real, boys and girls. What are we on now, the 15th one? Always makes me feel bittersweet like the end of a school year.
Implementing, practicing, and doing. I hope, by doing those things consistently, you’ve made solid progress!
That said... Maybe you don’t feel ready. The good news is that the more prepared you actually are, the less you feel prepared. The bad news is that the other way isn’t necessarily true.
Not all hope is lost, ye weary traveler. For now, go in with a “might as well, even if I’m screwed” or a “you never know until you try” attitude.
|
|
You’ll be able to say, “I’m glad I tried.”
You’ve worked hard these past weeks and months. You’ve come all this way. Let’s finish it without any hiccups at the very end.
We don’t want a “failure of the last mile” to undo all we’ve done up until now.
10 Last Minute Tactics for Bar Week
The cancer center I used to work at has a motto that I still remember after a decade: “There is always hope.” (First of all, if you’re not a patient there, that should give you some perspective.)
It’s too late for regrets now because the bar is finally here and is actually happening. It’s also too early for regrets now because you’ll have plenty of time to be left alone with your thoughts and anxiety as you wait for results.
No matter what, if you’ve done your best to prepare, have no regrets as you go into the exam. And if you put forth your best during the exam, you don’t have to regret the result.
Your best now is enough, even if your future best will be better.
It’s tempting to worry and even have nightmares about the bar, though. You're not alone! Thousands upon thousands of examinees go through this twice a year.
You put on a brave face so your family and friends stop worrying about you or assuming ~you got this~ (yeah right, as if they know what it’s like).
If there’s one guarantee, it’s that you’ll eventually reach a state of existence where you don’t have to take the bar exam anymore. You’ll be done by the end of the week. When the anxiety of the bar approached, that thought kept me going—even looking forward to the end.
Yes, take solace in the fact that the bar will eventually be over, just like how you and I have already passed through these fleeting moments together. Wow, so ~moving and unforgettable~ like high school graduation when we signed each other’s yearbooks with throbbing hearts and the popular kids had to buy inserts because they ran out of space DAMN YOU
On the other hand, brooding about the bar at this point doesn’t impact the past or the future—but takes away your energy in the present.
Now’s the time to conserve your mental energy. Not worrying about the past and whether you’ve done enough. Not obsessing over what kind of questions will appear and jumping ahead to conclusions about an unknown future.
Time travel costs energy, as confirmed by Stephen King. So whenever you find yourself time traveling to another era, breathe and bring yourself back to the present.
|
|
During the exam, I found it helpful to think in terms of “how much can I get correct here, because I’ve seen this before” (arrogance, trust in the preparation, and just having fun with it).
Not “how many points did I just lose” (anxiety, paranoia). Don’t worry about that now. The freakout and score estimations are for after the exam, not during.
What’s the worst that could happen anyway?
At the very least, next week will be a mock exam where you get real feedback. Here are some quick last minute tips for the bar to make the best of your mock exam:
1. The entire week is the exam.
As you leave for the hotel on Monday, you’re in ready mode. Perhaps play some music that gets you pumped up because your trial has already begun.
Focus on not being pulled into their pace. Check the lists of allowed and prohibited items from your state bar ahead of time; the MBE day may have different rules (check with your state bar; for example, see here if you’re a CA candidate).
Slightly dull your pencils for easier bubbling. Organize your notes, outlines, cooked essays, and other review material to bring to your hotel. Have your Ziploc® bag ready. Bring a pillow if you think it will keep your ass comfortable. Figure out ahead of time where you’re going to get lunch and dinner. Get enough sleep. “Be arrogant” during the exam and put forth all you've learned. Do the real thing as if it were practice.
At this point, you can also come up with some last-minute acronyms for rules you just can’t seem to remember easily.
This is a performance. Being in your top shape can’t hurt even though you’ll probably be fueled by adrenaline and panic anyway. You’ll need the energy to keep you going for those hours, to say “no” to the voice that seduces you to just give up. You’ll need it to face unexpected contingencies like the exam software acting up, insomnia, and getting lost in the neighborhood during lunch (which all happened to me).
2. Scope out the test center.
Monday is a good day to walk around the venue, get familiar with the geography, and see where the exam will be held. You may run into organizers trying to keep people from peeking into the actual room, but at least you can become familiar with where to go the next day. One fewer thing to panic about on Tuesday.
3. Consider not answering the essays and PT in order, depending on how comfortable you feel about each subject.
Your best subjects first to gain confidence? Your worst subjects (or PT) first while you have more mental stamina? You can reorder your essays ahead of time depending on your preference. Don’t forget to write in the correct answer space.
4. Bring an analog watch to keep time (check your state’s rules first).
There may not be a clock in the test room. Set your watch to noon as each exam period begins to put yourself on track. Guidelines: 34 MBE questions per hour. 17 per half hour. However long you need for each essay.
5. Get to the test center on time.
Know when you should be seated (check with your state bar; for example, see instructions here if you’re in CA). Don’t be late and start off frantically.
6. Don’t gamble on subject predictions.
I know everyone is interested in these (yet get mad when subjects actually get leaked), but I don’t recommend paying too much attention to them. Use them for entertainment purposes because all subjects are fair game. Personally, I’d focus more on weak subjects instead of “likely” subjects.
To be clear, predictions can be useful to the extent they give you a sense of direction or ideas on how to prioritize the subjects in the final weeks. That means not completely forgetting about entire subjects to go all in on the ones you think will be tested.
Narrator: He did not pass.
In the end, it’s up to you to utilize the information as you see fit. I only caution against relying on them too much.
Even if you’re desperately strapped for time, at least read some model answers for subjects you can’t get to.
|
|
|
My sample predictions for California. Apply the same methodology to your jurisdiction.
All I’m saying is that I’ve never heard of anyone being glad that they followed predictions.
7. Chew gum to release anxiety and calm your nerves before the exam.
It tells your brain that whatever you’re doing is no big deal if you can still “eat.” Is it a weird trick? Will it work? Maybe. I usually don’t do gum, but I think this helped me perform well at a job interview (got the job).
8. Sleep well, and try to sleep in 90-minute intervals (REM cycles).
Try to get at least 5 REM cycles. Add 15 minutes to your 90-minute cycles to account for falling-asleep time.
For example, if you want to wake up at 7:30 AM, go to bed at 11:45 PM. You can use sleepyti.me (mobile app also available) to calculate when to go to bed. And bring earplugs to the hotel in case there are trucks next to the hotel banging on metal from 3 to 5 AM on Tuesday morning. Oddly specific? It happened to me.
If worse comes to worst, remember your friends A&B: adrenaline and bullshit.
9. Avoid people you know.
Get a hotel or Airbnb room for yourself (or home, only if you live alone really close by). During lunch time, you can sink into an actual bed to close your eyes or eat food that you’ve stocked.
Peace and solitude will help you relax and focus instead of being conscious of classmates or relatives or Uber drivers who will interrogate you (“How was it?! You’ll be fine! You got this!!!”). You can always chat online at your convenience (such as in the private MTYLT Facebook support community).
Speaking of hotels, try asking for a half-day extension on the last day so that you can rest during lunch time and check out in the evening in peace. The manager knew that a bunch of bar takers were staying, and I got one for half price.
Don’t skimp on getting your own space for Monday and Tuesday nights (and Weds if your bar is 3 days long). It doesn’t have to be a fancy or expensive hotel, just your own personal space to recover in.
Remember that we don’t want a failure of the last mile and that is all an investment. $150 extra to avoid people knocking you out of your flow and to increase your chance of success on the bar exam (and securing your livelihood) by even 1% is worth the cost.
10. Once you’re in the test center, embrace the situation.
As said above, it’s too late and too early for worrying. No time traveling to the past or the future. Don’t let yourself waste your mental energy, at least until the exam is over.
Remind yourself that these few moments are everything. You could give up, or you could reclaim your focus for these few hours that count and be done with it. It just takes a moment of strength for the lifetime privilege of being called a lawyer.
Just look ahead and admire the buttcrack of the person sitting in front of you, because you’re here to make this your last time.
Every night, you can look forward to something nice like food or smashing your face into a pillow or studying some more because that’s all you know how to do nowadays.
|
|
Need a quick refresher on the key rules and how to set up the relevant issues?
Take Magicsheets and Approsheets with you to your hotel room.
|
|
|
Check off one session, one day at a time:
__ Tuesday
__ Wednesday
__ Thursday (for 3-day bars)
__ Don’t forget to upload answers
And then it’s over! Look forward to it.
I’ll check in with you on Thursday to wrap up. Best of luck and do your best.
|
|
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, to go from overwhelmed to focused, unmotivated to productive, and anxious to calm.
|
|
If you enjoyed this, forward it to someone who would find this email helpful. Or just share this link anywhere you want.
If someone forwarded this to you, sign up to get your very own emails at www.makethisyourlasttime.com. Or join the MTYLT Facebook community, a private and supportive space to discuss the bar exam with others on this quest. Real profile required to keep it safe and exclusive to MTYLT readers and friends.
|
|
| |
| Make This Your Last Time |
| Closed group |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
