2. Putting in the hours
Carrying around a Barbri, Kaplan, or Themis book will not mean you absorb it. I tried it and it didn’t work. I actually had to open those books, listen to the lectures, fill-in-the-blanks and do the work. When I first started I freaked out just like everyone else does. It’s daunting standing at the bottom of a legal mountain and knowing I need all that information between my ears. But as the old adage goes: the journey of 1,000 miles begins with picking the right Pandora station... or something like that.
It’s inevitable, most people will freak out. Embrace it and move on; don’t dwell on it. My study partner and I noticed fellow bar testers enjoying the downward spiral of self-deprecation. It was refreshing having a study partner that never once said “I’m going to fail.” Having a defeatist mentality may motivate some, but not me. I stayed positive and realistic. When I sucked on a MC test I would tell myself, well, at least you have a X weeks until the exam, better pull it together Dave. While we would not ridicule others we would not associate with them either, to each his or her own way of coping with the stress. Andy and I figured no matter which course you took, as long as you put in the hours and hours of practice and diligent study you will have enough law to get you through the test, barring any extreme test anxiety. We’ll find out in May whether our hunch was good or not.
Having a set place is also important. It creates a Pavlovian effect on your body; getting it into the zone for studying. For me I would study at school. While I preferred being at home being at home also had its drawbacks. If my family was there and wanted to study I couldn't. I would get called away or I would lack the motivation to study. My wife told me not to stay at home and find a place to study or she would take the kids and go to my family’s or her family’s place. When they didn’t leave the local library served well for a bit but it would close too early. Starbucks was okay but not very comfortable. This is why I studied at the school. I found I could be “alone” and focus in on what I needed to do, salivating tongue and all.
A friend of mine, Athos didn’t pass the bar the first time around. The night before the exam I asked him if he felt better this time around rather. Athos told me he realized that the first time when he thought he was studying, he was really preparing to study. I asked him for details and he told me he would spend days making multiple page outlines; paying specific attention to detail in the format and the structure of the outline rather than the law itself. He told me he only did this for four areas of law rather than canvasing all the areas. The night before the essays he stayed up all night cramming for it.
This time around he made sure he worked out. He did yoga at least three times a week and practiced the law more than preparing for it. He made better use of his study time rather than preparing to study. After each day, he told me he felt much better than he did the last time he took it, cautiously confident, if you will.
- To work or not to work?
I, like thousands of others, had a family to provide for and had to put in the hours required for me to feel adequately prepared for this test. I was told that I would need to take at least two weeks of leave before the bar (add in one more week for the bar itself). I didn’t have enough leave to do this so I worked out a deal with my bosses. Two weeks before, I worked half-days then took a week off before the exam. Before the two weeks I would pull my normal 9-5 then head over to the school (great to have access to study rooms) and study until around 8-9ish. These made for REALLY long days. I would also try to squeeze in part of the lecture while at work, when I could. The more I could do either the night before to while at work would mean I was free to study MC questions or focus my attention on honing particular areas of law. Working also meant I would use the weekends to study.
A word of warning though, anything in excess can be harmful. About three weeks before the bar my body hit the wall. I started feeling sick on a Thursday. I thought it was a stomach bug but since my family was unaffected by it we figured it was exhaustion and stress mixed with eating poorly (living off Venti coffees from Starbucks). Long story short, I was laid up for three days and could not bring myself to study. I would try but my brain was all fuzzy and I could not concentrate for more than 10-15 minutes. I gave it up and did my best to catch up on my sleep. By that Sunday, I was feeling MUCH better and my brain felt refreshed.
Besides the physical strain, the long hours of work time away from the family took its toll on my family. My wife and son had behavioral changes. My son acted up more in class and my wife withdrew. She’s a Navy wife and had to readjust to me being “deployed.” I understood what she was going through and I did what I could to reassure her. She, being understanding took advantage of the time I was at home. Additionally, I would purposefully NOT study and spend quality time with my family, at least a few hours. I would do this because while the bar is important, it’s just a test, my wife, son, and daughter meant more than those extra hours. No matter what the results in May, I would still ensure I make time to spend with my family.
For those of you with families, no matter what you tell them and no matter how you explain it, they will not understand the pressure you feel. Nor will you appreciate the emptiness they feel when you’re not around. The only advice I have to give on this matter is give them a few hours when you can. Take in a movie, enjoy a night out, or just hang out and play at home. The last thing you need to worry about is divorce while studying for this test.
- Taking Breaks
In Navy training courses, it is mandated that for every 50 minutes of instruction we are given a 10 minute break. With this mentality in mind I would work in breaks into my study schedule. After knocking out 33 questions I would take a constitutional around the school and chat with former classmates and answer the inevitable “Didn’t you graduate?” and “What are you doing here?” I could tell the more the bar got to me the “wittier” my responses to said questions would be. Sorry if I snapped at any of you o.O.
After I hit the wall I made sure to schedule in breaks. Andy and I would take lunches and did not discuss the law. We would invite our cohorts but were often met with, thanks but we have to study. I’m happy for our breaks. I felt more refreshed and able to work later. Two nights in a row, after have a especially good dinner (Piranha Killer Sushi and Ruth Chris, respectively) I had the energy to work until we were kicked out at midnight. There may be something in getting a REALLY good meal in you while studying and not skimping on the vittles.
For me I begin to lose interest after about 15 minutes of studying and by studying I mean listening to lecture or reading the law. I would be more focused when practicing essay, P/E and MC questions under timed conditions. After knocking out the required time (90 min or three hours in some cases) I would reward myself with a well deserved break and a trip to the book store for something sweet to eat. Also in the event I would get tired while practicing I would knock out 40-50 push-up to get the blood flowing. Once the blood started flowing I was revitalized with my body’s natural energy boosts. I’m glad I was studying with a cop because he understood the benefits of a quick workout to get the blood flowing.
This brings me to my next topic, lone wolf or part of the pack?
- Lone wolf or Study groups?
For those of you that don’t know me, to say I am a social butterfly is an understatement, however, because I am so sociable, large study groups do not work for me. I preferred to study “alone”. I would watch my lectures on my computer and do multiple choice questions or essays or P&E. Rarely would you see me without my headphones on listening to Pandora. A quick word on Pandora: paying the $30 for the commercial free access was well worth it. Nothing screwed up my flow like an annoying commercial for trash bags or whatever the promotion was peddling. As I would study I would listen to wordless music. Because the music repeats so often, on my particular channel I would associate particular areas of law with music. When I was taking the test I would hear the phantom melodies in my mind as I came across those areas of law. The music playing in my mind helped me relax during the exam, but I digress.
I had friends all studying together in the room next to me. When I had a question I would run it by them. Fortunately, my study partner and I had a mutual understanding. We both liked studying independently but would chat during our breaks and discuss areas of law that we had trouble with and hit up our professors for extra help. We would talk about what cops and sailors normally talk about: the price of tea in China. Anything other than the law. We would vent about work and future prospects and what we would do when we were free of the bar. We would take constitutionals around the school and chat with our former classmates then head back into our cave for more grueling hours of study.
The group next to us worked well together, they would discuss issues and work through problems together. We’re all in the same boat and do what works best for us all. My friend Lori locked herself away in her place with her dogs. I would call periodically to see how she was doing. I would hear her on the other end and imagine Howard Hughes. Chatting with her reminded me the we humans are social creatures and though we may enjoy being alone, we need interaction to survive. I would vent to her and she to me just as I would with Andy.
To recap: Having the tools of the trade alone will not get you a 675. You have to put in the hours and use the method that works best for you. Draw on what worked during law school exams and expand on that. Focus on learning the law and not just preparing to learn the law. And above all remember: You cannot learn EVERYTHING for the bar, best you can do is know enough to make S-W-A-G.
