So you’re thinking about taking the bar exam in Florida? Well, me too. The idea of having to take another bar exam is absolutely terrifying to me. I write for Bar Exam Toolbox, Law School Toolbox, and A Girl’s Guide to Law School mostly on the topic of being positive in the face of stress. But, I have to say, just thinking about sitting for another bar exam, gives me actual, visible, hives. [Read more…] about Staring Down the Barrel of the Florida Bar Exam
About Alexandra Muskat
What to do With the Break Between the Bar Exam and Starting Your Job
The first thing I’m going to urge you to do, now that the bar exam is over, is to take a deep breath. You did it! No matter the outcome, you poured your heart into your studying for the last 8+ weeks, you did your best on the exam, and now it’s over. Now, hopefully, you have some time off between this crazy endeavor and starting your job. If you don’t, no worries. Keep breathing and jump right into your new career! This is what it was all for.
When I took the bar the first time, the only thing that got me through was knowing I’d have at least a month off between the exam and starting my job as a communications specialist. I planned to travel on an extended road trip with my best friend and really relax. In fact, just before the afternoon session on the second day of the exam, I jumped at the opportunity to head to New Hampshire for a weekend of boating and relaxing with said friend. It really helped the tension of the afternoon slip by and remind me that this was just an exam. It did not decide my worth, it was simply a test. [Read more…] about What to do With the Break Between the Bar Exam and Starting Your Job
What You Should Do in Your Last Month Before the Bar
As I’m sure you’ve heard me say a few thousand times already, I failed the bar the first time. The difference between my first bar prep experience and my second, couldn’t be any farther apart. This was a purposeful design, as my first attempt was spent with a giant cloud of anxiety hanging over my head, and I decided for my second attempt that I could not live like that any more.
The first time I studied for the bar, I took the first month to get my bearings, realized my bearings were wrong and I needed to study how I studied, not how the commercial bar prep program told me to study, and spent the last month doing just that. Basically, I spent that last month cramming in as much information as I could, practicing here and there, and panicking 24 hours a day.
During my second attempt, I learned how to use my time more wisely and was able to spend my final month practicing essays and going through multiple MBE questions – practices that I think influenced my bar score more than reading long outlines could have. Below I’ll outline what I think you should do in your last month before the bar to give the bar your all.
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How to Search for a Job While Studying for the Bar
I went to law school with the intention and understanding that when I came out, I’d be working for a family company as their in-house counsel. But that didn’t happen. Instead, I had to take the bar exam, failed the bar exam, and had to face taking it a second time. I couldn’t figure out how to look for a job while studying for the exam because there just wasn’t enough time in the day to do it all and rest.
About three weeks into studying, I realized I needed to do something or my chances of landing a role after passing the bar would be even slimmer. I’m going to share the following steps I took to search for a job while studying for the bar. And I know it may seem overwhelming to fit this into your already overwhelming bar prep, but searching for a job may also provide a necessary distraction – even if it’s only for 30 minutes a day – that will enable you to get back into bar prep with fresh eyes. [Read more…] about How to Search for a Job While Studying for the Bar
What the New York Bar Admission Process is Really Like
When I first started law school, the bar exam seemed so far away, and then all of a sudden it wasn’t. I was terrified by the process – so terrified, in fact, that I never asked what the admissions process was like.
I had been to New York just once as an adult. So why did I choose to take the bar there? Simple: the UBE. New York had just moved to the UBE, and Massachusetts (where I went to law school) would be moving to it soon. My logic was that I could take the exam in New York and then transfer my score to the state I really wanted to live in. Also, it was the cheapest exam. A lot of my friends were forking out almost a thousand dollars to take the bar, and I only had to pay $250. [Read more…] about What the New York Bar Admission Process is Really Like
Why You Should Consider Hiring a Tutor for Your Bar Prep
From the day law school starts, you are inundated with offers from commercial bar prep programs for lower rates, free highlighters, or candy, in return for signing up to use their program. Many of my classmates locked in these specials within the first semester of school and had their payments broken into portions that were then added to their school tuition bill. Half-way through second year, one company had joined forces with my law school to offer their prep program as part of the tuition fee – everyone got it automatically, but you could opt out. [Read more…] about Why You Should Consider Hiring a Tutor for Your Bar Prep