You have finally made it. It’s the week of the bar exam. You are feeling tired, nervous, anxious, and just ready to be on the other side. You have lost touch with friends, family, current events, and everything else that keeps you feeling like a sane and productive member of society. The question is: now that you are near the finish line, what can you do to maintain your sanity? Unfortunately, how you have worked your way through law school and bar prep is very individualized. There may not be a discrete set of things each of you can do to maintain sanity in those final days and hours before the bar, but what I can offer are some common-sense tips to keep you healthy and feeling…okay before the big day. [Read more…] about It’s Almost the Week of the Bar Exam! But You Can Stay Sane!
About Mark Livingston
Bounce Back from Burnout: Re-Ignite the Fire During the Last Weeks of Bar Prep
The path to the bar exam is littered with challenges: stress, family, fatigue, friends, and the fear of an uncertain future (this is by no means an exhaustive list). The loss of motivation can creep into your life without warning. It probably hit at some point in law school too, but the fear of the final exam helped you pull the nose up. With the bar exam, the test is the ever-present juggernaut sucking your will to move forward. You’ve got to find ways to stay motivated and stay on track with bar prep. This is most critical in the final few weeks before the big show. Below are several things that can help you rise like the phoenix from the test-prep burnout pit. Let’s reignite the fire and finish bar prep strong! [Read more…] about Bounce Back from Burnout: Re-Ignite the Fire During the Last Weeks of Bar Prep
The Bar Exam Application: Where to Begin?
I am about to begin my last semester of law school. Over my winter break, I have tried to move the pieces into place to make the bar exam application a bit easier. In this article I have described my process; the tips and suggestions may not apply to everyone in every state, but hopefully they will help. In my former career, it was necessary to secure a secret clearance from the federal government. At this point in my bar exam application journey, I think this is at least as grueling as my clearance application in terms of volume and depth of information. [Read more…] about The Bar Exam Application: Where to Begin?
Bar Exam Essay Questions: How to Grab as Many Points as Possible
Fact: It’s never too early to refine your approach to essay writing to crush it on the bar. These tips will help you gear up to write some practice essays during bar prep, and maximize the points you grab from the board of bar examiners during the big show.
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Why the End of your 3L Year May Be Too Late (and 1L Year May Be Too Early) to Start Thinking of Bar Prep
I just began my 3L year. Bar prep is always lurking in my consciousness. Like my colleagues, I wonder when is the right time to start thinking about the bar exam and bar prep? As with many questions in law school, the answer is simple: It depends.
At the start of law school, there is a lot of pressure to commit to one of the various commercial bar-prep programs. There is something appealing about selecting a provider and spreading out the payments. However, making a commitment too early has drawbacks, and once you sign that contract, you’re stuck. This may not seem like a big deal. After all, you chose the program that was best for you, right? But, is it unlikely you can know that in your 1L year? [Read more…] about Why the End of your 3L Year May Be Too Late (and 1L Year May Be Too Early) to Start Thinking of Bar Prep
Top Aggravators For Bar Passage And How To Avoid Them
From day one of law school, the discussion about passing the bar exam (hopefully, the first time) begins. As you progress through the law-school gauntlet, it is important to start planning for the bar exam. As you draw ever nearer to that fateful experience at the end of either February or July, it is important that you recognize, and start to mitigate for, the myriad aggravating factors that can lead to bar-exam failure. No one wants to take the test twice any more than anyone wants to have a root canal twice. Take a look at this list, engage in a little self-confrontation, and start mitigating now! [Read more…] about Top Aggravators For Bar Passage And How To Avoid Them