Welcome back to the Bar Exam Toolbox podcast! Today, we’re sharing five lessons we’ve learned while trying to study another language, that could be applied to bar exam study as well.
In this episode we discuss:
- Picking your program carefully
- What if your progress is not satisfactory?
- Do you need a combination of multiple study methods?
- The true value of a one-on-one tutor
- Learning to play the long game
- Creative ways to study and memorize as you’re going about your day
- A reminder to start studying well in advance of the exam
Thanks for listening!
[Read more…] about Podcast Episode 80: Lessons from Learning a New Language that Apply to Bar Study
When I was in law school, I felt like information on the bar was this mirage in the distance – and not necessarily a mirage I wanted to become acquainted with. It was hazy, unattainable, and confusing. Professors would explain pieces of the exam to us, I knew how long the test would be and the basic parts, but mostly information on the bar was used as a scare tactic to force us to fear our exam periods. “If you can’t get a B on my test, you have no hope of passing the civil procedure portion of the bar exam in any state.” This is not true, of course, because after your 1L courses, you have two more years of law classes to take. Two more years to figure out your learning style, 
We’ve all seen them – fidget spinners, fidget cubes, special play putties. These have risen in prominence over the last few years, but for many, they’re not just for play. Occupational therapists have long known that fidgets help people concentrate. Fidgets allow your brain to filter out sensory information so that you can hone in on important tasks. This can help relieve anxiety and nervous energy while promoting deeper concentration. 
The age old question, the law student’s equivalent of Hamlet’s “To be or not to be”: “Will I pass the bar exam?”
If you have read my other articles, you know I’m a little bit of a bar exam sitting expert – I had to take it twice. The first time around, including during bar prep, I was so hyper-focused on the terror of the exam, that I forgot to organize what I was going to pack and how I was going to attack the exam. The second time, though, after therapy, tutoring, and many bug out drills, I was completely prepared for the exams.