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Whew…. That was tough! In the midst of a global pandemic, wildfires, and political upheaval, you managed to study for and complete the bar exam. Not only that, you did it online. Congratulations! It’s over!
Now what….?
I’ve written about what you should do while waiting for bar results before, but this year is a bit different. If you’re wondering how to regroup and how to spend your time, here are some ideas to try out: [Read more…] about You Finished the Bar Exam, Now What?
On exam day, whether it’s the bar or a law school exam, we end up trying to control every aspect. For instance, if you were like me in law school, you had your time itemized: wake up at 6 a.m., shower for 7 minutes, put on clothes, make coffee and be in front of my desk by 7 a.m. Study for 25 minutes, 5-minute bathroom break.
If you want to call me a little neurotic, that would be okay. I had my time down to a science and if anything interrupted that schedule, I panicked. [Read more…] about Visualization on Exam Day
They say those who can’t do, teach. So, I am here in an attempt to impart wisdom – or something – on the best ways to keep your mind free when you are trying to relax. We don’t need every moment of our time spent visioning flash cards, do we?
After the initial frustration of graduating only to be thrown into another stressful situation has subsided, the anxiety of the bar exam kicks in. There is no rest for the wicked. There is so much pressure surrounding the bar exam. Passing means the opportunity to actually practice law and not hear about theories from professors. So, it is natural that it would produce a lot of anxiety and take 100% of your attention. But what I have heard, and witnessed when studying myself, is that those who are 100% consumed with bar exam topics sometimes overwork themselves and end up doing the opposite of how they want to perform. You have to take some sort of break, and there are a million ideas about how to do this. But once on a break, how do we take back control of our thoughts? Well, here are approximately 5, in no particular order.
[Read more…] about Blocked: Tips & Tricks On Keeping Your “Free Time” Free
The bar exam may seem like a battle that is far in the distance, however it will be here before you know it! I know that is a scary thought, but time has a way of getting away from you when you are busy preparing for one of the hardest tests you will ever take. When I took the bar exam, the testing days were some of the most stressful, tiring, and exhilarating days of my life. There was so much that was riding on me passing the bar, so I tried to be as prepared as possible. That meant doing a LOT of prep before the month of the exam came. However my efforts were rewarded, and I successfully passed. The good news for you is that I have plenty of helpful tips so you can be successful too. Here are some of the things I did in order to set myself up for success on game day! [Read more…] about Bar Exam Perspective – What You Can Do Right Now to Set Yourself Up for Success On Game Day
I recall one of my most difficult run-ins with failure. It was during my final semester as a 3L, into the summer in which I prepared for the bar exam. Finishing out my law school experience with no job in sight, I was amazed at the opportunity I received to interview at a Real Estate law firm I truly aspired to work for. I essentially committed my all to preparing for this interview and made it through the first round over the phone and three additional rounds in person. Yes, I completed a total of four interviews, ultimately meeting with the majority of the associates and partners on staff in both an individual and group setting. This experience was rigorous to say the least, but by the time I made it to the final lunch interview, I was hopeful. I mean, I was essentially waiting for them to tell me I would be receiving an offer on the spot as I would try to casually contain my excitement over the ham and cheese sandwich I consumed.
However, all I received was an email a few weeks later advising me that they would not be moving forward with me as an applicant. This was crushing. I was no stranger to the experience of failure, but after the time and effort I put into preparing for these interviews I was at a loss. So what did I do? I immediately fell into the same self-deprecating pattern I resorted to after a failed experience. I blamed my lack of abilities and knowledge as the reason for this failure and only foresaw this conclusion recurring for any future job prospects.
[Read more…] about So You Failed the Bar Exam, Have You Thanked Yourself Yet?
I used to joke that graduating from law school was like finishing a triathlon and being told that your medal, banana, and sports drink were a town over, and there were no buses to get you there. You had to walk. I can’t remember if I wrote that in another blog post, but it feels so accurate I just keep reiterating it. The brass ring was so far from where I finished it might as well be its own race – and it is. The problem is, we don’t really get to revel in the fete that is getting through law school before we are thrust into this exhaustive summer or winter of relearning everything from first year.
When I took my last final, I was so relieved. I knew there were three more hurdles to being done with school (grades coming out, graduation, and the bar), but I didn’t know how to shift into each of those stages. By the time graduation ended, I was still swooning over being done and no where near the mindset I needed to be in order to study for the bar. It didn’t help that my mother had decided to stay in town for an additional week, we were sharing my car, and I was pining to spend time with her and my family.
The second time I took the bar, there was no prior graduation, but I still had to figure out how to mentally shift into bar prep. Below are the steps I wish I’d taken before the bar the first time that might have made a world of difference in my studying.
[Read more…] about How to Mentally Shift into Bar Prep After Graduation