• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Bar Exam Toolbox®

Get the tools you need for bar exam success

  • I Failed!
  • Tutoring
  • Courses
    • Writing Help: Essays/PT
    • MBE Help
    • Self-Study Program
    • Options – California
    • Options – UBE
  • Bar Exam 101
  • About
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Login

Technology, Structure, and Community Help You Stay Focused During Bar Prep

April 23, 2018 By Rose Safarian Leave a Comment

How to keep calm and stay mindful while studying for the bar exam.Back in the old days, we studied for the bar exam as a community. We actually had to show up at a location (usually the lecture hall of our law school) to listen to a lecture, either presented live or on a movie screen via a recording. This routine forced upon us a structure; lecture in the morning, lunch, back to our apartments or the library to review the morning lecture and to review the outline for the lecture the next day. In the evening, after dinner, we might issue spot old fact patterns, practice taking some MBE’s, or tackle a performance exam, either in small groups or alone. Within that structure, some of us would go to the gym a few days a week, and maybe out for a beer with friends on an occasional Friday or Saturday night.

In this age of technology, structure is not forced upon you, and you are not usually part of a community. Instead, the implementation of structure and your participation in a community has to be a conscious choice. Lectures are available on the internet at a time you consider convenient. You might not even view lectures if you’ve chosen a review program that simply tests your knowledge, letting you move on once you have seemingly mastered a particular topic. Technology has taken away the threat that you will miss anything, leading to a belief that you can always catch up – right? Not necessarily. And whether you interact with others during this time is another issue altogether.

Structure is Your Friend While Studying for the Bar

Structure and a schedule, will actually keep you on track and focused. It will also prevent the unnecessary spikes in stress levels when you get behind in your preparation. Whether or not you get in a car, you should “go” somewhere. It could be a room or corner in your own home. But it should be a place where you can focus in quiet. Watch the videos or complete the exercises at a set time each day. Each day should have a routine that you are committed to keeping. Lecture, review, practice, and in between, eat and sometimes exercise (even if you just take a walk around the block). If you get off track, just juggle your day to get back on schedule – don’t put it off.

Don’t be on an Island by Yourself

Whether you interact with others during this time is another issue altogether. While technology allows us to go it alone, some form of community is also beneficial. It’s good to know that others are struggling just as you are, and feeling the same things during their own bar prep. Talking through difficult issues, laughing about a funny lecturer, even complaining about bar prep. All of this helps to relieve some tension. A good laugh with others reminds you that you are not alone, and probably, that you are on track in your own bar prep. Just don’t take this concept of community too far by going out socially for more than the occasional beer.

You Might Even Consider Going “Old-School”

I’ve known more than a few law school graduates who would share office space somewhere quiet, and would “go to the office” to study for the bar. An alternative approach is to keep your law school study group going. When I was a full-time law professor a few years ago, I taught two sisters who were one year apart in school. When the first sister graduated, she invited her study group to study for the bar at her family home. The group of 4 or 5, would meet at the home every weekday. They would watch a lecture together on the big screen TV, and go over practice exams after having lunch. They might even get in the pool while discussing those practice exams to escape the blistering central California heat. Pool time had the added benefit of releasing some stress. The next year, the second sister invited her study group to do the same thing. My recollection is that with the exception of one person, all the other members of both study groups passed the bar exam on their first attempt.

So, what is the moral of this story? Technology gives you lots of options. You don’t have to worry about missing a lecture if you’re not feeling well, etc. But technology should not be used as an excuse to be more casual. You may think you are relieving stress by not being so committed to a fixed schedule and avoiding people, but, in fact, the opposite may be true. The part of technology that provides flexibility, should be embraced. But only within a structure you’ve put in place to ensure you stay on track and remain focused. Technology, structure, and community each have an important role in bar prep!


Ready to pass the bar exam? Get the support and accountability you need with personalized one-on-one bar exam tutoring or one of our economical courses and workshops. We're here to help!


 

About Rose Safarian

Rose Safarian is a law school tutor and bar exam tutor for the Law School Toolbox and the Bar Exam Toolbox. Rose earned her J.D. from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, and her B.A. from the University of California, at Los Angeles. During law school, Rose served as the Legislation Editor for the Pacific Law Journal ("Greensheets"). After graduating and passing the California bar, Rose worked as a Research Attorney for Justice Pauline Davis Hanson, of the Fifth District Court of Appeal, in Fresno, California. From there, Rose practiced law in the areas of civil litigation and appeals, before becoming an Adjunct Professor, then full time Professor, at San Joaquin College of Law. There, she focused on teaching Legal Writing, in various forms, including a class providing academic support to students struggling during their first year.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Let us know you are not a spammer! * Time limit is exhausted. Please reload CAPTCHA.

Primary Sidebar

  • Podcast
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter

About Us

Want to pass the bar exam? Of course you do! We’re here to help. You’ll find lots of helpful free content at Bar Exam 101, in the Bar Exam Resource Hub, and on the Bar Exam Toolbox podcast. For more hands-on help, take a look at our courses and workshops and bar exam tutoring options. Please get in touch with any questions!

COVID-19 Updates

Please visit the COVID-19 updates page for the latest news on bar exam postponements.

Recent Posts

I Failed the Bar Exam. Should I Wait Until After the Covid-19 Pandemic to Re-Sit?

Should I Wait Until After the Covid-19 Pandemic to Re-Sit if I failed the Bar Exam?

As 2020 closed and perhaps the most bizarre and uncertain bar exam season comes to an end, we are now faced with the reality of bar exam … [Read More...] about Should I Wait Until After the Covid-19 Pandemic to Re-Sit if I failed the Bar Exam?

Podcast Episode 117: Listen and Learn — Due Process and Equal Protection (Con Law)

Welcome back to the Bar Exam Toolbox podcast! In this week's episode, as part of our "Listen and Learn" series, we're talking about an important area … [Read More...] about Podcast Episode 117: Listen and Learn — Due Process and Equal Protection (Con Law)

Podcast Episode 116: California Bar Exam Results Are Out! What’s Next If You Didn’t Pass?

Welcome back to the Bar Exam Toolbox podcast! Results from the latest California bar exam have just come out, and there's not a lot of time to prepare … [Read More...] about Podcast Episode 116: California Bar Exam Results Are Out! What’s Next If You Didn’t Pass?

Podcast Episode 115: Listen and Learn — Dying Declaration vs. Excited Utterance

Welcome back to the Bar Exam Toolbox podcast! In episode 101 we covered two hearsay exceptions, namely present sense impression and state of mind. … [Read More...] about Podcast Episode 115: Listen and Learn — Dying Declaration vs. Excited Utterance

Diploma Privilege During the COVID-19 Crisis

Diploma Privilege During the COVID-19 Crisis

Since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, the bar exam has been in flux. By the time that you are reading this post, many states have already … [Read More...] about Diploma Privilege During the COVID-19 Crisis

Need to Pass the Bar Exam?

Sign up for our free weekly email with useful tips!

Footer

  • Podcast
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • I Failed!
  • Tutoring
  • Courses
  • Bar Exam 101
  • About
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Login
  • Privacy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Refunds
  • Contact

Copyright 2021 Bar Exam Toolbox®™