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The Ins and Outs of Studying for the Bar Exam

April 28, 2015 By Ariel Salzer Leave a Comment

Are You Ready Post It Note - Bar ExamOver the past few administrations of the bar exam, we here at the Bar Exam Toolbox have heard about our fair share of, shall we say, “interesting” behaviors from students studying for the bar exam. Whether it’s diving headlong into a program that you already suspect isn’t the best fit based on your personal learning style, or piling up obstacles in your own way, bar students can tend to take some less-than-ideal courses of action when it comes to tackling this exam.

If you’re deciding how you will study for the bar, or if you’re already studying but wondering if you’re doing it right, here are some tips for how to tell whether your practices are “In” or “Out.” If your study habits or lifestyle choices are “so last season,” consider making some changes now to put yourself in the best position possible to succeed!

What’s Out What’s In
Watching your bar review course’s substantive law videos for hours on end and passively filling in worksheets Actively drilling the MBE questions you miss and reviewing that law
Using the “awesome” outlines handed down from a friend Using Lean Sheets and making your own outlines
Spending all day in the library “studying” with your study group (but mostly just wasting time) Tracking your time, working in the time and place you find most efficient, and focusing on you
Studying the subjects you’re already good at because you feel like you need a “confidence boost” Prioritizing the scariest subjects first so you can be sure to give them adequate attention
Taking the “one-size-fits-all” exam review course all your friends are taking without asking yourself why Researching your options, asking yourself how you learn best (auditory, visual, kinesthetic), and considering your own personal and financial situation
Practicing one or two practice essays and then just “issue spotting” the rest Issue spotting, outlining and actually writing out many, many full essays based on real past exams
Barricading yourself in your room or the library for twelve hours a day including weekends Taking periodic, scheduled breaks so you can come back to the books stronger and more refreshed
Putting too much stock in the 75 you got on the essay you turned in to your bar review course Getting a lot of consistent, detailed feedback and critiques from someone who is reading every word of your answer and giving you concrete tips for how to improve
Writing out one or two PTs and then foregoing PT practice altogether since “the PT is closed book anyway” Doing as many full, real, timed PTs as you can and working on honing your PT planning and writing process and fitting it within the exam time constraints
Burning the midnight oil and waking up dog tired every day Getting a full eight hours of restorative sleep each night and taking breaks during the day
Zoning out at the end of the night with a number of drinks while binge watching Netflix for a few hours Listening to some music that makes you happy while taking a walk, or watching one or two shows that make you laugh; Winding down in a way that doesn’t turn your brain to mush
Wasting your time dealing with high-maintenance, emotionally draining friends, co-workers, parents or significant others Setting firm guidelines for what you will allow yourself to spend your valuable time on. Insulating yourself from any obligations, people or negative thoughts that stress you out or make it harder to study. Keeping a positive mindset
Getting hyped up on caffeine, drugs or junk food so you can keep your energy up Eating healthy food, drinking water and keeping up an exercise routine (even if it’s just taking a walk every day)
Trying to manage crushing depression, debilitating anxiety, or a physical or mental disability on your own Taking a hard look at your situation and knowing when you might need to reach out to a professional for help or look into exam accommodations
Not asking your boss for time off and/or failing to plan reliable childcare in advance for the study months At least inquiring into your job’s policies about leaves of absence or reduced hours and/or figuring out some help with the kids now to free up some of your time later
Not heeding the warning signs that you might need some extra help Reaching out and getting help or advice if you fall into any of these “red flag” categories
Trying to teach yourself how to come back from a bar exam fail, or relying on the same tactics that didn’t work for you the first time Taking some time to assess what went wrong for you and coming up with a game plan to attack the exam from a different angle this time around

__ _ __

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Did you find this post helpful? Check out some other great articles:

  • Warning Signs You May Need Extra Help As a First Time Bar Exam Taker
  • What is the California Bar Exam Anyway? 
  • Are You Studying the Right Way for the Bar Exam?
  • How to Get Twice the Amount of Time on Your Bar Exam Prep 

Photo credit: Ivelin Radkov /Shutterstock


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About Ariel Salzer

Ariel Salzer is a Tutor and Mentor Tutor for Law School Toolbox, Bar Exam Toolbox, and Trebuchet. Ariel has taught everything from conjunctions to calculus on four different continents. A primary and secondary school educator in the U.S. and abroad before law school, Ariel has always had penchant for teaching and editing. As a student at the University of San Francisco School of Law, Ariel tutored Torts and led 1L workshops on time management, exam preparation, legal writing, and outlining. As the chief Technical Editor on the Executive Board of the USF Law Review, Ariel was in charge of ensuring the accuracy of thousands legal citations, and has become a Bluebook expert. She also served as a Case Counsel for the USF Moot Court program, and received CALI awards for high-scoring two classes, including Legal Research and Writing. After practicing law as a product liability litigator in California for a number of years, Ariel found her way back to teaching and now enjoys helping students find success in their law school classes and on the bar exam.

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