Bar Season is Upon Us!

Many of you have recently graduated, congratulations! You should be very proud, as you’ve survived 3-4 years of law school! Now, just one more thing – the bar exam!

I know you’re all well aware of the task that you face, so I’d like to offer a few words of advice.

1. Take care of yourself.

I’m being very serious, you are no good to the bar exam if you are not physically and mentally well. Studying for the bar is not a sprint, it’s a 10 week or more process. This means you have to eat well, sleep well, exercise (if you normally do so), and find coping mechanisms for stress and anxiety. Studying for the bar exam is difficult, and time consuming, but it doesn’t mean you don’t have time to keep up with the basic things that keep you well.

2. Schedule study time, and be specific.

Right now, as you begin the process, set up a study schedule and study plan. Set realistic goals about what you’d like to get done. Factor in time to see friends, from time to time, or go for a run. Be detailed in your planning. Don’t just carve out time to “study”; carve out an hour to do 30 MBE questions, or 2 essays. The more specific you are in your planning and goals, the more successful you will be.

3. Practice.

Practice really DOES make perfect, it’s cliché for a reason. Succeeding on the bar exam is a skill, and I can’t stress this enough. Writing an essay in 30 minutes is a skill. Tackling MBE questions is a skill. Completing a performance test in 90 minutes is a skill. Yes, you absolutely need to master the law, and that takes reviewing outlines, making flashcards, creating charts, and so forth. However, you must make practice questions, MBE, Essay, and MPT, a priority. You will not master the skill of writing an essay in 30 minutes merely by outlining, or by reading sample answers. 

4.  Don’t try to master EVERYTHING. 

     You have quite a few subjects to get through, and the more law you master, the better. However, you can’t expect to be an expert on every bar tested subject. That doesn’t mean that you blow off subjects, it means that you study smart. Think about the subjects that are tested more frequently, as well as the subtopics. Spend more time on them.

5. Take care of yourself.

      No, you’re not already losing your mind from study stress, this one is just that important. You have to take care of your physical and mental health, otherwise you will not perform as well as you need to on the exam.