Category: Posts

First, play this video

now dance like the gopher!

now this one

shake it like a polaroid picture!

I defy you to listen to both of those songs, or even one, and not feel better. It’s impossible.

Ok, seriously, at this point in the summer, you are stressed. There is no doubt about it. Stress and anxiety can be a great motivator, if used in moderation. However, it can also get in your way and cause you to make poor decisions. I’ve seen stress and anxiety cause many a VERY prepared student to fail, because the anxiety led the poor decisions, either during studying or on the day of the test.

To avoid this, make sure that you are taking time for yourself – find the thing that helps you relax and release stress. That might be dancing around for 2-3 minutes to one of the songs above, it might be taking a bath, it might be going for a run, or watching silly tv for 30 minutes, or going out to eat with a significant other. You know what relaxes you, so make sure you are doing that! I’m quite serious.

In addition, make sure you are getting sleep and eating well. It seems like you don’t have time, but on the day of the exam, you need to be well rested and comfortable – or as well rested and comfortable as you can be. That’s your key to success!

Ok, first of all, it’s the bar, you HAVE to study hard, there is no question about that. People that are successful on the bar put in long hours, and do tons of practice questions. There is no easy way around that.

However, you want the time you spend studying to actually count, so here are some tips on how to do that!

1) Be Active
Your brain responds better to acitviity. This means that DOING something rather than passively READING something will always be more effective, especially in the long term. That is not to say that you don’t need to read your oultine, nor is to suggest that learning the law is not important. Both of these things are imperative, and it’s impossible to pass the bar if you do niether. However, having said that, you will do better if you learn by DOING; practice MBE questions, practice essay, rewriting outlines into your own words, creating flow charts or check lists, making flashcards. Different things work for different students, but the thing that works for EVERYONE is studyingn actively rather than passively.

2) Switch up Activities
Do not spend 3 hours doing the same thing. From time to time this might be unavoidable – after all, you NEED to take practice tests (see below). However, when possible, spend 30 minutes on practices questions, 30 minutes writing an essays, 30 minutes reviewing an outline, and so on. Skipping from activity to activity will help your brain process the information better. If you are getting too comfortable, or your brain is, with one thing, you sto plearning.

3) For pete’s sake, PLEASE USE YOUR NOTES
When doing practice essays, use your notes! This does two things – you are reviewing law WHILE you are practicing a skill, so it’s the best way to study. In addition, every time you write something down, you are more likely to remember it. So, if you “guess” on law, or are only half correct, now that is somewhat etched in your brain, since you wrote it down.

4) Switch up Topics
Just like swictching up activities, switching up topics makes your brain work harder, and means you are more likely to remember the law in the long term, which is what you want! It’s going to feel more difficult, but will prove better in the long term.

5) Keep Calm and Study On
I realize the bar exam is stressful, as is studying for it. However, you have two months or more of studying, and you HAVE to take care of yourself. Go for walks, take a bath – do small things that will help you prevent anxiety. If you remain calm, you are less likely to make bad decisions.

Above all, be confident! You graduated law school! This is hard work, but it’s doable.