Happy New Year?
So the Christmas whirlwind week is over, and then there will be New Years, and then NOTHING BUT BAR STUDYING. Seriously though, I allowed myself to have fun or at least attend to all the events and present buying and gift returning I wanted, because I know from my previous experience that once the hardcore studying sets in, its going to be all intensive.
This week at work, the week between Christmas and New Years, however, I forced myself to go in because no one else was around and I sat down and studied every day all day. As I am embark on this mission the second time around, I am starting to realize the positives about why this time will be easier and not harder.
1) Before I started studying, I devised a plan of attack. I did NOT do this the first time around, and I think it contributed to my failing. I decided that this time, I am going to go subject by subject and just do blocks of questions at a time. After each block, I go through each question and write in a footnote or a comment in my original Bar outlines about why I got that question wrong. So for example, if I get an evidence question on Past Recollection Recorded wrong, I go to the Past Recollection Recorded section of my notes and write down why I got it wrong, as well as memorize the elements of Past Recollection Recorded and handwrite them out a couple of times. I also make sure I keep a running legal pad of all the topics of questions I get wrong, so that I can easily run through them and remember what I need to remember. Really, its just a lot more repetition in a more organized and efficient way. I am also going through the CORRECT answers really carefully, which they told me to do the first time and I did not, for lack of time. I usually would just read the answers that I got wrong the most carefully and assume that I knew why I got an answer right just because I got it right. This time, I realize that often times I get an answer right for the wrong reason (This also is helping me realize why I am getting them down to the best two answers and keep picking the wrong one)
Finally, those Barbri MBE questions really are damn good. I start with Intro level, then move to Intermediate and Advanced. Their answers really are complete and the different levels of questions help you test the harder nuances of concepts after you master first the basic questions. Now that I have done all of the questions in Evidence in the Barbri Book, I am moving back to the PMBR questions in the Redbook for practice, and they are going much easier and I am seeing a lot of the same topics I saw in the Barbri book.
2) Its a lot easier to go into the test knowing exactly what I am going to face, and accepting that I did things wrong the first time. In retrospect, it really was a bad idea to take the MBE portion in the second state and not the first, because I was exhausted from traveling the night before (while all my friends stayed in the first state and took the MBE there also) Now the MBE will be my first day, so I can go into it guns blazing.
3) Instead of just going on what people tell me is the best way to study, I really am figuring out the best way for myself after knowing what did NOT work the first time.
4) I think working will actually help me focus more on the time that I do have available to study and help me concentrate on what I need to get done in the time I have to do it.
5) I am a poor poor law clerk and have no money to have any fun in the next two months anyway.
6) I REALLY WANT TO PASS THIS TIME SO I WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN.
I also read Rick Pitino's book, Success is a Choice, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0767901320/104-6490522-9644734?v=glance&n=283155
and it is really good. The thing I took the most from it is that you have to live each day only in the present moment. For example, you can be thinking about tomorrow's big game, or yesterday's loss, you have to think about how well you can practice TODAY. I think studying for the bar is the same thing- you could dwell on failing, or you could freak out about what is in front of you, but really, you should just see how much you can get done each day preparing for the test. I guess this is a basic coaching tenet, but I like it. I highly recommend the book to alleviate anxiety.
With that, I am getting back to my studying and then watching a movie- I remember down time is just as important as study time.
I hope next year is more successful for bar passing :) and that I get sworn in 2006.
This week at work, the week between Christmas and New Years, however, I forced myself to go in because no one else was around and I sat down and studied every day all day. As I am embark on this mission the second time around, I am starting to realize the positives about why this time will be easier and not harder.
1) Before I started studying, I devised a plan of attack. I did NOT do this the first time around, and I think it contributed to my failing. I decided that this time, I am going to go subject by subject and just do blocks of questions at a time. After each block, I go through each question and write in a footnote or a comment in my original Bar outlines about why I got that question wrong. So for example, if I get an evidence question on Past Recollection Recorded wrong, I go to the Past Recollection Recorded section of my notes and write down why I got it wrong, as well as memorize the elements of Past Recollection Recorded and handwrite them out a couple of times. I also make sure I keep a running legal pad of all the topics of questions I get wrong, so that I can easily run through them and remember what I need to remember. Really, its just a lot more repetition in a more organized and efficient way. I am also going through the CORRECT answers really carefully, which they told me to do the first time and I did not, for lack of time. I usually would just read the answers that I got wrong the most carefully and assume that I knew why I got an answer right just because I got it right. This time, I realize that often times I get an answer right for the wrong reason (This also is helping me realize why I am getting them down to the best two answers and keep picking the wrong one)
Finally, those Barbri MBE questions really are damn good. I start with Intro level, then move to Intermediate and Advanced. Their answers really are complete and the different levels of questions help you test the harder nuances of concepts after you master first the basic questions. Now that I have done all of the questions in Evidence in the Barbri Book, I am moving back to the PMBR questions in the Redbook for practice, and they are going much easier and I am seeing a lot of the same topics I saw in the Barbri book.
2) Its a lot easier to go into the test knowing exactly what I am going to face, and accepting that I did things wrong the first time. In retrospect, it really was a bad idea to take the MBE portion in the second state and not the first, because I was exhausted from traveling the night before (while all my friends stayed in the first state and took the MBE there also) Now the MBE will be my first day, so I can go into it guns blazing.
3) Instead of just going on what people tell me is the best way to study, I really am figuring out the best way for myself after knowing what did NOT work the first time.
4) I think working will actually help me focus more on the time that I do have available to study and help me concentrate on what I need to get done in the time I have to do it.
5) I am a poor poor law clerk and have no money to have any fun in the next two months anyway.
6) I REALLY WANT TO PASS THIS TIME SO I WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN.
I also read Rick Pitino's book, Success is a Choice, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0767901320/104-6490522-9644734?v=glance&n=283155
and it is really good. The thing I took the most from it is that you have to live each day only in the present moment. For example, you can be thinking about tomorrow's big game, or yesterday's loss, you have to think about how well you can practice TODAY. I think studying for the bar is the same thing- you could dwell on failing, or you could freak out about what is in front of you, but really, you should just see how much you can get done each day preparing for the test. I guess this is a basic coaching tenet, but I like it. I highly recommend the book to alleviate anxiety.
With that, I am getting back to my studying and then watching a movie- I remember down time is just as important as study time.
I hope next year is more successful for bar passing :) and that I get sworn in 2006.
posted by JD at 6:20 PM
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