Just Say No
Studying for the bar for the second time around, really requires two main things:
1) the ability to focus and concentrate very hard while still being able to keep your mind open to figuring out why you didn't pass the first time.
2) the ability to say no to everyone, including your family, friends, and work, in order to have enough time in which to complete #1.
The first thing is harder than it seems, I think, because most budding lawyers are argumentative by nature who dig in their heels and stand their ground when they have an argument to make. Sometimes this is a character trait that hurts people like me in academic endeavors like the bar exam, because I was so focused on what I thought the RIGHT way to study was, I wasn't really studying the RIGHT way for me. I couldn't have thought, last summer, that the way I was approaching this task was wrong because I almost felt a competition with other bar exam takers in proving, "well my way will be the right way" . Now that I know the way I studied was actually not the right way, this was a pretty dumb, but reflexive response to the task at hand.
2) Now that I know the above, I have dedicated myself to reprogramming the way I approach this test and I hope to have done the best job, but I keep trying to remind myself not to get too locked into a path of studying so as not to make the same mistake again. But the point is that in order to do this, I have to say no to everyone I know, in order to get the job done. This is harder and easier than task number one, because my reflexive response is to say that I have time for it all, and my reprogrammed response is, "No, stop calling me. Mom, sorry I haven't talked to you in weeks. No Judge, I can't take less time off to work on that motion. No, I can't be in your wedding or go to that reunion."
Hopefully, sticking to both prongs of the plan will keep me in the PASS range!
1) the ability to focus and concentrate very hard while still being able to keep your mind open to figuring out why you didn't pass the first time.
2) the ability to say no to everyone, including your family, friends, and work, in order to have enough time in which to complete #1.
The first thing is harder than it seems, I think, because most budding lawyers are argumentative by nature who dig in their heels and stand their ground when they have an argument to make. Sometimes this is a character trait that hurts people like me in academic endeavors like the bar exam, because I was so focused on what I thought the RIGHT way to study was, I wasn't really studying the RIGHT way for me. I couldn't have thought, last summer, that the way I was approaching this task was wrong because I almost felt a competition with other bar exam takers in proving, "well my way will be the right way" . Now that I know the way I studied was actually not the right way, this was a pretty dumb, but reflexive response to the task at hand.
2) Now that I know the above, I have dedicated myself to reprogramming the way I approach this test and I hope to have done the best job, but I keep trying to remind myself not to get too locked into a path of studying so as not to make the same mistake again. But the point is that in order to do this, I have to say no to everyone I know, in order to get the job done. This is harder and easier than task number one, because my reflexive response is to say that I have time for it all, and my reprogrammed response is, "No, stop calling me. Mom, sorry I haven't talked to you in weeks. No Judge, I can't take less time off to work on that motion. No, I can't be in your wedding or go to that reunion."
Hopefully, sticking to both prongs of the plan will keep me in the PASS range!
posted by JD at 10:08 AM
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