The Fear Factors: Fifteen Reasons Why Applicants Fail The Bar Exam.
T.R.O
T.R.O
TEST.
Testing throughout the entire bar exam process is essential to passing. Test in the morning; Review in the afternoon, and Outline in the evening.
The applicant wants to test in the morning because that is when she is most alert and prepared for the process of testing. She has not had a lot of food or drink, and she, hopefully, has had a restful night's sleep. It is prime time for testing.
Another reason the applicant should have the desire to test first thing in the morning (and not review or outline first) is because of procrastination. If the applicant tests immediately upon rising, then she cannot make a deal with herself to suggest that she study for two or three hours first, THEN test. She cannot then reason with herself (again) about when during the rest of the day, she will test.
Unfortunately, when we will test "later that day," is when we tell ourselves the first "non-truth." We promise ourselves that we will be ready to test; we promise ourselves that we will study a little bit first before we test. And what happens to the deal we made. Nothing happens to the deal, but usually there is no testing. Perhaps, even less studying. Two study hours turn into three. Three into five. Five into six or seven. At that time you have lied to yourself so much, that you give in and make another promise to yourself that you will do "it," tomorrow. So now instead of testing on two essay questions, and 50 MBE questions, we now have a day in which we looked at a few books for more than seven (7) hours. We did not however, test ourselves on what we were looking at over this period of time. Some of us will perceive not testing as a wasted day.
I say that you are 50% correct and 50% incorrect. I do believe that no bar day is a wasted day. It may be a bar day where you have learned your limitations, perhaps. But, by no means, a waste. It may be a day when you have learned your weaknesses, or that you will talk yourself out of doing something important, but it is not a wasted day. Unfortunately, when we believe it the time for a day is wasted, those thoughts trigger bad thoughts the next day. Those are not thoughts that we can afford. No waste. A day in which we learned something about ourselves. Something that we have the power to change, even during a ten-week period. One day at a time.
The applicant wants to test in the morning because that is when she is most alert and prepared for the process of testing. She has not had a lot of food or drink, and she, hopefully, has had a restful night's sleep. It is prime time for testing.
Another reason the applicant should have the desire to test first thing in the morning (and not review or outline first) is because of procrastination. If the applicant tests immediately upon rising, then she cannot make a deal with herself to suggest that she study for two or three hours first, THEN test. She cannot then reason with herself (again) about when during the rest of the day, she will test.
Unfortunately, when we will test "later that day," is when we tell ourselves the first "non-truth." We promise ourselves that we will be ready to test; we promise ourselves that we will study a little bit first before we test. And what happens to the deal we made. Nothing happens to the deal, but usually there is no testing. Perhaps, even less studying. Two study hours turn into three. Three into five. Five into six or seven. At that time you have lied to yourself so much, that you give in and make another promise to yourself that you will do "it," tomorrow. So now instead of testing on two essay questions, and 50 MBE questions, we now have a day in which we looked at a few books for more than seven (7) hours. We did not however, test ourselves on what we were looking at over this period of time. Some of us will perceive not testing as a wasted day.
I say that you are 50% correct and 50% incorrect. I do believe that no bar day is a wasted day. It may be a bar day where you have learned your limitations, perhaps. But, by no means, a waste. It may be a day when you have learned your weaknesses, or that you will talk yourself out of doing something important, but it is not a wasted day. Unfortunately, when we believe it the time for a day is wasted, those thoughts trigger bad thoughts the next day. Those are not thoughts that we can afford. No waste. A day in which we learned something about ourselves. Something that we have the power to change, even during a ten-week period. One day at a time.
REVIEW.
Review the answers, PRETTY please. I know it takes an inordinate amount of time, but I also know that every question you review, for some strange reason, becomes an answer that you tend never to forget. Even if you never see that question again.
The Essay: look at the representative answer. Do not become weighed down by the number of words in the good answer, or the bar examiners' answer. Cut to the chase. Look for the cause(s) of action, and the legal-related phrases for the sub-issues. Circle all of these words and any definitions that accompany those words. Now, look at the relationship of the words circled to the facts, particularly the words related to the issue and the sub-issue. All other words in the answer are designed to give you a more thorough explanation of the problem. It is the author's job to help you understand the details of the answer, especially since this is a time of the year where not many people are around to help you figure things out. Trust me - - the answer you are provided with is not the answer in which the examiners' expect you to duplicate.
The MBE: If you are reviewing MBE questions, look at the answers that are incorrect, AND the answers that are correct. Yes, you do have time. Time now, or time in February. It just depends on whether you are a winter or summer baby. You have time because you did all of your testing earlier that day, so stop worrying about all of the time you will spend reviewing long property questions, okay. Spend more time concentrating on isolating the reason for the best answer.
Please, while you are at it, do not fight the answer. Try, if you will, to embrace it. Try to determine why the answer is the answer, instead of why it is not the answer. Yes, you may locate one or two answers (out of 3,000 questions) that are incorrect, but even that is unlikely. Once you have isolated the reason why the answer choice is the correct answer, I suggest that you incorporate the answer (as you can understand it) into your outline. The process is very tedious, but it works. And, you will not find yourself from duplicating your efforts again.
OUTLINE.
Save the practice of outlining, or whatever it is that you create to help you with your studies, for the evening time. This is the time when your brain is seriously considering turning into mush. It is tired from testing, and reviewing, all day long. It is ready for leisure study, that is the process of outlining. Outlining is like cleaning your house. You are re-writing sentences, correcting the law, organizing information - - shifting, changing, adding, correcting, re-thinking, everyday, how you think, so that your method of studying is perfected on or before the last twelve (12) days before the bar examination.
YOUR JOB is to complete all of your outlines before your commercial bar course ends. Now, I have to say this because I cannot allow you to fall short in this area. You must move through the outline because you are trying to finish them. So, on the one hand, outlining is relaxing. On the other hand, outlining is an intense experience. So, it is intensely relaxing.
The bottom line is that you have got to push through the outlines late in the evening, when you want to relax and reward yourself for doing so much during the first two-thirds of your study day. I guess this would be my "no rest for the weary," speech. No rest because you have to be ready to memorize those outlines the last two to three weeks before the bar. During this time you will be testing and memorizing. You cannot memorize if you have not completed outlining.
You have to finish.
You want to be at the party.
You want to include Esq., at the end of the alphabet list.
You want to make things happen for you and your family.
You want to be certain, after you take the exam, that you passed it, convincingly.
You do not want to give in to temptation.
You see beyond the test and the Esquire, etc., because you know there is more to life than this.
You also know that this is your life, but just for a little while.
So, just for now, you will:
Test;
Review;
and
Outline.
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