Comments on Fear Factors #5 and #8.
In Fear Factor #5, I suggested that you turn to the answers in your commercial outline to view answers to bar exam essay questions. Those answers can provide tips and information to help you construct sentences (or, paragraphs) for subjects, issues, and sub-issues on the actual exam.
Ms. Melissa's comment: "I have also found it helpful to look on the state bar's website at the model answers, because they show what can realistically be achieved in the time allotted (an hour for my state); and as you (Prof. Smith) said, I have learned how to write more efficiently and in some cases [the state's answer has] explained the law better to me, than my commercial materials."
Now, let me explain how you can make the commercial outline and the state bar's website work out the best possible combination. In the state of Maryland, for example, examiners' provide the applicant with two representative answers, and the Board of Bar Examiners' (the "Board") answer.
The Board's answer is designed to be all encompassing. The Board's response is a, "let me show you what you should have written, if you actually had time to write it," answer. The representative answers are from actual applicants' and those writings show what an applicant wrote under the stress of the exam.
Now, before I say this, understand that I am just a little, "Off the Wall." Pun intended. I look at the Board's Answer, then I look at the representative answers, and then I try to take the best combined answer of all three documents to make the ultimate bar exam answer for that question. Why would I do that? Because. Because I have been around long enough to know that the standard for one specific year, or for one graduating class, can and may be different from the standard for the next graduating class. And, I have learned the hard way, not to take chances.
When life seems to prevent me from getting a handle on what I have to do, I push my mantra to the foreground. The mantra is, "I Refuse To Lose." It does not mean I never lose, it just means I refuse to pack up my bags and go home. I'm going to give it my best shot. Even if I have only a little, "best shot," left in me. I won't just hand it over to you.
Combine the information from the two sources to get the best possible answer. Do not be denied your opportunity to get into the game because you did not look at the answer from all angles.
The second comment comes from Fear Factor #8, which requires you to identify and recognize categories of the law and the defenses (of each) for the cause of action (discussed).
George writes: Do you recommend that the way we condense/summarize our notes be the same for each subject we study? (I am studying for NY, which has many subjects, and I have used index cards for some subjects and typed outlines for others.
I have written about a concept that I apply when I lecture on the bar exam. It is called, "Let Joe, Go." When you see someone leaving the library at 5:15 p.m., and you are studying for the bar, and you want to go home, but you know you only have 27 pages left to outline, and you know you can finish the outline by 10:00 p.m., you stay. You do not wonder why "Eric" left at 5:15 p.m., even though you know that you are smarter than him. You know what you do.
You, "Let Joe, Go." You don't get up and stop him, you don't stay down and convince yourself that you should go, too. You don't condemn him for leaving at 5:15 p.m., and you never beat yourself down for staying until you knock out those last 27 pages. You do what works for you.
All - of - the - time.
Now, there are exceptions to not copying someone else's moves. If someone is teaching you to do something that you cannot do yourself, you may have to change your own personal style to get that thing done. In that case, you are looking to the proverbial Joe to help you get somewhere you were unable to get to, alone. There is nothing wrong with that.
Another exception is that you want to change. You notice someone doing something that you believe will help you. Try it. Please. The only way you get better at a thing that you think will make you better is if you try it.
But there is something wrong with changing a habit that you have perfected for years & it has worked for you. There is no need to change up in the middle of the dance. Remember the saying, "go home with the person that brought you to the dance." It rings true here, unless that method or way of doing things is causing you much more harm than good. Use the method that has always gotten you through.
Stick with the index cards for those "some" topics, and convert to typing your outline, if you want, for the other topics.
My buyer beware concern is this: be certain that you can and are able to use the words and phrases that make up your index cards, as well as the written outline, in an equally engaging fashion. You don't want to use index cards that make information confusing and have written information that is much easier to read such that you want to abandon the index cards.
Just make sure that your "outlines" follow the mandates of the equal protection clause in that all testing materials are "similarly situated."
In Fear Factor #5, I suggested that you turn to the answers in your commercial outline to view answers to bar exam essay questions. Those answers can provide tips and information to help you construct sentences (or, paragraphs) for subjects, issues, and sub-issues on the actual exam.
Ms. Melissa's comment: "I have also found it helpful to look on the state bar's website at the model answers, because they show what can realistically be achieved in the time allotted (an hour for my state); and as you (Prof. Smith) said, I have learned how to write more efficiently and in some cases [the state's answer has] explained the law better to me, than my commercial materials."
Now, let me explain how you can make the commercial outline and the state bar's website work out the best possible combination. In the state of Maryland, for example, examiners' provide the applicant with two representative answers, and the Board of Bar Examiners' (the "Board") answer.
The Board's answer is designed to be all encompassing. The Board's response is a, "let me show you what you should have written, if you actually had time to write it," answer. The representative answers are from actual applicants' and those writings show what an applicant wrote under the stress of the exam.
Now, before I say this, understand that I am just a little, "Off the Wall." Pun intended. I look at the Board's Answer, then I look at the representative answers, and then I try to take the best combined answer of all three documents to make the ultimate bar exam answer for that question. Why would I do that? Because. Because I have been around long enough to know that the standard for one specific year, or for one graduating class, can and may be different from the standard for the next graduating class. And, I have learned the hard way, not to take chances.
When life seems to prevent me from getting a handle on what I have to do, I push my mantra to the foreground. The mantra is, "I Refuse To Lose." It does not mean I never lose, it just means I refuse to pack up my bags and go home. I'm going to give it my best shot. Even if I have only a little, "best shot," left in me. I won't just hand it over to you.
Combine the information from the two sources to get the best possible answer. Do not be denied your opportunity to get into the game because you did not look at the answer from all angles.
The second comment comes from Fear Factor #8, which requires you to identify and recognize categories of the law and the defenses (of each) for the cause of action (discussed).
George writes: Do you recommend that the way we condense/summarize our notes be the same for each subject we study? (I am studying for NY, which has many subjects, and I have used index cards for some subjects and typed outlines for others.
I have written about a concept that I apply when I lecture on the bar exam. It is called, "Let Joe, Go." When you see someone leaving the library at 5:15 p.m., and you are studying for the bar, and you want to go home, but you know you only have 27 pages left to outline, and you know you can finish the outline by 10:00 p.m., you stay. You do not wonder why "Eric" left at 5:15 p.m., even though you know that you are smarter than him. You know what you do.
You, "Let Joe, Go." You don't get up and stop him, you don't stay down and convince yourself that you should go, too. You don't condemn him for leaving at 5:15 p.m., and you never beat yourself down for staying until you knock out those last 27 pages. You do what works for you.
All - of - the - time.
Now, there are exceptions to not copying someone else's moves. If someone is teaching you to do something that you cannot do yourself, you may have to change your own personal style to get that thing done. In that case, you are looking to the proverbial Joe to help you get somewhere you were unable to get to, alone. There is nothing wrong with that.
Another exception is that you want to change. You notice someone doing something that you believe will help you. Try it. Please. The only way you get better at a thing that you think will make you better is if you try it.
But there is something wrong with changing a habit that you have perfected for years & it has worked for you. There is no need to change up in the middle of the dance. Remember the saying, "go home with the person that brought you to the dance." It rings true here, unless that method or way of doing things is causing you much more harm than good. Use the method that has always gotten you through.
Stick with the index cards for those "some" topics, and convert to typing your outline, if you want, for the other topics.
My buyer beware concern is this: be certain that you can and are able to use the words and phrases that make up your index cards, as well as the written outline, in an equally engaging fashion. You don't want to use index cards that make information confusing and have written information that is much easier to read such that you want to abandon the index cards.
Just make sure that your "outlines" follow the mandates of the equal protection clause in that all testing materials are "similarly situated."
That is what really counts.
Thank you, Professor Smith. This post brings to mind the advice I give to incoming 1Ls: "There's more than one way to be successful at this; do what works for you."
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reminder.