TIps for the California BAR
People have been asking me for advice on studying for, taking and passing the BAR exam. So I thought I'd post my advice.
Tips:
1. Take a full 2 months off to study. Do not do anything other than study. No work, no school and minimal socializing.
2. Study at least 8 hours a day, 6 days a week, for the first 6 weeks. Make sure you give yourself at least 1 day off (or I did 1/3 days-- i.e., I studied for 3-4 hours on Sundays then took the rest of the day off). For the last 2 weeks you should be studying at least 10-12 hours per day with no days off.
3. Get a full 8 hours of sleep every night for the first 6 weeks. Sleep is the best time of day for me. I need to sleep. If I was not able to sleep, I at least put myself in "sleep mode." So I relaxed, watched t.v. and lied in bed. For the last 2 weeks you will be lucky if you sleep 4 hours a night. But do try to get at least 5-6 hours of sleep. It is refreshing to sleep.
4. Take frequent breaks. If you start to get a headache, step away from the books, breathe, take a walk, play with your dogs or other animals. Just get your mind cleared for at least 10 minutes.
5. Exercise and eat healthy!! I cannot stress this part enough. I went to the gym, walked with my study partner and dogs, etc. My mom sent over food to us all the time. Chili beans, tofu, rice and mushrooms, etc. So eat well. And comfort food was always nice, like ice cream. Why not treat yourself?
6. Do lots of Essays. I wrote out at least 20 essays and outlined around 1000. When you are studying a subject, you should be studying the essays. That is the best way to memorize the law, understand it and figure out how to apply it.
7. Do TONS of MBEs. I did approximately 2000 MBEs. At least 33 per day. Once a week for the first 6 weeks I would do at least 100 at a time. Make sure you are always practicing under timed conditions. By the end I was finishing 100 MBEs in 2 hours. In fact I finished 100 MBEs on the bar in 2 1/2 hours. After doing them, go over the answers-- right and wrong! Use the concise points of law stated in the answers. Put it all in your outlines.
8. Do at least 6 Performance Tests and Outline/Review 10 different Tests. Nothing more to say than be familiar with the different type of performance tests that may come up.
If you take all the above information to heart, you should pass the BAR.
I did all of it and passed the First time!
If you need any more advice feel free to ask.
I will be willing to look at written essays and give my input for a small fee.
Tips:
1. Take a full 2 months off to study. Do not do anything other than study. No work, no school and minimal socializing.
2. Study at least 8 hours a day, 6 days a week, for the first 6 weeks. Make sure you give yourself at least 1 day off (or I did 1/3 days-- i.e., I studied for 3-4 hours on Sundays then took the rest of the day off). For the last 2 weeks you should be studying at least 10-12 hours per day with no days off.
3. Get a full 8 hours of sleep every night for the first 6 weeks. Sleep is the best time of day for me. I need to sleep. If I was not able to sleep, I at least put myself in "sleep mode." So I relaxed, watched t.v. and lied in bed. For the last 2 weeks you will be lucky if you sleep 4 hours a night. But do try to get at least 5-6 hours of sleep. It is refreshing to sleep.
4. Take frequent breaks. If you start to get a headache, step away from the books, breathe, take a walk, play with your dogs or other animals. Just get your mind cleared for at least 10 minutes.
5. Exercise and eat healthy!! I cannot stress this part enough. I went to the gym, walked with my study partner and dogs, etc. My mom sent over food to us all the time. Chili beans, tofu, rice and mushrooms, etc. So eat well. And comfort food was always nice, like ice cream. Why not treat yourself?
6. Do lots of Essays. I wrote out at least 20 essays and outlined around 1000. When you are studying a subject, you should be studying the essays. That is the best way to memorize the law, understand it and figure out how to apply it.
7. Do TONS of MBEs. I did approximately 2000 MBEs. At least 33 per day. Once a week for the first 6 weeks I would do at least 100 at a time. Make sure you are always practicing under timed conditions. By the end I was finishing 100 MBEs in 2 hours. In fact I finished 100 MBEs on the bar in 2 1/2 hours. After doing them, go over the answers-- right and wrong! Use the concise points of law stated in the answers. Put it all in your outlines.
8. Do at least 6 Performance Tests and Outline/Review 10 different Tests. Nothing more to say than be familiar with the different type of performance tests that may come up.
If you take all the above information to heart, you should pass the BAR.
I did all of it and passed the First time!
If you need any more advice feel free to ask.
I will be willing to look at written essays and give my input for a small fee.
posted by Ms. C @ 1:11 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home