How I Prepared for the Bar Exam: A Guide to Bar Prep

If you are reading this post you are likely graduating law school and planning to take the bar exam soon, so let's start this off with a quick CONGRATULATIONS to you! After three years of law school it's time to kick back and enjoy study like you have never studied before. So here is how I prepared for the bar exam and some tips and advice.

TIP #1: Enjoy your graduation.

This is most important. Don't start panicking about the bar exam until your bar prep course starts. Enjoy your last few weeks of law school. Enjoy your last few finals (yes, really). Enjoy your graduation day and some time with your family. This way, you are refreshed and ready to buckle down for bar prep. And yes, I know you will have days during bar prep where you feel like this:

 TIP #2: Assemble all your non-bar course materials.

I was careful to keep all my outlines, flashcards, and other study materials that I made during law school (yes, even the ones from 1L) so I could have additional references and material for bar prep. I highly recommend doing this.  It saved me time and let me give my eyes a rest from the computer (your bar prep course probably will have digital flashcards you can go through but I prefer to stay away from screens sometimes).

TIP #3: Choose your Bar Prep Course.

To be honest, I went with Kaplan's Bar Prep course because it offered in-person classes every morning (I knew if I was left to a 100% online course I probably wouldn't be very diligent with it), had experts who would review your practice essays, had over 500 practice questions, and was very well rated. It had a fantastic mix of online and in-person prep options so you could keep things interesting.  And I loved the rating of essays and feedback on my mastery of the various MBE subjects.

I LOVED my bar prep course. The schedule was a class between 9 am to 1 pm or so and then I had the rest of the day to study however I wanted. I could study on my balcony, walk to the park and study in the park, or buckle down and prepare at my desk. The professor who lead the classes were experts and very good at addressing questions. The recommended schedule from my bar prep course was:

But you do not have to go with Kaplan -- some of my friends took the bar prep courses from Princeton Review and Barbri. 

TIP #4: Know thyself and be realistic.

This is probably the MOST important tip. I knew that I personally was a visual learner who gets bored and distracted doing the same thing every day so I kept trying to find ways to keep my bar prep interesting and engaging. I would attend the daily prep session, come home have a little break, then settle in for my personal afternoon session. Some days that meant continued online practice and drills. Other days it meant flashcards out on my balcony. Then I'd break for dinner and after I was finished eating I would take time for myself (or if I felt I struggled during my sessions from that day I would continue to do a bonus evening session).

Other days it meant studying in the park using my flashcards or listening to audio tracks (I'm sure you are familiar with the Sum & Substance audio books that you can get from your law school library--you should have gotten them all throughout law school but if you waited until now you better hustle to the library since everyone is going to want them).

And other days it meant studying using my wall outlines I made during law school (visual learner---I told you).

And then other days it meant drills on my white board.

Seriously, get yourself a white board. You will not regret it. I bought mine from Home Depot for about $11. It came in handy, believe me, and was an easy to track what I did and did not master.

My point is, be realistic and try things out until you know what works for you. If you don't like flashcards, just stick to reviewing the outlines over and over again. If you hate outlines and find them overwhelming, study your flashcards and do practice MBE questions. And of course, don't neglect the practice essays. They are so important and yet I knew so many people who didn't take many. I tried to do a mix of practice questions and practice essays every week to make sure I was progressing.

TIP #5: Take breaks.

It seems counter-intuitive to highlight taking breaks when you only have about two months of prep time to study for the bar exam. It is natural to feel like you have to MAKE EVERY SECOND COUNT but I made sure to take some breaks for myself. After the in-person morning session, I would come home, go for a run, and have some lunch before settling in for my personal afternoon session. Once I was done with my afternoon session I would have some dinner and then take the rest of the evening off (unless I struggled with that day's material and wanted to do a bonus evening session--which was maybe 1-2 times per week). It was important to me to not burn myself out -- bar prep is a marathon, not a sprint -- and I knew I would not be as efficient if I studied until 11 PM every night.

And just a reminder that eating healthy make you feel your best. Don't get hooked on chips and quick snacks. Give your brain the best fuel you can.

FINAL REMARKS

I was always better at writing throughout law school -- I always did so much better at finals that were 100% essays than those that had multiple choice components. So I knew the MBE would be my weakness. My approach to the bar exam was to do awesome on the essays but also make sure to be strong on the MBE, since some people would tell me the MBE is the more important part (I agree). I spent so much time drilling practice MBE questions as often as possible and by the time the bar exam rolled around I was comfortable. 

It's ok to take some days away from studying. During my prep I celebrated my brother's high school graduation and my sister's bridal shower. Your world doesn't have to reduce to only the bar exam. You've been studying for this test for the last three years -- now you are just refreshing and honing in on the information. 

Relax. It will all be over soon. Thousands and thousands of attorneys have conquered the exam before. You will do great. Just take it seriously and prepare accordingly. I believe in you!