Taylor Friedlander,
BARBRI Director of Legal Education
Does this headline strike you as far-fetched? After all, everyone knows that studying for the Bar Exam is a difficult experience. It’s a fact that’s tried and true, in the way the Pope is Catholic and the sky is blue. But don’t let that get you down. Yes, even though studying for the bar is a tough nut to crack, the process (and the end results) are rewarding. Below are some silver linings to keep in mind:
- Studying for the Bar is a bonding experience with your fellow classmates
Only your classmates will truly understand what you are going through. Yes, your family can offer support, and your friends can pepper you with pep talk, but at the end of the day, nothing compares to the empathy you get when you and your fellow JDs talk the talk of MBEs. (And the same goes to you LLMs!) I know it’s tempting to say that you’re doing little more than suffering together, but believe me – you’re also bonding over a unique shared experience. (Aww.)
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BARBRI gives you another point of connection with practicing attorneys
It’s strange but true – attorneys like to talk about their time on the Bar Prep battlefield. They’ll reminisce about cracking open their huge box of BARBRI books, and nerd out about how Erwin Chemerisnky schooled them on Con Law. BARBRI is a great icebreaker whenever I talk to other attorneys. Almost everyone has a unique story to share!
- You’ve got the I’m Studying for the Bar Card (hereinafter “ISBC”) in your back pocket.
Don’t want to go to Aunt Sally’s birthday? Never fear: you’ve got the ISBC, and simply can’t sacrifice the study time. Not jazzed about helping your friend move a futon over the weekend? ISBC. Don’t feel like cat-sitting Brownie? ISBC. It’s the perfect excuse to help put your time to good use.
- Taking a break will feel better than it ever has
Whatever your outlet – whether it’s going for a run, taking a dance class, grabbing happy hour with friends – will feel better than it ever has. Bar Prep is so intense that once you take the time to give yourself a much-deserved break, the joy you experience will multiply.
- You’re about to become a lawyer
The bar exam is different from any other kind of test you’ve prepped for. All other exams have been a stepping-stone. The SAT got you to college. The LSAT got you to law school. But this – this is IT. This is the marathon to the finish line. Come hell or high water, ice or fire, passing this test earns that title, “ESQUIRE.” Yes, it is a journey, but remember – BARBRI is there for you every step of the way to help you #OWNTHEBAR!
GUEST BLOG by Dani Gies,
1L at UCLA School of Law
KEEP YOUR HEAD UP (Shout Out to Andy Grammar)
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Here at UCLA Law, 1Ls have the final graded memo due this week and Spring Break is next week. I’ve noticed that a lot of my classmates are dragging, as am I. I heard a lot about how hard law school was going to be before I came here. While I love it and am so glad I chose to come to law school, and UCLA in particular, it is definitely the most difficult venture I have ever undertaken.
One of the most difficult characteristics of law school is balancing the rest of your life with it. I’ve written several posts now about how to balance life and law school, but I’m not doing very well at it right now. In light of my great-uncle’s passing, I have become despondent and, frankly, apathetic to everything. This makes attending law school pretty difficult.
This post is for everyone who is struggling at this point in the semester.
I feel you. I am unabashed about wrestling with depression and anxiety. I dealt with them prior to coming to law school, but both are far more exacerbated now. With multiple family members being diagnosed with cancer and other illnesses, including my mother (who underwent surgery) and my great-uncle (who passed away) and other family issues, the personal issues in my life have tested me greatly this 1L year. I’m not sure how I’m going to get to Spring Break, let alone the end of the semester. But I’m leaning heavily on my friends to try to get there. One thing I’m trying to do is learning to ask for help. My professors and the administration have been tremendously supportive of me, and I am grateful for that. If you’re having difficulties outside of school that are affecting your schoolwork, I definitely suggest you speak to your Dean of Students or other administrative figure that can help by providing accommodations.
I’m terribly headstrong and prideful. I do not like asking for help. But I am finding myself in a position this semester that I must. I hope that if you are finding this semester to be more difficult than normal, that you too seek assistance from people to make it easier for you. If you want to talk, you may reach me at gies2018@lawnet.ucla.edu.
GUEST BLOG by Gianna Venticinque,
Graduate of Northern Illinois College of Law
I’M DONE. Really, I’m done.
The bar exam is officially over. I don’t think I’ve ever been this excited about anything in my life. It was brutal. As expected, a complete mental beatdown. I had to be at 100% for two days straight. But I finished. I didn’t leave a single question blank. I just really hope I picked the “more correct” multiple choice answer.
So, what do I do now? I woke up this morning without an alarm… weird. I didn’t have dreams about the MEE questions last night. I didn’t immediately panic and make a list of all of the things I have to do today. This coming week is going to be my reintegration into society. I plan on doing a whole lot of nothing. I want to see all of my friends who I’ve neglected (I’M SORRY!). I want to hang out with my dog and see my family for more than an hour at a time. I want to actually enjoy a meal and not have to eat it at record speed.
What I’m NOT going to do: panic about results. It’s not worth the time or energy trying to try to deduce whether or not I passed. I know I did my best, we all did. Fingers crossed that it’s enough to get through this time. If not, see ya in July! For real though, I feel like I’m a better person for not giving up – even though I might have wanted to on a daily basis.
On another note, BARBRI deserves a standing ovation. The minute I opened up the MEE and looked through the questions I knew I had at least something intelligent to write for every single one. Was it enough? We’ll find out. But all I know is that without taking BARBRI, I wouldn’t have known or been able to recall any of that. As much as I dreaded watching the lectures every morning, they paid off. The tiny things each professor stressed came back to me during the MBE and I could usually narrow it down to a 50/50 chance that way. The mini-review was actually what solidified a lot of what I was able to remember mid-exam. When I watched the hour-ish long lectures, I took notes… and 9 out of 10 times the things I took notes on were at least a part of one of the questions.
Plain and simple – I could have just skipped law school because Barbri taught me everything I needed to know.
Enjoy the month of March, we earned it.
Be proud of yourself, it’s over!!! 🙂