At the beginning of each bar exam cycle, I like to re-post a revised and updated version of my
Quick Start Guide. This post provides a summary of what I believe are the most important and helpful posts and bar exam tips on this blog.
In my opinion, success on the bar examination is as much about your
state of mind as it is about how much and how well you have studied black letter law.
It is my belief that you need to understand yourself and figure out how to remain calm during the preparation and test-taking process. You need to understand the process of diligent preparation for the
act of taking the test before you can study appropriately to learn the information needed to pass the bar examination.
Recommended Reading
I recommend that you read my posts about
general mental preparation before you read the posts about
studying for particular segments of the bar exam.
First, read my posts on (1)
diligence, (2)
anticipation of conditions, and (3)
stress reduction. I suggest that you digest the contents of these posts for a week or so before reading anything else.
Second, once you have begun to implement the ideas and suggestions contained in these three posts on mental preparedness, read the posts about studying for the discrete segments of the bar examination: (1)
MBE study and test tips, (2)
essay writing tips, and (3)
performance test tips.
(Also, if you are taking the Oregon bar exam or the California bar exam, you might want to check out my Oregon bar exam outlines or my California bar exam outlines.)
Third, be sure to read my posts about
why practice tests matter and lessons learned from
analyzing the reasons someone failed the bar exam.
"Learning isn't about memorizing isolated facts; it's about connecting and manipulating them."
If you are feeling overwhelmed just by reading this "quick start" guide or because you have just started studying for the bar exam, you should read my post about how
the feeling of being overwhelmed will subside as you work your way through your bar exam preparations.
Next, head on over to my new blog, Bar Exam Mind, and read about creating your
bar exam level set and how to use
visualization to help you prepare for the exam.
If you are worried about bar exam stress, consider purchasing my strategy guide for how to deal with bar exam stress, anxiety and fear.
Finally, a few weeks before the start date of the bar exam (and
before you make your hotel reservations), I suggest you read my post about how to
make the actual test-taking experience a successful one.
Thank you for reading and good luck!
PS -- If you would like a list of bar exam prep resources, be sure to download my
Ultimate Bar Exam Prep Resource Guide.
