Okay, after sitting through 6 weeks of Barbri last year, I found the Performance Exam guy to be utterly annoying and very unhelpful. Yes, I'm not supposed to freak out, but after all of those performance workshops, I'm not sure if he taught me anything. I think the only useful thing was the time-management segment he taught us.
Some of my friends ended up taking 3-day Performance Exam Workshops offered over July 4th. Fight that temptation (see more in my post below). It is a waste of money and time.
I found the best way to tackle those exams were to print out recent practice ones from the CA Bar website and take them. I did about 3 or 4 extra exams on top of the ones that Barbri required, and it gave me more confidence. The time you spend taking the exams would be better spent taking 2 or 3 extra performance exams.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Barbri MBE Questions %
As I was doing study smart or some other software, I was interested and worried about some of the % I was getting right. In the first few weeks, I think I was getting around 70% for the easy ones, 60% for the medium, and probably 50% or less for the hard. Don't worry. Just keep on practicing those. Toward the end of the studying, I was consistently getting over 70% on PMBR and real past CA Bar questions.
You will hear and see of people getting 90% or so on most of their MBE questions. Screw them! :)
You will hear and see of people getting 90% or so on most of their MBE questions. Screw them! :)
Do not spend any more money
If you are taking Barbri or any other course, you already have all the materials you need. Somewhere along the way, you will be tempted to take the Barbri Essay Workshop or some other essay workshop or a performance exam workshop. Fight that temptation! You really have all the materials you need between Barbri and the free past exams you can pull off of the CA Bar website. If you have the "extra" time to take the workshop, why not spend the time doing extra practice essays or taking an extra performance exam. Most of the people I knew who ended up taking these extra classes found it to be a waste of time and money.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Hotel or Not?
Some of you who haven't booked a hotel yet may hear that it is absolutely necessary. Well, I was a deviant in this aspect. I stayed with my parents while taking the bar instead of booking a hotel. I live about 30 minutes drive from the Ontario location, but I am against traffic. I also took the Ontario Barbri, so I was pretty used to the drive out there. I woke up at about 6:30 a.m. each morning and started driving at around 7:15 a.m. I usually got to the site around 8:00 a.m. and did some quick reviews. Below is the pros and cons of staying at home.
HOME:
PROS:
1) I was away from the pressure pot where all my friends were staying.
2) I was able to get good sleep every night in my own bed.
3) My mom made dinner for me nightly, so I didn't have to worry about going to a restaurant and getting food poisoning or eating something that didn't agree with me.
4) My family kept pretty quiet when I went to bed early, so I didn't have to deal with unfamiliar hotel noises.
5) My mom woke up pretty early each morning, so I knew she would wake me up if my alarm didn't go off on time. Lower chances of oversleeping.
CONS:
1) I was asked each day how the exam went. I continuually had to explain that I did not want to discuss the exam during the time period.
2) I risked hitting traffic or some major accident and not making the exam ontime. (I figured that if it wasn't meant to be, it just wasn't meant to be. If I hit that terrible of traffic and couldn't make the exam, then it wasn't meant to be. There is no guarantee that I wouldn't be hit by a car crossing the street or being trapped in an elevator at the hotel or any other accidents.)
If you do pick a hotel and am taking it at Ontario, here are my recs, from what I heard:
1) Doubletree Hotel: right next to the bar site and not next to the railroad track
2) Marriot Residence: kitchen you can cook your food in, and across the street from the site
3) Marriot: I heard this place gets noisy because it's right next to the railroad tracks.
Note that the Ontario Convention Center is right next to a train track and right by the airport, so it is pretty noisy. If you are like me who like to sleep in complete silence, you may want to rethink staying at a hotel.
HOME:
PROS:
1) I was away from the pressure pot where all my friends were staying.
2) I was able to get good sleep every night in my own bed.
3) My mom made dinner for me nightly, so I didn't have to worry about going to a restaurant and getting food poisoning or eating something that didn't agree with me.
4) My family kept pretty quiet when I went to bed early, so I didn't have to deal with unfamiliar hotel noises.
5) My mom woke up pretty early each morning, so I knew she would wake me up if my alarm didn't go off on time. Lower chances of oversleeping.
CONS:
1) I was asked each day how the exam went. I continuually had to explain that I did not want to discuss the exam during the time period.
2) I risked hitting traffic or some major accident and not making the exam ontime. (I figured that if it wasn't meant to be, it just wasn't meant to be. If I hit that terrible of traffic and couldn't make the exam, then it wasn't meant to be. There is no guarantee that I wouldn't be hit by a car crossing the street or being trapped in an elevator at the hotel or any other accidents.)
If you do pick a hotel and am taking it at Ontario, here are my recs, from what I heard:
1) Doubletree Hotel: right next to the bar site and not next to the railroad track
2) Marriot Residence: kitchen you can cook your food in, and across the street from the site
3) Marriot: I heard this place gets noisy because it's right next to the railroad tracks.
Note that the Ontario Convention Center is right next to a train track and right by the airport, so it is pretty noisy. If you are like me who like to sleep in complete silence, you may want to rethink staying at a hotel.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
QUESTIONS SESSION #1
This is where readers can post comments/questions about any studying questions you have. Go ahead and ask. If I know the answer or if I know an answer, I will give it to you. Remember, I passed, so I am not competiting against you. I was a little worried that people who were studying with me would give me bad advice...because there are people out there who will do that.
How to Pass the Bar
I think passing the bar boils down to three things: focus/dedication, self-discipline, practice.
Focus/Dedication--You really need to be focused when you are studying. This is a two month process, and you need to be focused on what you are doing the entire way. You cannot be doing a half-assed job. You need to dedicate yourself to this for the next two months or else be prepared to do it again. Bottom line is do it right the first time.
Self-discipline--You need to keep yourself in check. You need to follow the Barbri schedule or other schedule and homework as best as you can. I realize that there will be days you are tired, sick, or burned out. But, you must at least do the majority of the work. Most of the people I know who can't pass are those who are not self-disciplined. They could not finish half of the work. They gave themselves excuses, and now they are doing it again.
Practice--Take many practice exams and essays because this is what will prepare you for the real thing. The more practice, the better.
Focus/Dedication--You really need to be focused when you are studying. This is a two month process, and you need to be focused on what you are doing the entire way. You cannot be doing a half-assed job. You need to dedicate yourself to this for the next two months or else be prepared to do it again. Bottom line is do it right the first time.
Self-discipline--You need to keep yourself in check. You need to follow the Barbri schedule or other schedule and homework as best as you can. I realize that there will be days you are tired, sick, or burned out. But, you must at least do the majority of the work. Most of the people I know who can't pass are those who are not self-disciplined. They could not finish half of the work. They gave themselves excuses, and now they are doing it again.
Practice--Take many practice exams and essays because this is what will prepare you for the real thing. The more practice, the better.
PMBR
I took the 6 day early bird course and the 3-day exam course. Would I, the overachiever, do that again? No.
I ended up just going to the 1st day of the 3 day course so I would get another full-day MBE exam (aside from Barbri). It was helpful, but from what I heard, the 2-day review after that was a waste of time. Time will be better spent doing some crunch time studying at that point.
No, I was not able to get in 50 extra MBE problems a day, even with my pretty focused and crazy studying schedule. I was able to do an extra 10-20 problems here and there.
Did I pass? Yes.
Did I know anyone who actually finished the PMBR workbooks? No
Did they pass? Yes.
I ended up just going to the 1st day of the 3 day course so I would get another full-day MBE exam (aside from Barbri). It was helpful, but from what I heard, the 2-day review after that was a waste of time. Time will be better spent doing some crunch time studying at that point.
No, I was not able to get in 50 extra MBE problems a day, even with my pretty focused and crazy studying schedule. I was able to do an extra 10-20 problems here and there.
Did I pass? Yes.
Did I know anyone who actually finished the PMBR workbooks? No
Did they pass? Yes.
Barbri Writing Assignments
Do all of them, as they are helpful and force you to write out a full essay.
Be prepared for low grades. Almost everyone I knew got some kind of failing grade in the beginning, and we all ended up passing. I think they do that on purpose to motivate you.
Be prepared for low grades. Almost everyone I knew got some kind of failing grade in the beginning, and we all ended up passing. I think they do that on purpose to motivate you.
Sample Schedule
I was really stressed out in the beginning of the process trying to figure out a "perfect" schedule for myself and trying to gauge what other people did. Here was a sample studying schedule for the week. I was able to schedule an hour exercise routine once a week, and I took one day off on this schedule. So, this is technically a 6 day study schedule cramming in 7 days of Barbri, so yes, it may look a little crazy, but I got a day off.
Monday to Friday (and Saturdays when I had Barbri class):
7:15-7:30 a.m.: wake up and get ready to go to Barbri
8:15 - 8:45 a.m.: drive to Barbri class and play the PMBR CDs during drive
9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.: attend Barbri lecture
1:00 to 2:15 p.m.: drive home and eat lunch
2:15 to 2:30 p.m.: begin reviewing Barbri lecture notes and formulating outline for the subjects
2:30 to 4:00 p.m.: work on outlines
3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.: do Barbri homework assignments
6:00 to 6:30 p.m.: eat dinner
6:30 to 9:00 p.m.: finish homework or do extra PMBR problems
9:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.: relax and watch tv or go online
10:30 p.m.: bedtime
Sunday Schedule (no class/off day):
8:30-9:00 a.m.: wake up
If I didn't take the whole day off, I would study or do PMBR questions or a practice Performance Test from 9:00 a.m. to noon.
I would definitely take at least half a day off.
Taking a day off accomplished two things:
1) It kept me refreshed to start this process over on Monday.
2) It gave me motivation to finish all the homework by Sunday so I can go out the play.
Monday to Friday (and Saturdays when I had Barbri class):
7:15-7:30 a.m.: wake up and get ready to go to Barbri
8:15 - 8:45 a.m.: drive to Barbri class and play the PMBR CDs during drive
9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.: attend Barbri lecture
1:00 to 2:15 p.m.: drive home and eat lunch
2:15 to 2:30 p.m.: begin reviewing Barbri lecture notes and formulating outline for the subjects
2:30 to 4:00 p.m.: work on outlines
3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.: do Barbri homework assignments
6:00 to 6:30 p.m.: eat dinner
6:30 to 9:00 p.m.: finish homework or do extra PMBR problems
9:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.: relax and watch tv or go online
10:30 p.m.: bedtime
Sunday Schedule (no class/off day):
8:30-9:00 a.m.: wake up
If I didn't take the whole day off, I would study or do PMBR questions or a practice Performance Test from 9:00 a.m. to noon.
I would definitely take at least half a day off.
Taking a day off accomplished two things:
1) It kept me refreshed to start this process over on Monday.
2) It gave me motivation to finish all the homework by Sunday so I can go out the play.
General CA Bar Exam Advice
1) Take Barbri and try your best to follow their schedule
2) Take 1 day off each week (I took a day off each week, and I was able to do this by frontloading the Barbri schedule so I would complete more of the homework during the 6 days I worked. I found this extremely refreshing and kept me motivated for the 2 month period)
3) PMBR is a waste of time (skip the classes, but if you have extra time, do a few of their sample MBE problems)
4) Try to schedule in an extra Performance exam here and there (Barbri doesn't cover Performance exams very well, so try to schedule in an extra 2 or 3 throughout your schedule so you get more practice and see the variety).
5) Get your sleep (sleep well during the 2 months or you will burn out quickly)
2) Take 1 day off each week (I took a day off each week, and I was able to do this by frontloading the Barbri schedule so I would complete more of the homework during the 6 days I worked. I found this extremely refreshing and kept me motivated for the 2 month period)
3) PMBR is a waste of time (skip the classes, but if you have extra time, do a few of their sample MBE problems)
4) Try to schedule in an extra Performance exam here and there (Barbri doesn't cover Performance exams very well, so try to schedule in an extra 2 or 3 throughout your schedule so you get more practice and see the variety).
5) Get your sleep (sleep well during the 2 months or you will burn out quickly)
Introduction
I graduated from a CA law school in 2006 and took the July 2007. Luckily, after two months of extremely hard work, I passed the July 2006 CA bar exam.
I had a ton of questions when I was taking the CA bar exam, one of the hardest in the nation. On this blog, I propose to answer questions that others may have, to make the journey a little bit easier. So, post comments and questions, and I will try my best to answer them.
I had a ton of questions when I was taking the CA bar exam, one of the hardest in the nation. On this blog, I propose to answer questions that others may have, to make the journey a little bit easier. So, post comments and questions, and I will try my best to answer them.
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