1) Optimize my essay attack formats and commit them to memory.
2) Memorize the core elements of the main issues within each subject.
3) Increase my familiarity with certain areas of the subjects I've personally predicted, (e.g., products liability, defamation, IOP, 10b5, 16b.)
4) Issue spot all of the essays in the BarBri essay book.
5) Fully outline as many PTs as I can (at least one per day until Sunday.)
I should be able to accomplish this if I spend my time wisely. I'm getting up at 7:00 and going to bed around midnight. My effective study hours are 8a-11p. Fifteen hours per day for the last 4+ days, not counting the unavoidable interruptions, should be sufficient.
I think I lost my sense of urgency a few weeks ago when I decided I knew this stuff well enough to pass. Between then and now I've been focusing on improving my ability to recall under pressure, and memorization. I've been told by others who've taken the exam that the rules need to be memorized to the point where they practically fall out of your mouth when the thought of the issue enters your head.
It's like I'm building an auto-immune response to the viruses that are the 14 (17?) subjects, a way to counter the effects of the Bar Exam.
That reminds me of a Huey Lewis & The News song from the 80's. I think it could easily be adapted to our situation.
I Want A New Drug
I want a new drug
One that wont make me sick
One that wont make me crash my car
Or make me feel three feet thick
I want a new drug
One that wont hurt my head
One that wont make my mouth too dry
Or make my eyes too red
One that wont make me nervous
Wondering what to do
One that makes me feel like I feel when Im with you
When Im alone with you
I want a new drug
One that wont spill
One that dont cost too much
Or come in a pill
I want a new drug
One that wont go away
One that wont keep me up all night
One that wont make me sleep all day
One that wont make me nervous
Wondering what to do
One that makes me feel like I feel when Im with you
When Im alone with you
Im alone with you baby
I want a new drug
One that does what it should
One that wont make me feel too bad
One that wont make me feel too good
I want a new drug
One with no doubt
One that wont make me talk too much
Or make my face break out
One that wont make me nervous
Wondering what to do
One that makes me feel like I feel when Im with you
When Im alone with you
11 comments:
Very good plan.
I don't think property liability will be on the exam but just doing essays can help you prepared well.
How? How HOW?!?! How do you study for 15 hours? I've beeing doing 8-10 almost every day since the beginning, and now even looking at my binder of outlines, a sample essay, or any Barbri book makes me violently ill. I want to study, I really do, but my mind won't even work anymore. I think I've reached the point where any skills or knowledge I don't have now, I won't get in 5 days. And the essays I've been doing are just making me freak out because they're most current and yet so bizarre. My mind just shuts off. I'm screwed in St. Louis, and flying to take the bar exam in Oregon in 3 days.
Cutie: I agree. Going over old essays exposes you to the manner in which they test certain rules that may not be obvious from a reading of the outline.
Anon: When I said 15 hours, I also added "not counting the unavoidable interruptions." I probably should have phrased that differently. The idea I meant to convey was that I reserve 15 hours for studying. But because I'm at home in my spare bedroom I'm constantly taking little breaks. I probably end up using only 10 of those hours productively. Some of that time is spent on this blog.
I keep hitting the areas that I feel weak in. Granted, "weak" is subjective, but it helps to be a perfectionist. I think I can always improve on something. More rules to memorize, refine my essays approaches, re-review the CA distinctions.
I'll become unanomymous now - call me Capri, the St. Louis bar examinee. Thanks for making me feel better - if you can't tell, I've lost it. The perfectionist in me who literally worked her butt off in law school to graduate at the top is appalled at her own weakness. But, I've decided to go back to the job analogy - I treated this as a job, I worked hard, and I always get things done early. It may not be the best, but it's done. Now, I'm just trying to keep fresh - I've given up reading the bar examiners minds
sorry! it's product liability :P I typed too fast... anyway, reading your blog always motivates me. you are just......awesome
Capri!: I think we've all lost it, or some part of it, over the last month or two. I know I have. Being a perfectionist is tough when there's no clear standard to work towards. That leads to frustration and all of it's accompanying negative effects.
This is like running a race where you can't see your competitors. You don't know how hard to run, you only know that you're being held to some vaguely understood, but difficult, standard. It's tough to stay focused.
Cutie: I knew what you meant. Or, at least, I knew that you mixed two ideas there. And I also knew that regardless of which one you were talking about specifically, I have to know them both. So, it's all good! (;-)>
Thanks for the compliment. But I haven't achieved anything yet except finish law school and maintain a blog. Words are easy. Results are ... not so easy. We'll know in November, won't we? But, again, thanks for the kind words. I do appreciate them very much.
Great song(Huey Lewis and the News) I think we are from the same era, GP.
You're going to blow the curve on this thing. Optimize your essay attack formats? My goal for today was "Wills & Trusts, Community Property - do whatever you can manage."
Well, I don't know about that. I try to get the routine stuff down because I tend to get scatterbrained under exam conditions. I try to see the big picture for everything so I sometimes struggle to reduce a fact pattern to it's component elements. And then I worry that I won't have enough time to finish properly and I start to write before I'm ready, and ... blah.
So, reviewing my essay building process is a defensive move more than anything else. I'm trying to limit the damage caused by my disorganized mental approach. I'm sure most of you are way beyond me there.
I think I'm the only sap still doing the paced program. Can't stop.
On the contrary. It gives you something specific to do each day and keeps you on track. That's probably a much better idea than freelancing it.
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