Rock Star BarExam Study Schedule!

Let the countdown continue. As of today, there are just 1 more days until the !ar exam. "any students at this #oint, okay, almost all students at this #oint, are wonderin$ what do % need to do to $et ready for test day& 'hat sort of study schedule should % !e followin$ to $et e(erythin$ done& A study schedule is something that is very personal to you, but I do think there are some general parameters and considerations you should include. By keeping these tips in mind, you should feel confident that you have put together a plan for success on test day! )i# *1+ ,et a !lank calendar !ecause it is time to ree(aluate. Why should it be blank? It is time to reevaluate where you are and what there is left to learn. I think the final days are really about you, not what your commercial bar review course thinks you should be doing. !ow, if you aren"t studying for the entire prep period, and instead studying on a more condensed schedule, I do recommend that you follow your bar prep schedule provided to you by your bar review course to make sure you cover all the necessary topics. )i# *-+ Set your cutoff study time the day !efore the exam. In my opinion, and many e#perts will agree with me, you should set a cutoff time to stop studying. It is important to allow yourself to rest before e#am day and also give yourself an opportunity to get everything together for the test including checking in if you are

staying at a hotel$.What is important to remember is that nothing you learn in those final few e#tra hours is going to make or break your test. %he bar is about the overall preparation and not the last moments of cramming. &y recommendation? 'ut yourself off at noon before lunch$. But that is (ust my preference. )ou should pick your own time and note it should be no later than *+,, p.m. the day before the e#am$. )i# *.+ "ake time for full/len$th #ractice sessions. -ure, doing an essay here or there can be helpful and doing .. &B/ 0uestions at a time can help you gauge how you are doing. But you absolutely must practice full1length tests in order to make sure you are ready for test day. %hese full1length tests not only test your time management but they also force you to confront any testing an#iety, deal with fatigue, and get used to testing situations. !ot sure where to get practice tests? Well, most (urisdictions publish past e#am 0uestions2 so pull together a set. If one sub(ect is more commonly tested than others, make sure that sub(ect is in the set. Because you are likely to get one on test day! 3ow many full1length practice e#ams should you do and when should you do them? 4or the written portion of the bar, I don"t recommend that you wait until the days before the e#am to take a practice test. %hat may be too late. I think ne#t week is great5so perhaps around 6, days before the e#am. %hat way if things don"t go so well or you identify weaknesses in your e#am1taking strategy, you have time to correct them and still do another practice days before the e#am. 4or the &B/ portion of the e#am as well, I think it is a good idea

to do a practice test, appro#imately 7 days before the e#am. And if you have already done a full e#am during your prep, you might (ust want to do one three1hour block of 0uestions versus si# hours of 0uestions. But again, if it doesn"t go well, you want time to study and make it better! -o on your blank calendar, identify the days you are going to take full1length practice e#ams and write them down. )i# *0+ "ake a list of the su!jects tested on the exam. 8lace the &B/ sub(ects in one list and the essay sub(ects in another list. !ow rank each sub(ect, putting the one you feel most confident about at the top of the list and the least confident about at the bottom of the list. What should you be studying first? )ou guessed it, the sub(ects you feel worst about. -tudents fre0uently make the mistake of spending their time disproportionately on the sub(ects they either like the most or understand the best.Why? Well, because it is easier and makes us feel good! But instead, I challenge you to study what you don"t know and don"t understand. %his way, you will have more of an opportunity to review the sub(ect again, if necessary. It is critical you keep this list in mind as you put together your schedule. )i# *1+ )ake out a #encil and assi$n one "BE su!ject to each of the next 2 days of studyin$. If you decide to do a practice e#am 6, days before the test, that means if you start tomorrow$ you will have enough time for each &B/ sub(ect. But what about essay sub(ects?

)i# *2+ Assi$n at least one essay su!ject 3if not more4 to the six days of the "BE su!jects. 9ight now I can almost hear you saying, :Wait, I have to study more than one sub(ect in a given day?; )es! -orry to have to tell you this, but there are a lot of sub(ects to learn before test day, so you need to study at least two sub(ects a day depending on how many sub(ects are on your e#am$. Is this possible? -ure it is. <et"s say you are right now studying = hours a day. If you are studying two sub(ects, then that leaves > ?@6 hours a day for reviewing and practicing. %hat is 0uite a lot of time on one sub(ect even if it doesn"t seem like it$. 4eeling overwhelmed? %hen simplify that material to what you need to know! )i# * + "ake daily $oals. Although the overall schedule is important, you need to evaluate your own needs and set daily goals. 4or e#ample, I recommend you write every day. In addition, especially if you are struggling at all with the &B/ and let"s be honest, who isn"t$, you want to set aside targets for &B/ practice on a daily basis. Besides your daily study goals, you want to include other :life; things as well5like e#ercise, yoga, or whatever you do to take care of yourself. %hose are important :to1dos; and should be included as part of your bar schedule. %o make sure that you don"t forget these daily goals, write them on your calendar! )i# *5+ )rack weak areas. /very day as you review a sub(ect,

you should make a list of weak areas. %hat way, the ne#t time you review that sub(ect you start with those weak areas first. %rust me, although it may seem overwhelming you may have a bit of a long list$, it will get shorter the more you study. Ance you understand or have something memoriBed, cross it off the list. )i# *6+ Lea(e the last few days to tar$eted study and #ractice. I think it is important to use the last few days for targeted study and practice. It is during this time that you will work through your list of weak areas see above$ and also review heavily tested sub(ects like 9emedial law$. )i# *17+ 8on9t for$et to take a !reak! And although it may feel like time is running out, you must take a break! Curing these break times either a whole or partial day$ take part in some stress1relieving activities. %hese last few weeks of bar prep are critical to get you ready for test day. 8utting together a study schedule and sticking to it is a great way to set yourself up for success. Dood luck! %o Dod be the Dlory!