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passingthebarexam · 4 years

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New Post has been published on Bar Exam Mind

New Post has been published on https://www.barexammind.com/dealing-covid-related-bar-exam-delays/

Dealing with COVID-Related Bar Exam Delays

I recently received a comment on a Facebook post referencing my article discussing how the Covid 19 epidemic pandemic might affect the bar exam. The comment asked how to keep a positive mindset in light of the fact that bar exams are being delayed or postponed and the format of the exam itself is being altered.

I thought about it and put together my thoughts in this article. I hope it helps.

If you have ideas that work for you that are not mentioned in this article, please leave a comment. If you disagree with some or even all of the ideas listed below, please comment and offer your suggestions about what you think would be helpful.

Some of the things I say below might sound a little trite given the situations in which some of you now find yourselves. I certainly can’t tell you how to feel and I can’t know how you feel. But, I do know this: 2020 has been by far the strangest year I’ve ever lived through during my several decades on this earth. I’ve been through some more traumatic acute periods of time ranging from a few days to a few weeks in duration, but never something like 2020’s sustained chronic freakishness.

Before we get any further in this article, I want to remind you that I am not a medical doctor, not a psychologist, not a licensed counselor. What follows are all suggestions about things that I think would help. It is advice I would give to a friend or family member who asked me for ideas. If you find yourself in a dark place or are having frightening thoughts, please contact a physician or counselor as soon as you can.

Now, for my suggestions.

Gratitude

You’ve probably heard this one before. It even sounds trite to me, and might even seem a little ridiculous. But this really works.

If you can wake up each morning and think about one or two things from the day before for which you are grateful, it can make a big difference in your outlook on life. If you start the day with was a grateful thought, it will set a positive tone for your day. On the other hand, if the first thing you do is check your news feed and scowl at some politician’s behavior or some terrible events happening in the world, that can start your day with negativity through which you will filter all the events and feelings of the remainder of the day.

Many people keep gratitude journals. They write down one or two things in the morning for which they are grateful. You can purchase many different kinds of gratitude journals (Amazon link (aff.)) or just staple a few sheets of paper together and start writing.

Digital Detox

There are more and more studies showing that too much exposure to digital devices and social media trigger anxiety. (In children; In young adults; In general.) If you are feeling anxious about the bar exam or anything else and it is starting to overwhelm you, take a break from your phone and the internet. In an ideal world, this would probably be at least one solid day per week. But, if that doesn’t seem like a viable option, try something like this: stop looking at digital devices after dinner and don’t look at one again until the next day.

Most phones these days have settings that allow you to lock certain apps. Why not create a setting where you can still send texts and make phone calls, but which locks all other apps for a few hours each day?

Get outside

There are many studies that show time in nature can help enhance your mood. If you’re fortunate enough to live close to hiking trails or a park, take advantage of it. But even if you don’t and you can’t get to such a location, maybe you have a small patch of grass near your residence or in your backyard. If possible, take your shoes off and walk around for a few minutes. Even if the seems kind of ridiculous, it might allow you to remember some happy memories of childhood running around the grass in the summer.

Focus on stability

What things have not changed since the COVID crisis? Are all your family and friends still healthy? Are your house plants still alive? Are you still an intelligent person with the desire to be an attorney?

When the world around us is changing and seemingly out of our control, it can be helpful to look at the things in our lives that have remained stable during the period of change. This can lead us contemplate the world in the future when other things we stable again.

Sleep

People underestimate the power of consistent, solid sleep. Law students and lawyers live in a subculture where sleep is viewed as weakness. But, people who are well-rested generally are able to see the world more clearly and have less anxiety and depression.

So, if you are sleeping less than seven or eight hours per night, try sleeping more for a week and see how you feel.

Allow yourself to be afraid

Don’t squash fear or try to cover it up with denial or foreign substances (e.g., alcohol, drugs, food, shopping, etc.). You are afraid. Admit this world is crazy right now. Admit that you’re not quite sure what’s going happen with the bar exam.

I read about how in Florida they postponed the bar exam just a few days before was scheduled to start! (Florida bar postponed.) It would be terrible to think that something like this could happen again, but if that’s the fear you have, allow yourself to feel it.

Writing your fears down may help. Unlike a gratitude journal where you might want to go back and look through it in order to remind yourself of what you’re grateful for, the fear journal can be something in which you write down what you are afraid of and then tear out the page and throw it away. This, to me, is not a form of suppressing fear, but of acknowledging it. You are saying, “I know you exist. I know I’m afraid of you. But, you can’t stop me.”

Remind yourself of earlier chaos

If you graduated from law school and are preparing for the bar exam, then you’re probably at least in your early 20s. Many of you will be a few or even many years older. For most people, if they’ve lived to your early 20s, you’ve experienced at least a handful of chaotic, uncertain situations.

But you got through them. You made it to law school and graduated. Remind yourself of the chaos you’ve survived.

The bar exam situation this year is chaotic. It is unknown. What if there is an uptick in COVID cases and it needs to be postponed again? What if there’s a technical issue that makes a planned online bar exam not work?

I realize it is easier said than done, but sometimes you just have to roll with the punches. Or, a metaphor I prefer, be like water and follow the available path.

Consider your study schedule

If you are someone who has been studying for the bar exam expecting it to be on a particular day and then it gets moved to a date several weeks or months away, you need to reassess how to spend those extras weeks. This will vary for each individual.

If you’re having financial concerns, try to find a way to make a little money for a few weeks. If you’ve been studying conscientiously expecting the bar exam to occur on DAY 0, but the bar exam has been pushed to DAY 150, you can probably stop studying for an extended period of time before restarting your studies closer to the new bar exam date. This will give your brain a break and help you focus on other issues.

Even if finances are not a problem for you, taking a break from studies, if that’s feasible, is probably a good thing. As someone who took two bar exams, I can tell you that studying for the second bar exam was much easier. While it wasn’t a cakewalk by any means, I had set aside over two months to study for the second exam, but in retrospect I probably could have done it in four weeks.

The reason I’m saying this is that if you’ve studied for two months and now you have another two month gap before the rescheduled exam, why not try something you’ve never done before to take your mind off the chaos? If you’ve thought about being an author, write a story or book. If you’ve thought about starting a business that can be started quickly, why not give it a go?

Conclusion

I hope this article helped you at least a little bit. I realize that the future of your legal career must seem unclear. Although I never had to go through a situation like this when I took the bar exam, I have gone through situations in my life where I thought the prospects for a positive outcome in the long-term were bleak. But, as the months and years passed, the outcome was actually pretty good.

So, although it may be difficult for you, try to stay positive. When you feel the negativity getting too much, use one of the techniques above.

P.S. -- Want a FREE copy of my Bar Exam Mind audiobook?

You can get a free copy of my audiobook when you sign up for a free trial at Audible.com. Get the details by clicking here. Or, you can just get the audiobook directly from Amazon, iTunes or Audible.

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passingthebarexam · 4 years

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New Post has been published on Bar Exam Mind

New Post has been published on https://www.barexammind.com/great-bar-exam-essay-service-review-baressays-com/

Great Bar Exam Essay Service -- A Review of BarEssays.com

You have enough to worry about when studying for the bar exam. Check off “locate sample essays” from your to-do list by signing up for BarEssays.com.

For a low fee, BarEssays.com provides students with access to real graded California bar exam essays and performance tests. These essays and performance tests were returned to examinees who failed the California bar exam. Best of all, each document had an official score written on it.

This is extremely helpful because some of the essays were indeed passing essays while others were failing essays. By reviewing these and comparing the responses, you can get a good sense of what is passing and what is not and gear your studies accordingly.

Used wisely, these examples can quickly train you how to write passing essays and performance tests. In fact, because many of the essays are based on multistate law and not California law, students from outside of California can benefit from this service as well.

And now, you can get $25 off the normal price by using my special discount code.

How to Get Discount Code: BarEssays.com wants me to keep this code exclusive to my readers, so you will need to send an email to get it. Send the email to [email protected], and my digital elves will send you the discount code within seconds. (Note: This email is an autoresponder, so I do not read any emails sent to this account.)

Check out my video review of BarEssays.com below:

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Head over to BarEssays.com to sign up or, if you have additional questions, check out the FAQ and a sample essay on the site.

P.S. -- Want a FREE copy of my Bar Exam Mind audiobook?

You can get a free copy of my audiobook when you sign up for a free trial at Audible.com. Get the details by clicking here. Or, you can just get the audiobook directly from Amazon, iTunes or Audible.

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passingthebarexam · 4 years

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New Post has been published on Bar Exam Mind

New Post has been published on https://www.barexammind.com/covid-19-bar-exam/

COVID-19 and the Bar Exam

As if the bar exam isn’t enough to worry about, now there’s COVID-19. This article contains a few thoughts of mine about that situation.

But, before I get to those thoughts, let me express my hope that you and your families are all safe from this new virus. Knock on wood, my family and I are doing fine so far.

Bar Exam Postponements

Many of you reading this will live in states that have postponed the bar exam or are making contingency plans to postpone it should that become necessary. If you don’t know what’s happening with your state’s bar exam, you can obviously check your state bar’s website or this handy compilation of all deadlines from the NCBEX.

DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical doctor, a psychologist, a virologist, an epidemiologist, a public health official, or a fortune teller. These are all just thoughts that I’m having as of late May 2020.

Mental health

As someone who has taken the bar exam twice, I know firsthand that it is mentally stressful for just about everyone who takes it. Clearly, in any jurisdiction that has postponed the bar exam, the date change adds additional layers of mental stress.

One level is that the traditional schedule of graduating law school in May and then studying until the middle of July is upended. If you live in jurisdiction and has postponed the bar exam until September, it seems to me that it might be a good idea not to start studying until July to avoid burnout. (Unless, of course, your bar prep program is still being offered May-June.)

Although I am sure some of you out there will choose to study from May through September, such a schedule seems to me to be excessive. On the other hand, if one wanted to do low-intensity studying, such as casually reading outlines or reading sample essays without doing anything else, that could potentially be a good use of one’s time I suppose.

To me it seems the biggest stressor would be the uncertainty of the possibility that the bar exam might be postponed yet again. I would suspect that if virus infection rates spike after states “reopen” during the next months, an additional postponement could become a real possibility.

Physical health

I have been watching several evidence-based YouTube channels regarding the COVID-19 virus, and it does appear that there are several ways one can increase the likelihood you will avoid the worst symptoms of the virus.

As you may know, it does appear that the majority of people who die from this virus have underlying conditions while only a small percentage do not. (New York study; Chinese study; Video re New York study.) Therefore, if you have any of the notable underlying conditions (hypertension, obesity, and diabetes being the most common), it would be ideal to do as much as you can to get them under control and managed well. Obviously, you need to speak with your doctor about that.

In addition, there is evidence that a majority of people who suffer the most severe effects of COVID-19 are deficient in vitamin D. Below are two videos created by a British registered nurse in which he reviews the literature indicating that vitamin D is a helpful prophylactic measure.

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If this is of interest to you, you should talk to your doctor about this and perhaps even get your vitamin D levels tested. Although I live in a sunny part of the country and spend a decent amount of minutes outside every day, I’ve been supplementing my vitamin D just be on the safe side.

Taking the exam

This section is going to be mainly speculative as I do not have any insight into how the bar examination testing areas are going to be arranged for exams given during this pandemic. Moreover, I have no professional experience in virology or biosecurity.

However, based on the information that’s been coming out from various governmental sources and medical studies (California; CDC; WHO), it would seem to me that a bar exam might be able to be administered relatively safely if it was given in a well-ventilated room with non-recycled air, with everyone wearing face coverings, and each seating location was adequately spaced and sanitized thoroughly.

I’m not sure how the bar exam authorities will handle this, but it would seem to me that each test taker should be permitted to bring in hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes in order to wipe down his or her area thoroughly before placing testing supplies (such as a computer, timer, pencils, pens, etc.) on top of the table. Assuming the materials you bring in had been previously sanitized and the area was sanitized, the main risk during the exam would be airborne transmission which should be reduced significantly by the proper use of face coverings and adequate ventilation.

In addition, the seating would have to be spaced out at least six feet per current CDC guidelines, but perhaps ten feet would be even better. As long as ventilation in the room was good to allow fresh air to continually enter the room, it seems like there would probably be limited risk of particle transmission. On the other hand, most guidelines prohibit gathering in large groups, so this could be an issue for the bar exam unless there were multiple, smaller testing locations.

But, like I said, I’m not a virologist or an epidemiologist or public health official, so my thoughts on this could be incorrect.

Where to stay during the exam?

If I were taking the bar exam under these conditions, I would do all that I could to be able to come home to my house at the end of the day and sleep there knowing that it was a safe zone. If I had to get a hotel room or other accommodation, I would make sure it was either (1) an extended-stay type hotel room with kitchen and refrigerator or (2) an AirBNB apartment near the testing site.

I would also likely rent the accommodation for an extra day and arrive early to sanitize it thoroughly. If it were a hotel room, I would direct the management and staff not to enter my room during the entire time I was staying there. I would make my own bed and clean anything I needed to clean. This way, I would not have to worry about any sort of risk of transmission while I was inside my sanitized rental space.

In addition, I would bring enough food with me from home so that I wouldn’t have to go grocery shopping or out to a restaurant. I would prepare and eat all my meals in the rented room. If the room was too distant from the testing site to return for lunch, I would bring lunch with me and find a place to eat alone.

Face coverings

Assuming face coverings would be required at the exam site, I would be sure to practice for the exam wearing one so that I would know how it would feel to wear it for hours at a time. (See my how to practice blog post here.)

For the exam itself, I would bring one face covering for each session of the exam. What I mean is, if the exam were two days long and had a morning and afternoon session each day, I would bring four masks individually packaged in plastic bags. I would wear one for the morning session and then return to my accommodation where I would remove my mask before eating lunch and relaxing. Then I would use a new mask to return for the afternoon session. Once that session was over and I returned to my accommodation at the end of the testing day, I would remove the mask. Repeat for day two. I think this is safer than reusing masks that may have been contaminated during a prior wearing session.

Conclusions

I really feel for anyone who has to take the bar exam under these conditions. Although it likely can be done with a high level of safety, it still yet another thing to worry about while studying for such an important test.

I wish you all good luck and good health.

P.S. -- Want a FREE copy of my Bar Exam Mind audiobook?

You can get a free copy of my audiobook when you sign up for a free trial at Audible.com. Get the details by clicking here. Or, you can just get the audiobook directly from Amazon, iTunes or Audible.

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passingthebarexam · 6 years

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New Post has been published on Bar Exam Mind

New Post has been published on https://www.barexammind.com/studicata-outlines-review/

Studicata Outlines Review

In this post I offer you my review of the Studicata bar exam outline collection. But, is it “the best outline in bar prep” as the home page from the Studicata website claims? Read on to find out!

The Studicata materials are expressly targeted for those of you taking the uniform bar exam and the multistate essay exam, but because the topics in the UBE and MEE overlap so much with jurisdictions using their own bar exam, this review and the Studicata products should be of interest to just about everyone who reads this blog.

The central feature of Studicata is the Attack Outline. This outline is the result of the folks at Studicata reviewing the last 20 years of MEE tests and then compiling each rule tested during those 20 years into an outline. Bar examiners are creatures of habit, so certain rules appear over and over again.

How do you know which of these rules you should study?

Well, the good folks at Studicata have put a frequency indicator, kind of like a fuel gauge, to show you how often the rule has appeared on the MEE. Using examples from the Family Law and Wills outlines, you can get a sense what this looks like:

vs.

As you can see, some rules will have a high percentage of appearance (e.g., 23.9%) and others will have a low percentage of appearance (e.g., 2.2%).

Obviously, any rule could appear on any bar exam, but it’s helpful to know that some rules are much more commonly tested than others. This knowledge could be especially helpful for final review during the last few days before the bar exam. It could also be very helpful for someone who only has a couple of weeks to study for the test, enabling that person to prioritize the most commonly tested rules.

If you purchase the UPGRADED version of Studicata, you also get Quick Sheets and Flashcards.

The Quick Sheets boil each topic down to a 3-5 page outline, for quick, rapid review. Here is a screenshot showing a small portion of the Torts Quick Sheet:

The flashcards appear to be quite thorough and are essentially just copied from the outlines. I personally am a fan of making your own flashcards because I think the act of creating the flashcards helps you learn the material. However, if you are someone who prefers preprinted flashcards, I think you will find these helpful. (The only drawback is you will have to print them out and cut them yourself, which is obviously a little bit more work than buying precut flashcards.)

With the Upgrade, you also get access to a private Facebook group where you can chat about the bar exam and get access to exclusive essay breakdown videos.

Lastly, there is a $29 add-on you can buy whether or not you choose to upgrade. This extra $29 buys you essay templates for the Civil Procedure, Con Law, Contracts, Crim Pro, Evidence, and Torts essays.

These templates are extremely helpful if you have trouble getting started writing essays. If you go in to the exam with a few paragraphs and a basic outline memorized, you can at least get some points and, ideally, you will write an great essay.

Here is a portion of the Civil Procedure template on subject matter jurisdiction:

Final Verdict?

I think the Studicata materials could be helpful for just about anyone studying for the bar exam. In particular, I think the “frequency of appearance” gauges can help direct your studies to prioritize the most commonly tested rules to ensure – at a minimum – you understand those rules well.

Even if you don’t want to you rely on the “frequency of appearance” gauges, the Attack Outlines themselves are quite thorough. I also think the essay templates are very helpful. The Quick Sheets also appear to be quite useful.

If Studicata seems like something you would be interested, click this link — barexammind.com/studicata — to go to their website and sign up. (Note: this is an affiliate link and I will receive a small commission if you purchase a product from Studicata. There is no additional cost to you for using this link.)

Or, if you need more information, check out my video review below:

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P.S. -- Want a FREE copy of my Bar Exam Mind audiobook?

You can get a free copy of my audiobook when you sign up for a free trial at Audible.com. Get the details by clicking here. Or, you can just get the audiobook directly from Amazon, iTunes or Audible.

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passingthebarexam · 6 years

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New Post has been published on Bar Exam Mind

New Post has been published on https://www.barexammind.com/bar-prep-mindset-review-discount-code/

Review: Bar Prep Mindset & 15% Discount Code

This is my review of an online education program called Bar Prep Mindset. If you don’t want to read a review but would prefer a video review, then just watch the video at the end of this post as it contains most of the same information as what is written below. (And, FYI, information on how to get the 15% discount is at the end of this post.)

Bar Prep Mindset is a program to help you stay calm and focused as you prepare for and take the bar exam. Bar Prep Mindset teaches you many of the same things you can learn by looking through this blog or by reading my book, Bar Exam Mind; however, Bar Prep Mindset teaches you using video and audio trainings. So, this course is ideal for visual and audio learners as well as for people who want to reinforce information they gathered from this blog and similar resources.

The picture below shows the home screen of the Bar Prep Mindset online portal. This is what you see after you’ve signed in. There’s a list of available trainings as well as the most important thing for you to look at when you login for the first time: the Program Guide.

The program guide provides information about the course, but most importantly a study schedule. As you can see from the screenshot below, the study schedule asks you to complete the Bar Prep Mindset course in seven days.

Having reviewed the course, I think seven days is a fair amount of time to spend on your first pass through the course. However, I would recommend that you spend another week, at a minimum, but preferably several weeks practicing what you learn in the course. This is important because Bar Prep Mindset is effectively a brain and lifestyle retraining course. The more time you can practice the skills you learn in this course the better you will get at them. This isn’t surprising, as everyone knows that the more you practice something, the more your skill level increases.

The video trainings are well produced and informative. They contain quite a bit of information and cover the following subjects:

Intention and Clarity

Goal Setting

Devise a Bar Prep Plan

Building Confidence and Trust

Importance of Sleep

Taking Action & Getting to Work

Beating Procrastination

You also get several downloadable audio files to help shape your mindset in positive ways. The audios include:

Results Day Visualization

MBE Visualization

Essays Visualization

Guided Mediations

Bar Exam Affirmations

In summary, I recommend this course for anyone needing help with anxiety or stress related to the bar exam. But don’t take my word for it, you can get free access to the first two video trainings by signing up here: barprepmindset.com. If you find the information useful, you can upgrade to the full course for a low price ($49 as I write this in June 2018).

If you do upgrade, be sure to use my coupon code to get 15% off. The folks over at Bar Prep Mindset asked that this code be exclusively for my readers, so to ensure that, I’ll ask you to send an email to [email protected] and my digital elves will respond immediately with the code. (Don’t worry. I won’t send you any other emails unless you sign up for my email newsletter.)

Finally, if you’ve tried the Bar Prep Mindset course, let me know what you thought about it by leaving a comment below or on YouTube underneath my video review available here: https://youtu.be/VzcUSamEom0.

And, here is the video, if you want to watch it now:

youtube

P.S. -- Want a FREE copy of my Bar Exam Mind audiobook?

You can get a free copy of my audiobook when you sign up for a free trial at Audible.com. Get the details by clicking here. Or, you can just get the audiobook directly from Amazon, iTunes or Audible.

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passingthebarexam · 6 years

Text

New Post has been published on Bar Exam Mind

New Post has been published on https://www.barexammind.com/bar-exam-performance-test-tips/

Bar Exam Performance Test Tips

Now that California has come to its senses and done away with its horrific 3-hours-long performance tests, I am aware of only only one format for the performance test: a 90-minute examination.

As I have mentioned elsewhere in this blog, I have passed both the Oregon and the California bar exams which both had performance test components. Below is what I think you should do to ensure you will write the best PT response possible during the bar exam.

General Preparation

Step 1: Read at least two examples of PT questions and answers from your jurisdiction.

This will give you a sense for how the diverse information contained in the Library and File portions (see below) of the PT get converted into a passing answer. You can get sample PTs from your bar prep provider, your jurisdiction’s website, or from other jurisdiction websites.

Step 2: At the proper time in your study schedule, do your first practice PT.

Do not write the answer out, but merely outline the answer. Then read the sample answer and see how much of the information you gathered and how closely you got the order. You probably missed a few things. That’s okay, make a note of what you missed and try to figure out why. This is the key: self-knowledge and understanding of your errors. You can plow away and write 30 sample PTs, but if you never review and learn, you will have much less success.

Step 3: At the proper time in your study schedule, write out an entire PT.

I would suggest doing a maximum of 5 sample PTs in their entirety. I think I probably did 5 when I took the Oregon bar and 3 when I took California. For me, writing out an entire PT is soul-killing. The PT has nothing to do with memorization or knowledge and everything to do with how you spot relevant pieces of information. So, once you can do that, there really is no need to practice writing them out.

The real reason to practice writing them is to make sure you can get the job done within 90 minutes. In other words, you need to practice writing out entire PTs only until the point when you know the time pressure is no longer an issue for you. Then, you can just review PT tests periodically and do outlines to make sure you can spot all the relevant facts and legal authority.

Okay, so now I have given you the high-altitude overview. What about the neighborhood map? In other words, how do I write the thing?

Here is my approach. Think about it, try it once. If it works for you, great; if not, try to figure out why not and then modify it to suit your style.

Structural Anthropology of the PT

The PT consists of a File and a Library. The File contains the assignment memorandum, format guidelines, and the facts you need to complete your task. The Library contains the various legal authority (statutes and cases, usually) you need to interpret those facts.

First, read the assignment memorandum in the File.

Second, skim (spend a max of 5 minutes) the entire Library, looking for anything that might be useful (e.g., multi-pronged tests, key words in statutes, etc.). Put a check mark in the margin next to these useful bits.

Third, skim (again, max 5 minutes) the entire File, noting facts that seem to relate to the assignment memorandum and the Library. Check marks in the margins again.

Fourth, read the assignment memorandum and the format guidelines memo (if there is one) carefully. Write down the major topics in basic outline format on a separate sheet of paper. [NB: some people who type the exam will type the outline into their computer and then fill in the written portion of the PT. Although I typed both of my bar exams, I could not do that. If I could, I probably would have as it seems to increase efficiency and permit more time to write.]

Fifth, read the Library carefully and fill in the various legal tests and statutory language that is relevant to the topics you generated by reading the assignment memorandum. If necessary, re-write your outline on another sheet of paper.

Sixth, read the File carefully for facts applicable to the legal authority you have culled from the Library. Write the basic fact and a citation (i.e., the page number so you can find it again) to that fact.

Seventh, review the outline and make sure it makes sense. If anything seems confusing, find the needed information to de-confuse. [By now, a maximum of half your test time should have expired.]

Eighth, write . . . quickly.

P.S. -- Want a FREE copy of my Bar Exam Mind audiobook?

You can get a free copy of my audiobook when you sign up for a free trial at Audible.com. Get the details by clicking here. Or, you can just get the audiobook directly from Amazon, iTunes or Audible.

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passingthebarexam · 6 years

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New Post has been published on Bar Exam Mind

New Post has been published on https://www.barexammind.com/bar-exam-pass-tactics/

5 Proven Tactics to Help You Pass the California Bar Exam

Hello, everyone! Today I have a guest post from David Greco of BarMD, a company helping students pass the California bar exam. I used to work with David at my law firm. He is now a co-founder of and a professor at BarMD. He has generously provided this article with 5 Tips to pass the bar exam.

Although this article is written for people who are taking the California bar exam, I think it can be helpful for any bar examinee.

Take it away, David!

**************************************

The clock is ticking quickly. Your hands feel weak from so much typing. And you still have to finish that last evidence essay.

What do you do?

While any bar exam is difficult, California’s tops them all. In our state, you must maneuver challenging California-specific laws—and face a higher cut score. Under the pressure to pass, students can waver.

Maybe they didn’t study the right way.

Perhaps they take too much time on one essay.

. . . Or they might freeze under pressure.

The good news? You don’t have to follow in their footsteps.

Here are 5 proven tactics to help you pass—and how BarMD can help you succeed:

1. Write for the grader (not yourself).

Whenever you write, besides in a diary or as a creative exercise, your audience has to stay “front of mind.”

That’s a basic tenant of successful communication.

However, when you’re on the clock, taking what’s likely the most important test of your entire life, it’s easier to forget this rule. And that’s a basic reason why some students fail the bar.

But why is that an issue?

Well, the writer always knows the point they’re trying to make. So, when the writer proofreads their own work—and, in this case, when they grade their own bar exam practice essays—the author reads between the lines, filling in gaps that they don’t even realize are there.

However, bar essay graders don’t fill in any gaps for the author. A bar grader won’t give the examinee the benefit of the doubt, though a student will give themself more credit than they’d ever get on a real-life bar exam essay.

With BarMD, our all-star staff includes a former bar grader, so you get step-by-step coaching on how to write the perfect bar essay:

One written with the utmost clarity. So any bar grader will know what you’re saying.

2. Don’t repeat the same mistakes.

Studying on your own can be great: Rocking out on your headphones while breezing through flashcards, or sitting across from a fellow J.D. who’s also flying through practice essays.

But how prepared are you, really?

Studying with a big-box company might sound enticing too.

But is there substance in their feedback?

Both routes aren’t ideal. Whether you’re working on your own or with a big-box company, you won’t get detailed feedback that helps you fix your essay for next time.

Without real feedback, students can mess up the performance test every time they practice, creating an ingrained issue that’s harder to fix later . . . and never know it.

(Well, not until the CA Bar Exam results come back.)

At BarMD, we ensure you remedy any essay issues. For instance, many students forget to write a straightforward conclusion. As we mentioned in tip #1, students think the bar grader will glean the conclusion for them—but they won’t.

Designed to help every student pass the bar exam, our proven methods help you fix ingrained habits. Or start on the right foot.

Psst—here’s a sample of our super-in-depth grading style:

3. Follow a rigorous study formula.

Casual studying doesn’t work.

To succeed, here’s what a student needs to do, on average:

At least 5 practice essays in each subject (that’s 65!)

At least 8 practice performance tests

. . . all under timed conditions

That’s a lot of hours—and dedication.

Students very rarely complete this feat. Because we know what’s needed to pass the California Bar Exam, we assign that much timed practice in the BarMD Bar Exam Course.

Actually, we assign even more: 90+ written assignments.

15 are graded line-by-line, word-by-word.

We spot check all 75+ remaining.

And we check that everyone completes those 90+.

4. Don’t panic—just follow your plan.

Unfortunately, test panic is real.

What if I don’t know that particular law?

What if there are just two hours left—but I have a performance test & an essay to write?

What if I completely & utterly freeze?

Fortunately, with the right tools, preparation, and techniques, everyone can manage test panic. The BarMD team makes sure that every student walks into the bar exam well-equipped. We lead you through activities that explore—and confront—test-day fears, so you deal with any potential issues far in advance.

No matter what your nerves or doubts throw at you, you can prepare to handle it—like a pro.

5. Don’t let test-day logistics get in your way.

Did you know that students fail the bar because. . .

. . . they didn’t get a parking spot, so they had to circle block after block.

. . . they forgot their laptop charger.

. . . they didn’t download the exam software in time.

. . . they forgot to check whether the exam software was compatible with their laptop.

. . . and the list goes on.

A quick story that’s all too common:

Before enrolling in our bar course, one student had failed because of a basic test-day mishap. Because she forgot to check her laptop’s compatibility with the testing software, she didn’t have time, at that last minute, to license another computer for that software. . . . As a result, her laptop wasn’t fully functional, which delayed starting her written exam. Which, in turn, caused her to fail the bar.

When she passed the bar after taking the BarMD course, she was 100% prepared for test day.

We make sure students check off every box on a list. Because one pesky error shouldn’t undo an entire season of studying.

Say Hello to the BarMD Difference

Thanks to our Bar Exam Physicians and tested techniques, our students have a 100% pass rate.

Why?

Because we’re different from the big-box companies. Our serious attention to detail, extensive bar experience, and proven formula for success mean that BarMD students consistently succeed—and become practicing attorneys.

Take our bar exam course in Southern California, so you can live the difference.

You can learn more about our leading bar prep course here.

*********************************

Thanks, David! That was a very helpful article.

P.S. -- Want a FREE copy of my Bar Exam Mind audiobook?

You can get a free copy of my audiobook when you sign up for a free trial at Audible.com. Get the details by clicking here. Or, you can just get the audiobook directly from Amazon, iTunes or Audible.

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passingthebarexam · 7 years

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New Post has been published on Bar Exam Mind

New Post has been published on http://www.barexammind.com/study-mpre-crammer-tones/

Study for the MPRE with Crammer Tones

I’ve recently had the opportunity to review the MPRE Crammer Tones program, which is available at http://crammertones.com/buy-multistate-professional-responsibility-examination-mpre/.

I think, for some of you, it may be a very helpful (and affordable) resource to study for the MPRE.

The product is very straightforward. After making your purchase, you download a ZIP file containing everything you need.

The ZIP file contains a thorough written outline of all the topics covered by the MPRE. This alone will probably be worth the purchase price for many people. The outline contains a lot of mnemonics, so if you like mnemonics, you will probably like this outline.

The ZIP file also contains two sets of audio files. The first set contains a narrator reviewing the various topics of the MPRE so that you can study on-the-go. Because each audio file — varying in length from 4-6 minutes — focuses on a specific topic, you can target your review to areas you are having the most trouble with. The second set of audio files contains the same narrative portion, but also includes background instrumental music for more relaxed, passive review.

Here is how the Crammer Tones website summarizes what you get in its product:

Written outline. Though Crushendo is meant to liberate you from the library and get you out doing something you love, the audio comes with a written outline. You can read along during your first listen or anytime after.

Fifteen MP3s covering the Model Rules of Professional Conduct (MRPC), the Model Code of Judicial Conduct (MCJC), and key common law principles. Yes, these are downloadable. Once on your device, you won’t need the internet. You can literally prep to crush the MPRE atop a mountain in the middle of nowhere. The genius of everything broken into small MP3s has to do with chunking. Done right, chunking keeps everything in the right buckets in your brain, aiding recall.

CrammerTime. A quiz-mode MP3 that solidifies your grasp of key memory hooks. The perfect pre-exam refresher.

Based on my review of the Crammer Time product, I’d say that it should work for anyone, but would likely be most effective for audio learners or those who like to use audio to reinforce what they have learned by reading.

Crammer Time does not come with any sample multiple choice questions, so if you are looking for practice questions, you will not find them here except for the Crammer Time review which, as noted above, tests your recall of key memory hooks.

Crammer Tones offers a 30-day money back guarantee, so you can get your money back if you decide the program is not for you.

Limited-Time MPRE Discount! Adam over at Crammer Tones has set up a limited-time discount for my readers. [Note: I do NOT get a commission from Adam if you buy the product.] Now through November 3, 2017, you can get 70% off the regular price by using code BRXMIND70 at checkout. http://crammertones.com/buy-multistate-professional-responsibility-examination-mpre/

Preorder Discount on UBE Materials. Adam is also working on a UBE version of Crammer Tones. I have not reviewed the UBE product, so cannot offer you my opinion about it, but Adam is offering my readers a 20% pre-order discount if they use code BRXMIND20.

If you’ve tried the Crammer Tones system, please leave a comment below with your opinion.

P.S. -- Want a FREE copy of my Bar Exam Mind audiobook?

You can get a free copy of my audiobook when you sign up for a free trial at Audible.com. Get the details by clicking here. Or, you can just get the audiobook directly from Amazon, iTunes or Audible.

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passingthebarexam · 7 years

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New Post has been published on Bar Exam Mind

New Post has been published on http://www.barexammind.com/2017-mbe-changes-updated-outlines/

2017 MBE Changes + Updated Outlines

Do you know about the changes coming to the February 2017 MBE/MEE for the Real Property subject area?

You can get all the details from the bar examiners themselves. Here is their explanation:

New topics will include conflicts of law (I.D.4.); property owners’ associations and common interest ownership communities (II.A.6.); drafting, review, and negotiation of closing documents (V.B.3.); and persons authorized to execute real estate documents (V.B.4.).

Minor modifications will include providing specific examples of rules affecting future interests (I.A.2.e.); including security deposits in termination of tenancies (I.C.4.); providing more detailed zoning topics (II.D.1.–3.); and including as separate topics transfers of restrictive covenants (II.A.4.), transfers of easements, profits, and licenses (II.B.4.), and acceleration of loans before foreclosure (IV.E.2.).

In response, I’ve updated the MBE and California/MBE outlines to account for these changes. [If you already purchased these outlines, you should have received an email notifying you of the update and providing you with a new download link.]

It should be noted that it is a bit difficult to divine exactly what the bar examiners mean by these vague phrases above – “minor modifications” huh??? – and how these new/modified areas might be tested.

That said, I’ve incorporated a general overview of these topics in the outlines. Be sure to pay attention in your bar review courses when they discuss the details of these new areas.

Scoring Changes to MBE

The MBE used to be scored based on 190 of the 200 questions, with the unscored 10 questions being experimental questions. Now, the MBE is scored on 175 of 200 questions, with 25 questions being experimental.

This means, each question counts more than in the past.

It also mean the bar examiners are using test takers to help them write new questions for their exam. So kind of them!

Obviously, there is nothing you can do about this, so worrying or complaining won’t help. Just study well and often.

P.S. -- Want a FREE copy of my Bar Exam Mind audiobook?

You can get a free copy of my audiobook when you sign up for a free trial at Audible.com. Get the details by clicking here. Or, you can just get the audiobook directly from Amazon, iTunes or Audible.

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passingthebarexam · 8 years

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New Post has been published on Bar Exam Mind

New Post has been published on http://www.barexammind.com/bar-exam-essay-thoughts/

Bar Exam Essay Thoughts

This blog post is targeted to people who are still having trouble with their bar exam essays.

For those of you having trouble writing essays, I have numerous blog posts in addition to my How to Write Bar Exam Essays book available to help you.

If you been studying the law with consistency during the past couple of months, you should know enough black letter law by now to pass the bar exam. However, if you’re having trouble composing and structuring your essay responses, there is still time to get that part of the test figured out.

If you would like to read the blog posts I have written in the past, just review the posts under the Essay Study Tips category on my blog, which can be found here: http://www.barexammind.com/category/essay-study-tips/.

California Takers

For those of you taking the California bar exam, you have the additional option of BarIssues [video review link] and BarEssays [video review link].

In addition, I have recently learned that BarEssays now includes essay topic attack templates for your at no additional charge. Click Here for a Contracts attack template so you can see what you are getting.

If you decide to sign up for either BarIssues or BarEssays, be sure to get the discount code offered exclusively through this website. You can find more information about the discount codes by clicking here for the BarEssays discount and by clicking here for the BarIssues discount.

P.S. -- Want a FREE copy of my Bar Exam Mind audiobook?

You can get a free copy of my audiobook when you sign up for a free trial at Audible.com. Get the details by clicking here. Or, you can just get the audiobook directly from Amazon, iTunes or Audible.

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passingthebarexam · 8 years

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New Post has been published on Bar Exam Mind

New Post has been published on http://www.barexammind.com/how-to-write-bar-exam-essays-on-sale/

How to Write Bar Exam Essays -- On Sale

Now through December 1, 2015, you can pick up an ebook version of my book, How to Write Bar Exam Essays for only $4.99 $2.99!

Here are some links:

Amazon

iBooks

BN

If you prefer a paperback, be sure to shop at Amazon and use the code HOLIDAY30 at checkout and Amazon will give you an additional 30% off. (Apparently this offer expires on November 30, so keep that in mind. Details here.)

P.S. -- Want a FREE copy of my Bar Exam Mind audiobook?

You can get a free copy of my audiobook when you sign up for a free trial at Audible.com. Get the details by clicking here. Or, you can just get the audiobook directly from Amazon, iTunes or Audible.

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passingthebarexam · 8 years

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New Post has been published on Bar Exam Mind

New Post has been published on http://www.barexammind.com/episode-016-california-bar-exam/

Episode 016 -- California Bar Exam

In this podcast, I discuss the upcoming changes to the California bar exam (effective July 2017).

I also discuss some awesome tools and study aids you can use to help you pass the California bar exam.

For links to all the tools and study aids discussed in the podcast, go to BarExamMind.com/california.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

AudioPlayer.embed("audioplayer_1", soundFile:"https%3A%2F%2Fbarexammind.files.wordpress.com%2F2015%2F09%2F016-california-bar-exam.mp3");

And, don’t forget to subscribe using iTunes or RSS!

P.S. -- Want a FREE copy of my Bar Exam Mind audiobook?

You can get a free copy of my audiobook when you sign up for a free trial at Audible.com. Get the details by clicking here. Or, you can just get the audiobook directly from Amazon, iTunes or Audible.

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passingthebarexam · 9 years

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016 -- California Bar Exam

016 — California Bar Exam

In this podcast, I discuss the upcoming changes to the California bar exam (effective July 2017). I also discuss some awesome tools and study aids you can use to help you pass the California bar exam. For links to all the tools and study aids discussed in the podcast, go to BarExamMind.com/california. https://barexammind.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/016-california-bar-exam.mp3 And, don’t forget to…

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passingthebarexam · 9 years

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New Post has been published on Bar Exam Mind

New Post has been published on http://www.barexammind.com/episode-015-the-lawyer-personality-the-bar-exam-and-the-practice-of-law/

Episode 015 -- The Lawyer Personality, the Bar Exam and the Practice of Law

There must be some kind of way out of here….

This podcast is a bit off topic, but I think can be very helpful for many of you.

In the show, I discuss the cynical and skeptical lawyer personality and how it can help you as a practicing lawyer, but can sabotage you while you prepare for the bar exam and live your daily life.

Do you agree with the statistics in this show about the lawyer personality?

Are you a cynical lawyer?

Do you disagree with anything?

Let me know in the comments.

Listen to the podcast below:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

AudioPlayer.embed("audioplayer_1", soundFile:"https%3A%2F%2Fbarexammind.files.wordpress.com%2F2015%2F08%2F015-the-lawyer-personality-and-the-bar-exam.mp3");

Subscribe via iTunes or RSS.

LINKS:

“In it together?” from May 2015 Oregon Bar Bulletin (unfortunately, the sidebar referenced in the podcast does not appear on the website).

The lawyer brain blog

P.S. -- Want a FREE copy of my Bar Exam Mind audiobook?

You can get a free copy of my audiobook when you sign up for a free trial at Audible.com. Get the details by clicking here. Or, you can just get the audiobook directly from Amazon, iTunes or Audible.

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passingthebarexam · 9 years

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015 -- The Lawyer Personality, the Bar Exam and the Practice of Law

015 — The Lawyer Personality, the Bar Exam and the Practice of Law

What is hiding out there? Must be something…. This podcast is a bit off topic, but I think can be very helpful for many of you. In the show, I discuss the cynical and skeptical lawyer personality and how it can help you as a practicing lawyer, but can sabotage you while you prepare for the bar exam and live your daily life. Do you agree with the statistics in this show about the lawyer…

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passingthebarexam · 9 years

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New Post has been published on Bar Exam Mind

New Post has been published on http://www.barexammind.com/bar-exam-basics-on-sale/

Bar Exam Basics -- ON SALE

To help out all of you who are getting ready for the February 2016 bar exam, I have reduced the price on my book, Bar Exam Basics, to only 99 cents, or 80% off its normal price of $4.99.

It is available at all major online ebook sellers:

Kindle

iBooks

Barnes and Noble

Kobo

Scribd

You can also get the paperback edition for the reduced price of only $5.99. The paperback is available on Amazon.

This sale ends after Labor Day (September 7th), so be sure to get your copy now.

P.S. -- Want a FREE copy of my Bar Exam Mind audiobook?

You can get a free copy of my audiobook when you sign up for a free trial at Audible.com. Get the details by clicking here. Or, you can just get the audiobook directly from Amazon, iTunes or Audible.

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passingthebarexam · 9 years

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New Post has been published on Bar Exam Mind

New Post has been published on http://www.barexammind.com/working-studying-bar-exam/

Working While Studying for the Bar Exam

In this post I will offer some advice about how to study for the bar exam while you are working a full or part-time job.

I have received a lot of emails and comments on my reader survey from people who want more advice about how to take the bar exam while balancing work (and often family) obligations.

In my opinion, successful studying for the bar exam while working requires that you start studying earlier than someone who is not working, that you create a fairly strict routine and schedule, and that you clear all other mental concerns during your study time.

Start Early

A traditional bar exam student who is not working will study 5 to 7 days a week, 8 hours per day, for 8 to 10 weeks. This works out to anywhere from 320 to 560 hours. Therefore, if you want to have the same amount of study time as someone who has no job or family obligations, you will need to start studying further in advance for the bar exam.

Thus, if you have 20 hours available each week to study, you will need to start studying 16 to 20 weeks before the bar exam.

If you can be very strategic and focused while you study, you will need less time. If you’ve passed a bar exam within the last few years, you will likely need a lot less preparation time for a second bar exam. Therefore, be sure to take these factors into account when deciding how far in advance of the test date you should begin studying.

Routine

It is important to understand your bar exam routine. As I explain in more detail in this post, a routine is the rhythm of your life, whereas a schedule is the timetable that you follow so that you will complete certain tasks within a given time limit.

By understanding your routine (i.e., when you typically do certain actions), you can find time to study for the bar exam in a focused way. Within those blocks of time, you can design a schedule to ensure you cover and review all necessary bar exam topics.

If you have a job, it is likely you are required to work during pre-defined hours and days. Obviously, you cannot study while you are working. So, you need to analyze your work routine and all other routines in your life (i.e., exercise, family dinner, date nights, religious obligations, etc.) and find empty spaces or things you can stop doing in order to make room for bar exam study.

For instance, if you work from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, you can obviously find times in the mornings and the evenings during the week and large blocks of time on the weekends in which to study. Take time now to think through your work schedule to arrange blocks of time in which you will study for the bar exam.

Some of you who are working also have family obligations. This makes things more difficult. However, you still need to block out specific periods of time. Consult with your family members and find at least one large block of time during which they will leave you alone and maybe a few other small blocks of time that you can have to yourself.

Conversations with family about when you will study can be difficult. You may feel guilty about requesting so much time to yourself. Maybe some in your family will resent you. Take as much time as needed to discuss any problems (perceived or real) with your family so that you can study with worrying about how your family feels.

Finally, consider where you will study. The location where you do something is also part of your routine. If you live alone, you can study at home. But if you live with roommates or are married and have family, you may need to find a different place to study, such as a library or bookstore or even a coffee shop.

Clearing the mental energy

Ahh. That’s better.

Another important and really critical part of preparing for the bar exam is being focused solely on the bar exam while you are studying. This applies to anyone studying for the bar exam, but is especially important for people who are working because they have such a limited time during which to study.

To focus well, you need to make sure everything else in your life is either taken care of or is in some sort of management system that will allow you to block it out of your mind while you study for the bar exam.

Let me explain.

First of all, there’s no such thing as multitasking. Various studies have debunked that idea. And, even if humans had the ability to multitask very simple tasks, preparing for a professional certification examination is not a simple task and it’s not something you can do while you’re brushing your teeth or taking out the garbage.

Now, this does not prevent you from listening to lectures while you’re exercising or driving. However, those should be for review purposes or initial familiarization purposes. If you think that you will be able to learn and practice what you need to know to pass the bar exam during your commute, this is probably not a good plan. I’m not saying it’s impossible, though it probably is.

One of the reasons it’s hard for people to focus is that their minds begin to wander toward the other things they have to do. This is typical when you’re doing something you don’t necessarily enjoy, such as studying for a massive test.

You might be sitting there reviewing the elements of various torts, and start thinking to yourself: I really need to pick up some bread at the store and get a birthday present for John. Then you’ll start thinking about what present you could get and what type of bread you want to buy. And pretty soon you’re down some to-do list rabbit hole for the next half an hour.

I totally get that distractions can come easily, and it happens to me more than I care to admit. But, if you can put of these thoughts and tasks into a system that allows you to keep them organized and out of your mind, then you should do it.

If you have such a system in place already, that is fantastic and please keep using it. If you don’t have such a system in place, let me recommend the Getting Things Done system.

I had heard about the Getting Things Done system for a couple of years, but never really investigated it. A few weeks ago, I finally listened to the Getting Things Done audiobook and was very impressed with the system.

While some of the GTD parts seem a bit overly complicated to me, the basic system is extremely useful and can be summarized as follows:

You take all of your tasks and thoughts about anything and everything, including what you need to do, and write each of them on a separate piece of paper and put them in a pile called your “in-box”.

You do this until everything is out of your head and you have a giant stack of paper.

Then, you process your in-box on a regular basis (I’d recommend at the end of each day) and classify your items. Whether you can do it in two minutes (if you can, then do it), whether you need to defer or delegate it, or whether you can just put it away and look at it at a later date.

Then, you create folders for the deferred tasks by name of the task. You store these folders in alphabetical order in a file cabinet for easy reference as needed.

Any items that must be completed on a particular day, you put on your calendar.

Then each day you look at your calendar and your to-do folder and do those things that are necessary.

(This is just a simple overview of the GTD system. If you would like details, I recommend you read the book.)

As you can see, this system allows you to get all your tasks out of your brain and onto pieces of paper that you can consult at specific moments of the day. (You could of course use this system with some sort of electronic organizer, such as Evernote or Google Calendar, rather than pieces of paper.)

Back to the example of needing to get bread. If you used the GTS system, when the thought pops into your head, you would write down on a piece of paper “get bread” then toss it into your in-box. Then, when you process your inbox, you would put that piece of paper into your “Groceries” folder. Then when it’s time to go grocery shopping for the week you will grab the “Groceries” folder, take all the pieces of paper and make a grocery shopping list and then go to the grocery store. (The same process would occur with the “buy present” thought.)

I highly recommend the GTD system. It is made my life at work and at home a lot simpler and more stress-free because I’m not always worrying about things I need to do because I have already written them down and I trust the system.

Conclusion

Preparing for the bar exam can be difficult. When you add work and family obligations, it becomes even more so.

I hope this post has given you some helpful advice on how to make the process go more smoothly.

P.S. -- Want a FREE copy of my Bar Exam Mind audiobook?

You can get a free copy of my audiobook when you sign up for a free trial at Audible.com. Get the details by clicking here. Or, you can just get the audiobook directly from Amazon, iTunes or Audible.

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