My new best friend is Black’s Law Dictionary. Who would’ve known it was SO useful?? When I sit down to study, I make sure it has a nice cuddly spot right next to me. It’s poor cover is dogeared and slightly torn - becoming a little ragged and well loved, like my old DeeDee doll from when I was a kid. Especially if you’re using MicroMash which discusses and references a theory/concept/rule 20pgs before it actually tells you what the theory/concept/rule is, a law dictionary is an absolute necessity. Plus, there are awesome words like “hotchpot” and ”fugue” in it. Speaking of which, ”fugue” seems like a good word for how I’ll most likely feel about this summer - “An abnormal state of consciousness in which one appears to function normally, but on recovery has no memory of what one did while in that condition.”
On a totally different note, today I saw the postman and all I could think was - California can’t require you to get a CA driver’s license if you want to drive your postal truck around here… Thanks Con Law for that highly insignificant tip.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Sunday, June 24, 2007
One Month.
One more month of this stuff. I’m already tired of studying. Well, at least sometimes. Other times, in a weird way, I actually enjoy it. I feel like things are gradually beginning to make sense and it’s beginning to be more connected in my brain, which is nice. I’ve been reading through the state subjects this week, making my outlines, so that as of July 1, I can bust out essay after essay after essay for the entire month. I read the Remedies section and HELLO - why didn’t they give us THIS as part of Law School 101?? So far, the explanation of all the remedies and how they relate to each other has been one of the most helpful things I’ve read. I guess this means I wasn’t a very good law student if I just NOW figured all this stuff out. I was complaining to my sexy man the other day about how law school kind of sucks in that you spend so much time reading case law and trying to keep up with classes, that you don’t really have TIME to sit down and figure out why/how a particular court applied a particular remedy to a case. So, I go through, just sort of throwing various remedies into exam answers w/o truly understanding how/why they apply. Obviously, I had some grasp on remedies before reading this section, but reading these 25pgs made everything a lot more clear in my head, and a clear head is always a good thing.
So far I’ve read and outlined Agency, Partnerships, Corporations, Community Property, Remedies and am working on my outline for Trusts. I read through the comprehensive outlines in the MicroMash book, and then paraphrase and reorganize their information into a 10-15pg outline for myself. I’ve been writing the stuff in paragraph form as opposed to the typical bulleted outline because if I’m going to have put the concepts into sentences in an essay, I might as well work on that a little bit here. My goal today is to finish the Trusts outline and read Wills, maybe outline that one too. I’m also doing 20-40MBE single-subject questions each day, although I have to admit I haven’t done any since Friday.
Even though studying on my own has been somewhat isolating (though less so since I’m staying with my sexy man), I LOVE the freedom and flexibility of my schedule. My sexy man keeps telling me, in a very encouraging way, that not everyone could do what I’m doing - sitting inside all day, not leaving the house, studying, five-seven days a week, 5-8 hrs/day. I’ve definitely taken little breaks, and spent a few hours laying out in the backyard enjoying the gorgeous day while studying my outlines. But, overall, I have remained pretty dedicated to a daily schedule of just STUDYING. Several of my friends took Bar/Bri, etc. because they needed the motivation to get up and study, etc. Somehow, I’m doing ok being self-motivated. Again, there are days when I feel like I’m not as focused as I could be, or maybe I’m going through the material a little too slowly, but I feel like I’m on the right track and am doing ok so far.
I cannot express enough how nice it is to not be around other people who are studying for the bar. My sexy man and his roommates are very supportive and understanding of the work I need to do and how I just lock myself in a room all day long when they’re being social and having fun. When I talk about how I did “nothing” all day, they instantly chastise me and say, “no! You studied all day! that’s hard work!!” Every morning my sexy man asks what my goal is for the day, and when he gets home from work, he questions, “On a scale from 1-10, what was your productivity?” to help me stay focused and hold me accountable for what I want to accomplish. This environment allows me to keep a healthy perspective on the Bar and life in general. (In addition, my internet access is limited due to the occasional disconnection because of construction on the house, and these guys don’t own a TV, so no Dr. Phil/Oprah/TLC/Simpsons to dull my brain and eat up valuable study time.) I know some people thrive on the peer pressure and competition to get certain scores, or do a certain # of essays, or whatever, but all that stuff just makes me nervous. I am existing in my own very very small, sheltered world, surrounded by only encouraging comments and supportive vibes, and this is the best possible place I could be.
So far I’ve read and outlined Agency, Partnerships, Corporations, Community Property, Remedies and am working on my outline for Trusts. I read through the comprehensive outlines in the MicroMash book, and then paraphrase and reorganize their information into a 10-15pg outline for myself. I’ve been writing the stuff in paragraph form as opposed to the typical bulleted outline because if I’m going to have put the concepts into sentences in an essay, I might as well work on that a little bit here. My goal today is to finish the Trusts outline and read Wills, maybe outline that one too. I’m also doing 20-40MBE single-subject questions each day, although I have to admit I haven’t done any since Friday.
Even though studying on my own has been somewhat isolating (though less so since I’m staying with my sexy man), I LOVE the freedom and flexibility of my schedule. My sexy man keeps telling me, in a very encouraging way, that not everyone could do what I’m doing - sitting inside all day, not leaving the house, studying, five-seven days a week, 5-8 hrs/day. I’ve definitely taken little breaks, and spent a few hours laying out in the backyard enjoying the gorgeous day while studying my outlines. But, overall, I have remained pretty dedicated to a daily schedule of just STUDYING. Several of my friends took Bar/Bri, etc. because they needed the motivation to get up and study, etc. Somehow, I’m doing ok being self-motivated. Again, there are days when I feel like I’m not as focused as I could be, or maybe I’m going through the material a little too slowly, but I feel like I’m on the right track and am doing ok so far.
I cannot express enough how nice it is to not be around other people who are studying for the bar. My sexy man and his roommates are very supportive and understanding of the work I need to do and how I just lock myself in a room all day long when they’re being social and having fun. When I talk about how I did “nothing” all day, they instantly chastise me and say, “no! You studied all day! that’s hard work!!” Every morning my sexy man asks what my goal is for the day, and when he gets home from work, he questions, “On a scale from 1-10, what was your productivity?” to help me stay focused and hold me accountable for what I want to accomplish. This environment allows me to keep a healthy perspective on the Bar and life in general. (In addition, my internet access is limited due to the occasional disconnection because of construction on the house, and these guys don’t own a TV, so no Dr. Phil/Oprah/TLC/Simpsons to dull my brain and eat up valuable study time.) I know some people thrive on the peer pressure and competition to get certain scores, or do a certain # of essays, or whatever, but all that stuff just makes me nervous. I am existing in my own very very small, sheltered world, surrounded by only encouraging comments and supportive vibes, and this is the best possible place I could be.
Fear Not.
I was listening to the PMBR CD’s the other day and what I realized is that - whether it’s simply a marketing tactic or not - everyone wants you to fear the Bar. I think a healthy appreciation for the DIFFICULTY of the Bar is a good thing. You don’t want to be too overly confident and brush it off. However, fear is not necessarily the best motivator, and it certainly isn’t good if it paralyzes you into inaction or unfocused action. The guy on PMBR started talking about property - “Property is the most difficult subject you will see on the Multistate Bar Exam. Property is so hard because there is so much material to cover. You have to memorize rules about mortgages, conveyances, easements, rule against perpetuities, statute of frauds, blah blah blah…” He listed practically every issue and subissue you could possibly have in property. Then he comments (I paraphrase), “You may feel like this is an impossible subject to handle. I know you all feel overwhelmed and confused and are wondering how in the world you are possibly going to get a decent score on the property questions….” Well, if I didn’t feel overwhelmed and confused and intimidated before, I sure as heck feel that way NOW!!
Yes, there’s a lot to memorize for the Bar, and yes there are some concepts I probably won’t get down pat, but I don’t need anyone breathing down my neck with their power of suggestion that I can’t handle it. A friend who is taking Bar/Bri was telling me that she felt some days would be better off spent at home, studying her own way instead of going to class. But, she was afraid to do that b/c Bar/Bri emphasized that every class was important, and if you missed ONE, you might miss that one explanation that would help you pass the Bar. So, she goes to class everyday, and then regrets that she could have got more focused studying done if she’d just stayed home. It’s not just the bar reviews that do it, it’s other people, too - students, parents, teachers, friends, etc. - who tell you that the Bar is hard, the pass rate is low, you’re not studying hard enough, you should study more, how dare you go shopping when you have an essay to write!
I’ve heard and read several things about the Bar being something like 50% knowledge of the law, 50% mental and emotional endurance. I’m beginning to wonder if it’s not higher like 10% legal knowledge, 90% mental/emotional preparation. I KNOW that there is a decent chance I could fail the Bar in July based on the overall pass rates. But, the fact that I know that doesn’t mean I need to let myself be guided by fear of failure. I’m trying to find a balance b/w not being too confident that I’m going to pass (because, what if I fail?? then I look like a total idiot for 1) failing; and 2) having thought I could pass in the first place!) and total self-confidence that I am capable of passing, that I’m going to pass, and everything is going to work out. I mean, I’ve had days when I’ve felt so good about the test, that I’ve wondered - “Am i missing something???” I mean, WHY DO SO MANY PEOPLE FAIL??? What is the ultimate decider? the essays? the MBE? the performance tests?? I feel like I’m going along ok, but I’m sure thousands of people felt the same way before, and then failed. Am I missing something??? But, I can’t let myself worry too much or fear too much, because then I start feeling defeated, and what’s the point of that?? There will be enough time to feel defeated in Nov. if I don’t pass. I guess I may as well spend this next month feeling successful while I have the chance.
Lastly, after I decided PMBR was more intimidating than helpful, and the prof’s annoying reference to the class as “Gang” drove me nuts (So gang, Well gang, Ok gang…AAAHHHHH!!), I went the music route. You wouldn’t necessarily think that Eminem could be considered “inspirational,” but his two songs - Lose Yourself and Til I Collapse - are highly appropriate for this summer of studying… A few select lyrics:
Look, if you had one shot, or one opportunityTo seize everything you ever wanted-One momentWould you capture it or just let it slip?
You better lose yourself in the music, the momentYou own it, you better never let it goYou only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blowThis opportunity comes once in a lifetime…
‘Cause sometimes you feel tired,feel weak, and when you feel weak, you feel like you wanna just give up.But you gotta search within you, you gotta find that inner strengthand just pull that shit out of you and get that motivation to not give upand not be a quitter, no matter how bad you wanna just fall flat on your face and collapse.
Yes, there’s a lot to memorize for the Bar, and yes there are some concepts I probably won’t get down pat, but I don’t need anyone breathing down my neck with their power of suggestion that I can’t handle it. A friend who is taking Bar/Bri was telling me that she felt some days would be better off spent at home, studying her own way instead of going to class. But, she was afraid to do that b/c Bar/Bri emphasized that every class was important, and if you missed ONE, you might miss that one explanation that would help you pass the Bar. So, she goes to class everyday, and then regrets that she could have got more focused studying done if she’d just stayed home. It’s not just the bar reviews that do it, it’s other people, too - students, parents, teachers, friends, etc. - who tell you that the Bar is hard, the pass rate is low, you’re not studying hard enough, you should study more, how dare you go shopping when you have an essay to write!
I’ve heard and read several things about the Bar being something like 50% knowledge of the law, 50% mental and emotional endurance. I’m beginning to wonder if it’s not higher like 10% legal knowledge, 90% mental/emotional preparation. I KNOW that there is a decent chance I could fail the Bar in July based on the overall pass rates. But, the fact that I know that doesn’t mean I need to let myself be guided by fear of failure. I’m trying to find a balance b/w not being too confident that I’m going to pass (because, what if I fail?? then I look like a total idiot for 1) failing; and 2) having thought I could pass in the first place!) and total self-confidence that I am capable of passing, that I’m going to pass, and everything is going to work out. I mean, I’ve had days when I’ve felt so good about the test, that I’ve wondered - “Am i missing something???” I mean, WHY DO SO MANY PEOPLE FAIL??? What is the ultimate decider? the essays? the MBE? the performance tests?? I feel like I’m going along ok, but I’m sure thousands of people felt the same way before, and then failed. Am I missing something??? But, I can’t let myself worry too much or fear too much, because then I start feeling defeated, and what’s the point of that?? There will be enough time to feel defeated in Nov. if I don’t pass. I guess I may as well spend this next month feeling successful while I have the chance.
Lastly, after I decided PMBR was more intimidating than helpful, and the prof’s annoying reference to the class as “Gang” drove me nuts (So gang, Well gang, Ok gang…AAAHHHHH!!), I went the music route. You wouldn’t necessarily think that Eminem could be considered “inspirational,” but his two songs - Lose Yourself and Til I Collapse - are highly appropriate for this summer of studying… A few select lyrics:
Look, if you had one shot, or one opportunityTo seize everything you ever wanted-One momentWould you capture it or just let it slip?
You better lose yourself in the music, the momentYou own it, you better never let it goYou only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blowThis opportunity comes once in a lifetime…
‘Cause sometimes you feel tired,feel weak, and when you feel weak, you feel like you wanna just give up.But you gotta search within you, you gotta find that inner strengthand just pull that shit out of you and get that motivation to not give upand not be a quitter, no matter how bad you wanna just fall flat on your face and collapse.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Moving on from the MBE stuff
Now that my sexy man is back from his sailing trip, I’ve been able to be slightly more focused on the matters at hand, although occasionally distracted by him, but that is ok :)
These last couple of days I’ve been trying to finish up my review of the MBE subjects. What I’m finding is that I do ok on the questions and can spot the big issues fairly easily, but I have a hard time articulating the rules involved in both the MBE q’s and my practice essays. This is kind of ok on the MBE q’s because, in the end, who cares WHY you got the right answer as long as you got the right answer. However, when it comes to the essays, though, being able to articulate the rules is pretty important. I’ve been thinking a lot about how to approach preparing for the essays and how to memorize all those little details of law. I need to get my hands on some more practice essays. MicroMash gives you a book with 75 essays in it (6-7 per subject), but I have a feeling that I am going to be going through more than 75 essays between now and the end of July. I’m doing some more review of MBE stuff this weekend and then will begin reading for the state subjects and practicing essays for those starting Monday. In addition to the state subjects, I plan to do some MBE’s everyday, try to review my MBE flashcards at least a couple of days a week, and do practice essays regarding the MBE subjects.
While it was nice at N&R’s having my own quiet little place to study, my own fridge, bathroom, etc., there is part of me that is really enjoying hanging out with my sexy man in an SF home where I am currently sharing one bathroom with FIVE other people, and have to negotiate all the beer in the fridge just so I can get to my food. I love this house because it is always filled with people and there is a slight feeling of craziness to it all: In this three bedroom house (but with basement and sunroom), there’s 6 of us here right now, with a cat and a dog; the side of the house is under construction; there is only one shower; there is more beer and wine in the fridge than food (is there ANY food??); there is no dishwasher so there is always a pile of dishes on the countertop; and last night I was woken up at 2am by some of the roommates playing guitar downstairs and singing at the top of their lungs. My honey’s room is a little sanctuary, though, and at least we have access to the sunroom where I can study all day and watch the fog tumble over Twin Peaks into Cole Valley or bask in the warmth of concentrated sunshine, and not be bothered by anyone.
These last couple of days I’ve been trying to finish up my review of the MBE subjects. What I’m finding is that I do ok on the questions and can spot the big issues fairly easily, but I have a hard time articulating the rules involved in both the MBE q’s and my practice essays. This is kind of ok on the MBE q’s because, in the end, who cares WHY you got the right answer as long as you got the right answer. However, when it comes to the essays, though, being able to articulate the rules is pretty important. I’ve been thinking a lot about how to approach preparing for the essays and how to memorize all those little details of law. I need to get my hands on some more practice essays. MicroMash gives you a book with 75 essays in it (6-7 per subject), but I have a feeling that I am going to be going through more than 75 essays between now and the end of July. I’m doing some more review of MBE stuff this weekend and then will begin reading for the state subjects and practicing essays for those starting Monday. In addition to the state subjects, I plan to do some MBE’s everyday, try to review my MBE flashcards at least a couple of days a week, and do practice essays regarding the MBE subjects.
While it was nice at N&R’s having my own quiet little place to study, my own fridge, bathroom, etc., there is part of me that is really enjoying hanging out with my sexy man in an SF home where I am currently sharing one bathroom with FIVE other people, and have to negotiate all the beer in the fridge just so I can get to my food. I love this house because it is always filled with people and there is a slight feeling of craziness to it all: In this three bedroom house (but with basement and sunroom), there’s 6 of us here right now, with a cat and a dog; the side of the house is under construction; there is only one shower; there is more beer and wine in the fridge than food (is there ANY food??); there is no dishwasher so there is always a pile of dishes on the countertop; and last night I was woken up at 2am by some of the roommates playing guitar downstairs and singing at the top of their lungs. My honey’s room is a little sanctuary, though, and at least we have access to the sunroom where I can study all day and watch the fog tumble over Twin Peaks into Cole Valley or bask in the warmth of concentrated sunshine, and not be bothered by anyone.
MicroMash Guarantee & the California Bar
I forgot to email essay #2 into the MicroMash mentor guy last night, and failure to do so results in me having forfeited any possibility of making good on the MicroMash guarantee. I’ve decided, though, that an attempt to meet the MicroMash guarantee - while an incentive - is not a realistic or SMART goal for someone taking the California Bar. There are people who have ran the numbers to figure out what sort of score you need on the MBE to have a decent chance at passing California’s bar, but the reality is that the MBE is 35% of your total Bar score. To get the MicroMash guarantee, I believe you have to send in all 6 essays by the specified dates, do ALL 3000+ of their MBE practice questions at least once, get ALL of them right at least once, and spend at least one minute on every question. I initially thought this might be a reasonable goal, but I realize now that it is dumb to dedicate so much time to the MBE when it is only 35% of my Bar score. Instead of spending additional hours going through all the questions I got wrong just for the sake of getting them RIGHT so I can meet the guarantee, I’d be much better off doing 3 or 4 practice essays in preparation for the Essay/Practice Performance portion of the Bar which is worth almost twice as much as the MBE. I will continue to do practice questions using their software, of course, and I still feel glad I didn’t take Bar/Bri or PMBR, but I don’t think I am going to strive to meet the MicroMash guarantee - well, I guess it doesn’t matter anyway because I didn’t turn my essay in on time, so I’m out already! I’m not saying that MicroMash isn’t a good program to use, it definitely has its benefits, but the time you’d put into trying to satisfy their guarantee could potentially eat up valuable time that might be better off spent doing other things. I think it’s a stronger incentive/program in those states that require a certain passing score for the MBE or those states that won’t even look at your essays unless you pass the MBE. But, for a state like CA that puts greater emphasis on the essay/performance tests, your writing and organization skills and your knowledge of the STATE subjects have to be completely solid, and I think it’s wise to spend more time working on that. So, the possibility of the MicroMash guarantee was nice while it lasted, but it looks like I have to pass the Bar this time around or fork over more money to Thompson one way or another.
Friday, June 8, 2007
Property Outline anyone??
One great thing about the Bar is that there is no incentive to NOT help others pass. So, in light of that, a friend passed on this property outline, which apparently follows the Bar/Bri property lectures to a T. Lord knows I can use all the help I can get in this subject….. Enjoy!
Another Bar Blog.. with Advice!
Well, there is obviously a very nice (and perhaps bored?) person in the blogosphere who passed the CA Bar on the first-time around and is now blogging about what he did (and didn’t do) that affected his (her?) studying for the bar. I looked through the first couple of posts and some of it seems helpful. More than anything, I guess, the notes are reassuring - you can pass, you don’t have to be getting 70% on all the MBE subjects right NOW, etc. So, check out this blog !! **It appears they took Bar/Bri, so if you’re taking Bar/Bri, you may relate more to some things mentioned, but the posts are pretty general overall…..
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