We’re approaching mid-December and you’re thinking, “Bar prep time is just around the corner. Should I start studying now?”
That’s up to you and what form of bar preparation you’ll use! For those using established barbell prep programs, program start dates typically officially begin the first week of January. Sometimes there will be online practice questions or lectures to listen to the week before. Do this if you are assigned.
Should you do any study beforehand to help you prepare?
Personally, I was so freaked out by the bar that I was actually thinking about buying freshman supplements again and diving in over the winter break, so I’d feel ready when the barbri came around in January. Good thing I came to my senses first.
1) If you are enrolled in a bar preparation program
If you have a bar prep program, make sure you have all of your books on hand or readily available online. Once you have your books, it might be a good idea to at least flip through them to see what’s in there and get an idea of what the show is about. You may also want to do some light study and schematic reading. There is no need to dive in and do intense exam preparation until January. After all, they gave you a schedule that starts in January for a reason. If they felt you should be studying beforehand, they would have told you.
It could also be a hurdle to dive in and start any intense study before your program starts. You will develop study habits, take practice tests and ask multiple choice questions. The style of the bar exam is different from law school finals, and you want to make sure your approach is what the bar prep program tells you to do, so you develop those habits right from the start. Studying without their advice can put you in a mindset and approach that you will have to change later on.
Also, you want to make sure you keep your energy levels up. Six or seven weeks of preparation should be enough. You don’t want to mess up that fresh, early energy by practicing or memorizing things you don’t really need. Also, if you start too early, you may miss the first few materials and need to spend more time revising.
Instead, I would focus on fixing everything in your life other than the bar. Know where you’re going to live, where you’re going to study, what happy meal you’re going to eat, what TV shows you’re going to keep watching, where you’re going to exercise, and what you’re going to say to your partner when they keep wondering why you’re home so late (tell him you’ll be home late before the bar prep starts!). You want to keep these ‘off-the-field’ distractions to a minimum when it comes to bar preparation time.
2) If you are not enrolled in a bar preparation program
If you’re not enrolled in a barbell prep program, it’s important to create a plan of attack that includes what you need to accomplish by the end of each week. This must be done no later than December. If your custom schedule says you need to start early, go ahead! For those of you who buy the barbri books, use the barbri rhythm program.
In conclusion:
December
1) Check the materials of the bar and/or study and review the light
2) Take the assigned online practice from a barre preparation program
3) Handle all outside business
4) Create a plan of attack if you don’t have one
January
1) Start studying
If you have any comments or suggestions that might be helpful to others, please comment below. Thank you!
We wish you success in passing your bar exam!
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