Taking the bar exam? Do you want to succeed? Here are some tips from a poor soul who had to take the bar exam in two different states … and taking these tips seriously helped her pass the first time, both times.

• 1. Understand the distinctions of the law and understand them well. If you don’t understand them, or think “more or less” they do, be sure to talk to other students or the right person. This is especially important for multiple choice.
• 2. SLEEP. Each night. 8 hours. Your brain needs to process and rest. Better to sleep and feel refreshed rather than hoarding that latest information that you won’t remember, anyway, because you’re too tired.
• 3. It is a marathon, not a sprint, so you must be able to train properly. Your brain is like a muscle; You’ve probably never used it before like you would on the barbell exam, so you must realize that you actually have to train to absorb more and more information over time.
• 4. Don’t be overwhelmed. If you feel overwhelmed, stop, breathe, think about something else for a few minutes, go for a walk, exercise, go to the beach for a little swim!
• 5. Don’t underestimate the bar exam. Just as some of you have to control your tendency to freak out and find it too much, some of you must remember that this is big – a lot of money and a lot of time wasted if you don’t take it seriously. Study every day, whatever happens, for at least a few hours.
• 6. The biggest fear, of course, is the fear of failure. But stop fearing failure if it leads to panic (which will lead to failure later, because you can’t think). The reality is that those of us who have taken the bar know that it is incredibly difficult. I don’t know of a single person who was 100% sure that they passed away right after taking it. If it fails, we will not despise it, we know how difficult it is and how easy it can be to panic. Breathe, know you can do it again and it won’t be the end of the world, I promise.
• 7. FOCUS. Keep your mind on the matter. Take advantage of the time you spend studying QUALITY, rather than quantity. Personally, I would rather study in a focused way for 2-3 hours than spend 8 hours doing it halfway, right?
• 8. Know now that your friends and family, no matter how well-intentioned they may be, I don’t understand what it means to study for the bar exam. Your girlfriend will be bitter. Your husband will feel lonely. Your children will make as many demands, if not more, than before. Your friends won’t understand why you can’t go out for “one.” Prepare them as far in advance as possible … before graduation, even before the third year begins! “I will not be available during this time period. Don’t ask me questions. Don’t expect me to understand simple questions like, what do you want for dinner? – because I’ll be thinking about the constitutional requirements for search and seizure.” Reduce your stress by preparing them well in advance; will not be available, and he means it!

I think these two tips helped me tremendously to prepare for the bar, because I deliberately stayed away from daily pressure in the lead up to the bar exam. I firmly believe that following this advice helped me stay calm. For these reasons, as another tip, I do not recommend attending a bar review reading course (except possibly one, the name of which will not be mentioned, that is, 2 days at the beginning), but listening to the lectures on CD (because the bar review courses is where everyone congregates and becomes obsessed):

• 9. DO NOT sit around and obsess over others about the bar exam (this includes bar exam days).
• 10. DO NOT compare the amount you study with what others say they are studying. It is irrelevant. The quality of your time and approach, and covering all the material, is what matters.

The key components of success, simply put, are that you learn to focus and avoid distractions, especially those that are emotionally draining.