What to Do Before and During the Bar Exam

Here’s how to keep small problems from scrambling your chances of passing the bar exam. And here’s why you need to read this, even if you’re the clone of a Supreme Court justice: Circumstances beyond your control can arise. Or maybe you’ll shoot yourself in the foot (that actually happened during the Olympics) with some seemingly small mistake.

Even if you’ve memorized every existing legal principle, including Hammurabi’s Code in the original Akkadian, all that brain power won’t help if you’re stuck in traffic, become too tired to think or… well, read on.

Worried yet? Uh-oh. All the experts say to relax before the test. So start relaxing or else! There, problem solved.

Seriously, here’s what you can do to avoid nerve-wracking hassles and wreckers of relaxation before and during exam day.

The night before the exam, stay at a hotel close to the test site. On exam day, do you really want to hassle with transit? Maybe a late bus, traffic, parking, the risk of a flat tire? So stay nearby. Don’t want to spend the money? Remember, you’re taking a test that could determine whether your next job involves saying “amicus cuirae” or “do you want fries with that?” So spend a little money to give yourself an edge.

But don’t stay at the same hotel as all the other exam takers, e.g., the hotel attached to the testing site. If the hotel isn’t that obvious, ask yourself where’s the closest, easiest, cheapest place to stay? Then stay somewhere else, even if you have to drop a few bucks.

Here’s why the right hotel is so important: You may be the essence of calm, but insanity is infectious, or at least annoying. And if you’re the one who’s freaking out, the calm people are annoying, and the crazy people can make you crazier (“Why are all those people so scared? Should I be more worried? What do they know that I don’t? Should I try to memorize Hammurabi’s Code?”) Plus, roaming, muttering, panic-stricken test takers may tromp the hotel halls while you’re trying to get a good night’s sleep. (In case that last tip slid subtly past: GET A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP.)

The day before the bar exam, resist studying anything, or at least avoid studying big chunks of material. Cramming isn’t easy, and the process can increase anxiety (though it’s easier with Attack Sheets – see how we subtly inserted that near-subliminal message). If you’re truly under-prepared, panicking won’t help, and cramming isn’t going to be the sole lifeboat that returns to the site of your sinking chances to pluck you from the icy waters of failure. A negative attitude won’t help either. So don’t read the prior sentence. Or at least don’t believe it, unless you want to. To be safe, before applying any advice in this blog, consult a neuropsychiatrist, gastroenterologist, cryptozoologist and spiritual advisors from seven religions. (That’s the worst legal disclaimer ever. And you knew that before we told you. See, studying has paid off.)

Meanwhile, back at reality: Remember to pack a watch, comfortable clothes (this isn’t a job interview) and everything else you’ll need inside and outside the test room. This may include snacks and a coffee thermos (more about those later). Don’t forget earplugs. Some lip-smacking, snorting, knuckle-cracking cretin may sit near you. If you’re the cretin, you’ll want to ignore anyone hassling you about the noise.

Check into the hotel early, lay out everything you need for the next day, and spot some places to have lunch.

Lunch shouldn’t be stressful so have several places in mind, in case some are crowded. A meal in your room may be ideal so you can stretch out and relax a bit afterward.

Some states allow snacks and drinks in the test area. If your state doesn’t, consider keeping snacks and coffee in your backpack outside the test room. A short break to recharge your body helps some folks. Others think it’s a gigantic waste of time. Then there’s the “it’s important; so it should hurt” sect, the kind who would put gravel in their running shoes. They delight in battling hunger, thirst, stress and a burning urge to pee. That’s just sad.

Unless you’re one of those people, stay tuned for more tips on test-day behaviors that aid success.

* The author, Mr. Spy Satellite, sees and knows all, according to an informed source, himself. He reminds us, “I see you when you’re sleeping, I know if you’re a flake, I know if you’ve been bad or good… Stop it! You know you can’t scratch there in public!”)

This entry was posted on Monday, February 21st, 2011 at 5:05 am and is filed under Bar Exam Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.