Raising the Bar

They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. So, if I want to pass the bar exam in July, I need to do something different.

I rocked the multiple choice section both times I took the bar, so obviously I know the law. (The multiple choice section is widely believed to be the harder portion, though I found it to be the easier portion.) So, I need to work on my essays. I'm a good writer, but the bar exam doesn't reward good writing. It rewards what I like to call "Mad-libs for Lawyers". My remedial college English students can write better essays than the so-called "model answers" that the state bar holds up as paragons of legal writing. That means I need to do a ton of practice essays so that I can spew back awful writing in my sleep.

I also need a change of venue. I have trouble studying at home because there are so many distractions. The TV, the computer, the laundry, and the cats are all way more interesting than the Rule Against Perpetuities. I also need to accept the limitations of my endocrine system and realize that my malfunctioning adrenals mean that I'm more productive in the morning than in the evening.

So, instead of studying by trying (mostly unsuccessfully) to read books in the evening after work, I'm going to study by writing essays in the morning before work. There's a coffee shop next door, so I'm going to go there at the beginning of the day and write one practice essay each morning before heading into the office. I guess hot cocoa and pastries will need to become another line item in my budget.

I'm going to take the light rail to work so that I can use my commute time to practice multiple choice questions and brush up on areas of law I'm less sure about. Since the light rail station is about 4 blocks from work, that gives me a mile round-trip of walking each day. That way I'll have exercise automatically worked into my schedule, too.

This will lengthen my day considerably. I'll leave home around 7 in the morning and get home around 7 at night. But, once I'm home, I can take the rest of the evening off. I can play with my cats, do chores, go out with friends, watch TV, or go to bed early with no guilt. This time I'm going for quality over quantity.