Bar Exam Diaries - Day 3

I'm done! Here's hoping that I don't have to repeat this ordeal in February.

My alarm went off at 6:00 because I had planned on doing my hair and wearing makeup for the confidence boost. (I had gone to the other days with no makeup and braided hair.) I was so tired that I reset my alarm for 6:30. I got up at 6:35 and showered and dressed. I managed to do my hair, but I didn't bother with the makeup. It's not like I'm trying to impress anyone there anyway.

I didn't eat any breakfast at home because I wasn't hungry yet. I turned on my computer to check my e-mail, and my cat decided she wanted to curl up on my lap and purr lovingly. I let her do that for a few minutes and then I had to leave. I drove to the BART station and got on the train. I brought a book today, so I buried my nose in it, in the international symbol for "please don't talk to me right now". Fortunately, everyone near me on the train was familiar with that symbol.

When I arrived, I went to the coffee shop and grabbed a pastry. I finished it as I arrived at the convention center, and I arrived just as the doors to the exam room were opening. I headed in and got my computer all set up. The cheerful proctor checked me in and gave me a brief pep talk about how I was almost there. Then he said that he didn't want to see me back in six months.

The exam started and I began my essays. I was a little less confident on today's essays. I finished with about 45 minutes to spare, so I headed over to Starbucks to grab some lunch and read my book. As I walked over there, I reasoned that if I failed the exam, it would be because of my second essay of this morning. I totally didn't know the rule, so I made up something plausible and went with it.

A little while later, I left Starbucks and headed back toward the convention center. As I was leaving, I ran into some friends who were just arriving, so I stayed with them and sipped my caramel apple cider while they ate lunch. We debriefed the exam, and it turns out I got the second essay (with the rule I made up) correct. That made me feel a zillion times better.

After lunch, we headed back to the convention center and went our separate ways. I sat down and began reading my book again. I saw people around me studying, and I wondered if it was actually doing them any good. We headed back into the exam room and the mood was palpably lighter. We could all feel that the end was in sight.

The afternoon session began. I totally kicked butt on the last performance test. It was like knowledge was flowing through me and out my fingers onto the computer screen. I finished a few seconds before time was called. (This was rare for me. The only other time I've taken all of the time allotted was on my criminal procedure final in law school.)

When the exam ended, the room broke out into spontaneous applause. I high-fived the people sitting next to me. The room felt like a huge millstone had just been lifted. I gathered my belongings and walked outside. As people were pouring out of the convention center, there was a guy from the pub across the street handing out coupons for a free beer. I don't drink, so I declined the offer, but I appreciated the gesture. (It was a pretty brilliant marketing strategy, I have to admit.)

I headed to the coffee shop and uploaded my exam files. Then I got on BART and headed home. It was an uneventful trip. When I got home, Jen and I went out to dinner at Fuddruckers because I had been craving a garden burger all week.

I'm starting to feel the effects of the adrenaline wearing off. I'm so tired, but I'm exhilarated, too. I'm glad it's all over. Now there's the 3 1/2 month wait for the results. I feel pretty confident that I passed. I hope I'm right.