Bar Exam Diaries - Third Time's a Charm Edition - Day 1

I got a good night's sleep. My alarm went off at 6:30, and I got out of bed about 6:45. (I'm a bit of a snooze button addict.) I checked my email. One of my friends texted me at 7:15 to let me know that she was awake and didn't need a 7:30 wakeup call. I showered and got ready for the day. After my shower, I decided to eat breakfast. I opened up a container of yogurt and tried to eat it, but the smell was so off-putting that I couldn't do it. It made me sick to my stomach. I'm on an antibiotic because of the burn on my hand, so I'm guessing I'm in for another round of antibiotic induced nausea. Fun.

I ended up eating some of the snacks I had brought instead. So I started the day off with Pringles, Oreos, and wasabi rice crackers. Breakfast of champions. After breakfast, I headed downstairs for the test. The test center was much more organized this time around. I didn't see any chaos. I had a different proctor this time, which relieved me. I like the proctor I had the last two times, but I think I would have been embarrassed to have to face him again. (He remembered me in February. I guess there aren't too many redheads taking the bar in Oakland.) My proctor this time is a grandfatherly old man with a cheery disposition. When he was checking my ID, he said, "Looks just like you." I responded "I hope not!" and then we both laughed.

Bar Exam Diaries - Third Time's a Charm Edition - Day 0

Here we go again. I had always heard stories of people who take the bar exam multiple times, but it was never supposed to be me. That's supposed to be something that happens to other people. People have tried to cheer me up by saying, "You're smart. You'll pass this time." I appreciate the sentiment, but clearly there's more to passing the bar than being smart. (Plus, I'm reasonably sure my intelligence has remained unchanged between last July and now.)

It seems like my body decides to get ill or injured right before every bar exam. Last July I had an eye infection, and the antibiotics I had to take to treat it caused nausea. In February, I was in a car accident the week before the test. Not to be outdone this time, I burned my hand rather severly last week. I only just regained the ability to hold a pencil this morning.

I wasn't able to get much time off work, but my employer is pretty good about flex time and work/life balance. So I worked from home today and took a long lunch that consisted of traveling to Oakland to settle in to the hotel I'm staying at. I signed off of my email at 5:30 and put up an out of office auto-reply for the next three days. (I'll still have to log on every night and catch up on the day's messages, though.)

After I checked in to the hotel, I went to the grocery store to get food for the week. It's cheaper and faster than eating out. I really wish I could go swimming, but my hand hasn't healed enough for that yet, so I'll have to find something else to do.

I'm feeling pretty good about the test this time. I'm in a good place emotionally. The first time I took the bar, I was freaked out. The second time, I was so fed up that I just didn't care. This time, I'm prepared and calm. I'm ok with the outcome, whatever it is. If I pass, great. If I don't pass, it's not a big deal. I don't really need bar membership to be a professor. But I think I'll pass. Third time's a charm.

Still alive over here

Just a quick update to let you know that I haven't fallen completely off the face of the earth. The bar exam is in a week and a half, and I'll come back to life then. Ciao!