Passing the Florida Bar Exam—A Success Story
If you are reading this article, you are likely beginning the process of studying for the Florida Bar Exam. Don’t kid yourself. Even if you graduated with honors from law school, you do not know everything you need to know to pass the Florida Bar Exam. The bar exam is nothing like law school!
Bar prep is a beast, a bear, a monster, and anything else terrible you can think of at this moment. Those 8-10 weeks that you dedicate to bar exam prep are stressful, isolating, gut-wrenching, lonely, and depressing at times. Be prepared to handle the ups and downs of the seemingly wild bar exam preparation ride! It’s a roller coaster at times. The massive hours of lectures, outlines, practice questions, diagnostic tests, etc. might very well seem overwhelming. You might find yourself second-guessing your intellectual abilities, and you might wonder out loud what the heck you were thinking when you signed up for this!
But here is the thing: If I can do it, then you can do it too! You may wonder if real people with real problems and real lives can pass the Florida Bar Exam the first time. Well, I am here to tell you that you can! I was in your shoes just a short while ago. I had to deal with real problems that could have become complete roadblocks, but I did not give up or give my problems the power to keep me from tackling the bar prep beast.
I Passed, Despite the Obstacles!
I graduated from law school in May 2014, and I took the July 2014 Florida Bar and PASSED! Words cannot describe the feeling of joy and elation that I felt when I found my number on the list and read PASS PASS PASS! I cried happy tears! It was so satisfying to know that all of my hard work and long study days had really paid off. It may sound corny, but you too can experience that same feeling of sheer happiness and joy of knowing you passed the Florida Bar Exam—if you are willing to put in the time, work, and effort.
I had to balance many things while bar prepping this past summer, and I had several mini roadblocks to overcome as well. I did not work during bar prep, so finances were extremely tight and a daily stressor. My laptop died 3 weeks before I started bar prep, so I had to complete all of my bar prep on a borrowed laptop. In addition, after months of empty promises, the house we were renting was put up on the block for a foreclosure sale. The timing could not have been any worse, and I almost felt defeated before I even started. 🙁
I am married and unfortunately, my husband was not the most cooperative spouse during bar prep. We didn’t see eye-to-eye very often during bar prep, and the bulk of household duties and such were stuck with me. However, I was able to keep that roadblock from breaking me down completely by confiding in a good friend and in my big sister.
I also have a very smart and energetic 7-year-old daughter who was on summer break the entire time I was bar prepping. I could not afford to put her in daycare, so I had to plan my study day accordingly so I could at least spend a little bit of time with her each day. However, she was very clear on the fact that Mommy was studying for a really big test! I was very torn about the lack of time I spent with her during the summer, but I also knew that I did NOT want to put her or myself through this process again.
My Study Schedule
Even though I am far from being a morning person, my study day typically started at 6:30 AM during the week. Since I did not feel that I needed to live classroom lectures, I used the Themis Bar Exam Prep program, so the majority of my materials were online. By the time many of my counterparts started their study day at 9:00 AM, I had already completed about 2 ½ hours of study time.
I took a 1-hour lunch break each day and hourly stretch breaks/coffee breaks. I even learned how to take a refreshing 20-minute power nap at lunchtime (I set a timer on my cell phone). In the first few weeks of bar prep, I was finished with studying by 5:00 PM each day. As the weeks progressed though, I finished around 8:00 PM and later.
Prior to beginning bar prep, I sent a typed letter to all of my close friends and family. The note explained that I would likely not be able to attend any social events and explained that I would be in my bar prep cave of sorts for the duration of the summer. They ALL understood what I was trying to convey, and I even received motivational notes and words from them as well!
It was a beautiful summer, and I watched most of it through the window blinds of my office while I studied each day, so that honestly sucked. I went out with friends one time during the summer, and I had so much fun. However, I was home and in my bed by 11:30 PM that night. 🙂 I did take off Memorial Day, but I worked ahead on my study tasks prior to taking the day off.
At times I felt jealous of those who were living life to the fullest (well I don’t know if they were but it seemed like everyone else was having more fun than I was!). However, I kept telling myself that this was temporary and it was! The summer flew by faster and faster. I could not believe that the test date was getting closer and closer at an alarmingly fast rate.
To combat the narrowing of the timeline and other pressures of life, I stuck to my study schedule like glue. I moved ahead to the next day’s material whenever I was lucky enough to have a strong understanding of that day’s subject. We all have strong subjects so utilize that extra pocket of time to work ahead!
Weekends were mainly for reviewing subjects and doing practice questions. With the help of my DVR, I even made time for my guilt-free hour of my favorite reality TV show. 🙂 So just know that you do not have to totally deprive yourself.
It is a little embarrassing to admit, but most days I studied in my pajamas all day long. So be forewarned, bar prep is not pretty. Remember to take a minute and enjoy some “me time” so that you do not burn out.
Take a walk, exercise, have a cup of tea, or watch the news to see what is going on in the non-bar prep world. 🙂 One of my best friends was prepping for the Florida Bar at the same time as I, so we were able to vent to one another when “outsiders” didn’t understand our frustration, and we were able to laugh together when it felt as if there was nothing funny in our lives.
Bar Prep Tips
Here are some basic tips I would suggest during your bar prep period:
1. Plan financially for the basics and for potential crises too; work through it the best you can.
2. Prep your spouses/significant others/family members on the importance of bar prep and ask for their support.
3. Be as positive as possible; tell yourself that you will Pass! Meditate, write out affirmations, pray, or do whatever works for you.
4. Stick to your study schedule and hold yourself accountable!
5. Stay healthy and plan meals ahead if possible.
6. Study every subject in your bar prep program! Don’t cheat yourself by wrongly “predicting” test subjects. Give yourself extra time for the subjects that you know are difficult for you to grasp.
7. If possible, find yourself a no non-sense bar prep buddy that you can vent to when you are feeling low. Don’t let hysteria from fellow bar preppers infect your thinking!
8. Work hard and study hard! Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security. Smart people fail the bar exam all the time because they fail to commit to the preparation!
9. Enlist the help of family and friends to help make your life easier during this time!
10. Remember this is a temporary period; you can have all the fun you want AFTER you pass this bar exam!
You may feel that you are on a deserted island at times during these weeks. Those around you may not understand your angst during this period. They won’t understand it unless they have experienced it first hand, so it will be OK. Just keep to your schedule, work hard, and do as many practice questions and practice essays as you can squeeze into your brain. I guarantee that when you pass the Florida Bar Exam you will not say, “I wish I had not studied so hard!”
This is your time to shine. Have faith in yourself and your abilities. Good luck to those of you who are preparing for the Florida Bar Exam. I passed and I know you can too! Just put in the work (real work) and you will reap the benefits.
~ A. White, Esquire ~
Originally Posted Jan 1, 2015
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