19 Days and counting...

We're down to only 19 days until the Bar exam. I had a bit of a reality check yesterday because we took a full day practice exam. I finished each of my essays about 10 minutes early, mainly because I couldn't come up with enough to say on the essay topics. (It took me a full 5 minutes to realize that the first question was an ethics question. Not a good start.) Today I buckled down and did 2 more practice essays and put in a good 2 hours of memorizing. Hopefully I'll be able to cram enough into my head in the next few weeks to do well.

My Bar admission ticket came along with a list of what we can and cannot have during the exam. I was a little upset to see that chapstick is not on the approved list. I think I might brave it and bring some anyway. I can't get through a 7 hour day with chapped lips. Apparently, the Bar will be just like getting through airport security. We are supposed to stow all our approved possessions in a clear zip top bag.

I also joined a study group last week to increase my motivation. We are meeting twice a week in the evenings. Although I'm not as productive at night, since this is extra study time on top of what I've been doing, I figure it can't hurt. The trouble is that I seem to sink into a delerium after an hour or so of studying. I hope that the rest of the group doesn't think I'm more of a distraction than a contributing member. We will be having our next meeting later this week, so hopefully I will be able to settle down and get something out of the experience.

Final Days of BarBri

I can't believe we just had our last substantive law lecture yesterday. The topic was Community Property, which was probably my least favorite class in law school. Basically, Community Property is the warm fuzzy idea of marriage as an economic community, but it never becomes an issue until death or divorce. Thus, every case is depressing.

I'm feeling pretty good about my progress on studying. I do have to put some more time into learning the topics we most recently covered (since my ability to sit still and study for hours on end has waned considerably), but all in all I feel confident that I will do well on the exam. To keep my motivation up, I joined a study group of other BarBri students.

I'm most concerned about having to spend 3 six-hour days taking an exam. Even if I had a year to study, I think having to go through the exam itself would be stressful. With less than a month to go, I'm just going to have to get used to the idea.

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Finally, here is a great article about saving money by going vegan. As a vegetarian, the most expensive groceries I buy are definitely dairy products, so I can certainly relate to the link between animal food and big grocery bills.

http://vegfamily.com/articles/recession-proof-your-diet.htm