Week 8

Themis Simulated Exam

The 2-day Themis practice exam is scheduled for this week for all Themis preppers—even those who are behind Themis's "ideal" schedule. It's a complete simulation of the bar exam—2 MPTs and 6 essays on day one; 200 multiple-choice questions on day two. The Themis calendar has these scheduled for July 5 & 6. If you're celebrating Independence Day on July 4, I suggest postponing the exam until July 6 & 7 (your head might not be ready for 6 hours of MPTs/essays on July 5!). If you're caught up in Themis and put the exam off until the 6th, jump forward in Themis on the 5th and do whatever assignment comes after the post-exam review.

I've reserved rooms 201 and 107 (for accommodated students) on July 6 & 7. We'll start at 9am, take an hour for lunch, and resume at 1pm. If you cannot come to campus, take the simulated exam in a quiet, distraction-free place without snacks, music, pets, comfy couches, etc. to better simulate exam day!

Barbri Simulated Written Exam

Barbri's simulated written exam (1 MPT, 3 essays) is on the Barbri "ideal" schedule for July 8. I did not reserve rooms for this one because it's not worth driving to campus for a 3-hour practice test. The exam materials are at the end of the "Practice Essays" book. If you're behind in Barbri, hold off the sim written exam until you complete the essay lectures. If you're way behind in Barbri, email me, and we'll discuss optimal timing for you.

Barbri, unlike Themis, does not have a full-blown simulated written exam with 2 MPTs and 6 essays. But you can roll your own: There are two half-day practice exams at the back of the Essays book—one for February preppers and one for July preppers. You could combine those for a full-day exam, or you could download 6 essays and 2 MPTs from our banks (or get them from the Barbri books). I don't think a full-day simulated essay exam is essential. But at some point you should definitely complete 2 MPTs back to back and 6 essays back to back; it doesn't have to be all in one day.

Training your body for game day

Bar prep focuses on training your brain. But the savvy prepper knows to train the body, too. How? Two ways:

• First, work on exam-day stamina by studying in 3-hour blocks from 9am to noon and 1:30pm to 4:30pm—the same hours that you will be sitting in the exam room. Note: I'm not saying to cut your study day down to six hours! I'm suggesting that for at least those six hours, you force your body to sit still and focus. Not a morning person? Now is the time to become one! Drag yourself out of bed a few minutes earlier each day until you are waking up at whatever time you plan to wake up on exam day. Need your 2pm nap? Work on powering through the afternoon doldrums. Start now, and your body will be ready for the rigors of the exam.

• Figure out what you will eat on exam day. You don't want the munchies halfway through the morning session or a sugar crash at 3pm. Experiment to make sure your breakfast and lunch will keep you alert and focused during the exam.

• Are you a "coffee achiever"? Figure out your optimal morning and afternoon caffeine dose—and where you will get it on exam day. (Pro tip from a caffeine junkie: Those Starbucks instant-coffee packets dissolve in a bottle of cold water and don't taste too awful.)

Survey reminder: Where are you taking the bar exam?

And on the topic of lunch: If you haven't already completed the "where are you taking the bar exam" survey, please do so ASAP—especially if you're taking the exam in Arlington, where we expect to serve lunches. We'll send out menu choices in the near future to Arlington examines who completed the survey.

Questions of the Week

Q: Can I knock off studying on July 4?

A: Yes! . . . If you're reasonably caught up. If you're behind, I suggest putting in a half day.

Q: The BLE says it will provide free "mobile lockers" for cell-phone storage at the exam sites. How big are the lockers? Can I stash my lunch there?

A: The lockers are small—think apartment-complex mail-box pigeon-hole; big enough for a cell phone that's about all. some sites may have something more akin to a coat check (hand your phone to someone at a counter; receive a claim ticket in return). So no room for lunch.

Q: The General Instructions part 2.5 say to put "smaller" allowed items into a clear plastic bag. Do I have to put my laptop into a giant Ziplock bag?

A: Um, no. You may hand-carry your laptop, keyboard, cooling pad, sweater, etc.

That's all for this week. As ever, if you have questions or need talked back from the ledge, email or call me or Prof. Deutsch. Our contact info is on this blog's home page.