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Posted on - 4 Comments on Redditor Goes from “Negative, Anxious, and Depressed” to Passing the Bar on 3rd Try

Redditor Goes from “Negative, Anxious, and Depressed” to Passing the Bar on 3rd Try

A Redditor (who wants to be anonymous) passed the California Bar Exam on her 3rd try.

She was going through a difficult period in her life where people around her were passing away, and she had no money or job.

On top of that, she was being dragged down by her own negative thoughts about herself and from the past.

No wonder. We’re driven by our hearts. You know how difficult it is to focus when you’re heartbroken. 

But she reframed obstacles and overcame her self-doubt. And with a proper approach to learning and retaining—and conquering her mental and emotional blocks—she finally blew the exam out of the water!

Despite her anonymity, she sent me a juicy story 🙏🏻 So let’s get right into it.

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Posted on - 6 Comments on What If You Failed the Bar Exam? Should You Retake a Bar Review Course?

What If You Failed the Bar Exam? Should You Retake a Bar Review Course?

So you find yourself in an unbelievable situation: You failed the bar exam.

Procedure in case you failed the bar exam

Reality is undeniable. You dust off your tears. It’s time to take action.

You wonder: What’s the next step?

Should you retake your bar prep course? What’s the alternative? 

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Posted on - No Comments on Secrets Your Bar Review Course Won’t Spill

Secrets Your Bar Review Course Won’t Spill

A bar review course can make you wonder whether trying to finish it has somehow become a second bar exam.

You’re stuck in an overwhelming hellscape of cookie-cutter schedules, droning lectures, singing professors, outlines, workbooks, assignments…

Completing every assignment may give you a sense of accomplishment, but it doesn’t mean that you’re developing the skills needed to earn points on the bar exam (and pass).

You do NOT get extra points on your exam for completing 100% of the course.

You have more flexibility than your course’s schedule might suggest. You’re allowed to skip lectures when your time would be better spent practicing, adjust your daily assignments, and spend additional time on subjects that need attention.

Does it even make sense that you and everyone else taking it have the exact same program? Or that the course assumes the same learning style? Watching yet another three-hour lecture at 1.5x speed and hoping your brain was listening may not be the most productive use of your afternoon.

Your course provides the raw materials, but their curriculum is simply a suggestion. In fact, you are the dean of your own studies.

Here are five things to consider before letting Barbri or Themis dictate every hour of your life.

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Posted on - No Comments on Work AND Bar Prep at the Same Time? Just Remember This One Thing…

Work AND Bar Prep at the Same Time? Just Remember This One Thing…

Studying for the bar exam is no easy feat regardless of your situation. It takes a lot of time, energy, and focus to make it happen. But when you’re juggling a full-time job on top of all that studying, it can feel even more overwhelming.

Preparing for the bar exam is costly not just in time but also financially (and mentally, and emotionally, and…). If no one else is supporting you or your family, then you’re probably working and cramming your studies, if you even have the energy left.

But other bar takers have done it. And they were able to blow the exam out of the water.

How did they balance work and studying for the bar exam? It’s not impossible to do both at the same time, but it does require some creativity and discipline.

The first thing to keep in mind is that constraints force you to get creative and focus on what moves the needle. You’re not going to have time or attention to waste on stuff like sitting still like a statue while the lecturer rambles for 4 hours. So you gotta make efficient use of your time.

This can be a blessing in disguise because you won’t be wasting time. Let me share some tactics for studying efficiently while working full time, with examples.

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Posted on - 2 Comments on 5 Reframes to Power Up Your Mind and Emotions for the Bar Exam Right Now

5 Reframes to Power Up Your Mind and Emotions for the Bar Exam Right Now

It seemed so far away when we first came here. Well, that’s what a journey is.

Preparing for the bar exam forces you to cycle through various emotions over weeks and months.

One moment calm, feeling like you’ve done all you could. Panic and anxiety the next moment. Frustration. Utter confusion. Overwhelm. Back to relief.

Rinse and repeat.

Your heart is beating uncontrollably, your thoughts are becoming irrational, and your palms are sweaty! 🥵 You’re feeling HOT!

Go from hot ⤵

To cool

When you’re in trouble, breathe, and go back to the fundamentals.

If you have anxiety about the bar exam, take deep breaths in sync with this.

Reality can betray the most reasonable of your expectations and daydreams at whim, coloring the past with regrets and the future with despair.

It can also present us with gifts if you look carefully, even if some days you have to look much harder than other days. 

But if life only gives you lemons, you weren’t looking out for the oranges.

Here are five philosophies you can apply right now to mentally reframe how you feel about the bar exam:

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