Brian, Author at Make This Your Last Time

June 20, 2025June 20, 2026 - No Comments

Overcome Bar Exam Anxiety and Build Confidence Now

Anxiety over preparing for the bar exam can feel overwhelming, even when you’ve tried to study everything.

You’re doing something now that you haven’t done before. You’re trying to build mental resilience and confidence needed to perform under pressure for many different subjects, not just memorizing law.

Your heart races when you think about the impending exam. The timer is counting down relentlessly. You wake up in the middle of the night worried about which essays will appear. Your mind goes blank during practice questions.

This happens to many candidates, and it doesn’t (necessarily) mean you’re unprepared.

Good news: You can learn to manage this anxiety and build the confidence you need to pass. Composure is a skill.

Bar exam anxiety responds to a combination of physical and mental techniques. Here’s what actually works:

Calm your body fast with box breathing or progressive muscle relaxation
Reduce overwhelm with structured study routines and time-blocking
Reframe negative self-talk into affirmations
Build real confidence by focusing on mastery instead of perfection
Prepare for exam day with visualization and pre-exam rituals

By understanding what causes your stress and using techniques to address it, you can transform nervous energy into focused performance. This guide will show you exactly how to overcome bar exam anxiety and approach your exam with calm, capable confidence.

June 20, 2025June 19, 2025 - No Comments

Going from 246 to 309 on the Colorado Bar Exam (UBE)

Alyssa did everything she was supposed to on her first attempt at the Colorado Bar Exam.

💬 “I took the July 2024 bar exam after using Themis start to finish. I followed the schedule religiously. Watched every lecture, did every assignment, practiced essays, MBE questions, everything they told me to do. I was exhausted but hopeful.”

Yet she failed spectacularly.

💬 “I used Themis the entire time, followed the schedule closely, and worked hard. I gave it everything… and got a 246. I was devastated.”

💬 “I cried, I questioned everything, and for a while, I seriously considered walking away.”

Alyssa retook the bar and obliterated it with a score of 309—a 63-point increase! Can you believe she almost gave up?

💬 “But after the initial wave of grief, I made a promise to myself: this wouldn’t be the end of my story.”

💬 “I worked full-time until December, then part-time through the exam. This time, I approached studying differently.”

💬 “I passed. With a 309.”

Yet another story similar to mine and many others’. You’re not rewarded just because you follow The Program exactly no matter what.

June 15, 2025June 20, 2026 - No Comments

Most Bar Exam Takers Waste Time on Low-Yield Study Activities (Fix This Immediately)

You’re putting in the hours. You’re showing up every day. Your study log looks impressive.

But you still can’t answer questions correctly, let alone remember what you thought you studied. Sound familiar?

That’s because you’re spending precious hours on activities that barely move the needle toward passing. If you’ve been studying for weeks or months and still feel woefully underprepared, you’re probably caught in the trap of activities that don’t actually help you learn. Shit that Barbri and Themis encourage because they want you to look at their professors with fancy beards.

Understanding what actually works versus what just feels productive can be the difference between passing and retaking. Here are some steps that move the needle:

Cut passive habits that create the illusion of progress
Audit your study time to find your personal low-yield habits
Spend most of your time on active practice under timed conditions
Use your prep course as a supplement, not a syllabus you’re obligated to complete
Track your learning and skills, not hours, to break the habit of staying stuck in a low-yield pattern

June 15, 2025June 21, 2026 - No Comments

How to Create a Personalized Bar Exam Study Plan

Preparing for the bar exam can feel overwhelming, especially if you’ve taken it before and know firsthand that one-size-fits-all approaches don’t always work.

The truth is, your journey to passing is unique to you. Your schedule, your strengths, your challenges, and the way you learn best all matter when it comes to building a study plan that actually sticks. A personalized bar exam study plan recognizes these differences and gives you a roadmap designed around your life, not someone else’s.

Creating a custom bar prep schedule respects your individual needs while keeping you on track for success. A personalized bar exam study plan is the opposite of a generic template that assumes everyone’s in the same situation. Here’s the plan:

Start with self-assessment by identifying your strengths and weaknesses from past or current performance
Set subject-specific, realistic goals instead of one vague target
Build a schedule matched to scoring weight, not equal time for every subject
Track and adjust weekly rather than trusting a plan blindly
Protect rest and mental health as part of the plan, not an afterthought

Whether you’re studying while working full-time, retaking the exam, or simply looking for a better approach, you’ll find practical steps to design a plan that works for you and builds the confidence you need to pass.

June 13, 2025June 17, 2025 - No Comments

From Zero Motivation to Passing the California Bar Exam (Those Who Wander ARE Lost)

Max didn’t do well in law school.

💬 “I graduated in 2020 near the bottom of my class. I rarely applied myself in law school, and when I did I still didn’t do that well. I don’t think I ever got an A on a midterm or a final, and l was even able to get test accommodations halfway through law school (more time on tests). I didn’t take the bar when I graduated because I was uninterested and didn’t I wouldn’t be able to pass.”

💬 “I made some questionable choices during law school that I would be happy to tell you about during my success story interview one day (hopefully lol).”

He had ZERO motivation to take the bar exam. Who else relates??

💬 “In 2020 I technically took the October bar, but I did 0 studying, I had 0 interest. I took the Tennessee UBE because I was trying to find an easier path and they had a high pass rate. However, writing like 1-2 pages per essay with bullet points and then just clicking random on half the multiple choice because I just gave up on it. So I don’t really count that experience as an ‘attempt.’”

💬 “Then I signed up for July 2022 Bar CA bar but, once again I didn’t study, and I withdrew a month or two before the exam.”

Then Max passed the February 2025 CA Bar Exam on his first try in years (without score adjustments or remedies).

💬 “THANK YOU. I can’t believe I passed. It just seemed like the perfect storm this year I am so grateful to you and your magic sheets!”

> casually drops by after years of stagnation
> snipes a pass
> refuses to elaborate

I will elaborate.