💬 “On the surface this looks like less work than what is often recommended. But for me, the progress came from slowing down and going for quality over quantity, being consistent, being honest with myself about how productive I was really being, and not letting things that I didn’t understand just slip through the cracks.”
💬 “I love this resource already and have learned a lot from your emails too.”
If you take note of what N did (who, again, was a first timer), I’m optimistic that you’ll see bigger gains than if you just “get the usual.”
1) Prioritize active learning and application
Most bar takers learn passively.
That means flipping through a shit ton of pages, going through lectures, taking notes as you listen, etc.
This is the law school way of things where you attended lectures and took notes and made a giant 80-page outline from your case book. That’s just how you did things by default for at least three years.
No wonder this gets carried over to bar prep!
I’m not saying this passive style of learning, or taking a course, is good or bad. It’s just part of the typical, default mode of studying. It might even work for some people. The dangerous part is that it feels comfortable and productive.
But N questioned relying on this method alone.
💬 “I started to question the amount of passive learning involved and looked to Reddit to see if anyone else had similar concerns.”
Active learning is different. It involves working through practice questions, studying the answers, and correcting your knowledge.
In other words, you use and apply what you think you learned.
💬 “By ‘spending time’ with the Magicsheets I don’t mean that I read them over and over, I mean that I used them in application—to do and review practice questions.”
💬 “Whenever I came across new information/information I had previously misunderstood in the answer explanations, I wrote a note about it directly on the Magicsheet.”
It’s like when you talk with ChatGPT. You have to think critically about the answers instead of absorbing the information at face value. Engaging actively with the material improves how much you understand and retain, and ultimately performance on the bar exam.
Even if you’re taking a course, actively make the course work for you and make sure you’re learning and growing, instead of thinking that “billing your time” is enough.
💬 “I started Themis on Nov 20, 2024 and completed around 30% before stopping because my intuition was warning me against all the passive learning, and I realized I was learning way more from the actual practice questions. Even though I stopped following the Themis schedule I did finish speed-watching all the lectures because I found them helpful.”
2) Craft a structured study plan
N broke down her preparation into clear phases to organize her workload and progressively deepen her understanding.
She scheduled two-week cycles like this:
This is an example you could use as inspiration to model your cycles similarly. Or you could arrange it however you want. Maybe you spend two days a subject, for instance. There are millions of ways it could work.
In N’s full story below, she goes over in detail what she did in each of her four broad phases.
Each phase had specific objectives, building incrementally from initial comprehension, advancing toward closed book practice.
💬 “My first read-through I really took my time to make sure I understood every line in a Magicsheet, because none of it is just filler.”
💬 “After all this I still had about 1.5 weeks left to study. I spent each of those days: Doing a mixed set of 17-34 MBE practice questions, which I then reviewed and took notes on.”
This phasic and cyclic approach is exactly what I recommend in the scheduling guidance contained in Passer’s Playbook.
3) Quality over quantity of studying
Successful bar prep isn’t a pissing contest about who can study the longest or do as many practice questions.
“I did 9,000 MBE questions! Did I mention how many questions I did? Guys?”
Did you learn anything while you were too busy doing the 9,000 questions? The point isn’t to just “do questions.” What did you take away from each question?
Instead, go slow to go fast. I’d rather you master 900 questions to the point you get every one of them correct.
💬 “A lot of bar prep. blogs, courses, etc. write about how we should aim to do a certain number of practice questions, or spend a certain number of hours studying if we want to pass. I ended up doing about 900 practice MBE questions, and outlining about 5-6 MEE practice questions per MEE topic.”
Effectiveness lies in methodical and deliberate study. Slowing down, deeply understanding the material, and actively engaging with practice questions lead to higher retention and better results.
💬 “For me, the progress came from slowing down and going for quality over quantity, being consistent, being honest with myself about how productive I was really being, and not letting things that I didn’t understand just slip through the cracks.”
Quality studying for N also meant taking breaks intentionally rather than sticking to a pre-determined cookie-cutter schedule.
Part of effective learning is to enjoy the process. That’s how you maintain motivation, manage stress, and have a balanced approach to intensive study periods.
💬 “I ended up deciding to be more flexible and intuitive about breaks, choosing to take them when my body and mind needed it rather than on principle and on an arbitrary day.”
💬 “Something about following the natural flow of life and saying yes to things as they came up (e.g. a weekend trip to visit my brother, or taking a family friend sightseeing over winter break) was much more fulfilling and healing than trying to come up with fun/relaxing things to do to occupy a day that I scheduled off.”
Instead of getting jealous of people who seem to find effortless success, stop locking yourself in a box staring at words all day (that comes after you pass the bar).
As high achievers, we sometimes fall into an illusion of action of want to do MORE instead of letting things cook in the oven.
But if a balanced, intentional approach got N a 314, it might work for you too.
Full story
Text version
Hi Brian,
My name is [N]. I am currently preparing to take the Feb 2025 UBE in Utah. It’s my first time taking the bar. I started Themis on Nov 20, 2024 and completed around 30% before stopping because my intuition was warning me against all the passive learning, and I realized I was learning way more from the actual practice questions. Even though I stopped following the Themis schedule I did finish speed-watching all the lectures because I found them helpful.
Then after hearing about you on Reddit, I purchased Magicsheets and Approsheets. I love this resource already and have learned a lot from your emails too. However, with just 7 weeks until the bar I hoped I could get your opinion on my study plan going forward. I know you’re busy, and I hope I’m not asking for too much of your time/effort, but I don’t really have anyone else to ask.
The resources I plan to use:
– Magicsheets and Approsheets – UWorld – Themis Essay PQs (MEE and MPT)
I have attached my planned exam schedule but basically each day for the first half of the week, I am planning to briefly review the Magicsheets for 2 MBE topics, then do 34 MBE PQs and outline 2 MEEs for each topic (reviewing questions and annotating the Magicsheets as I go). At the end of the day I’ll spend some time reviewing the annotated Magicsheets again and trying to memorize key areas. The second half of the week I’m focusing on 4 MEE subjects a day and outlining 2 MEE PQs for each subject.
Thank you so much again, I’d appreciate any advice you could give me. Just thought I’d ask rather than winging it.
Gratefully, [N]
—
Brian,
Just got my results yesterday! I passed the UBE with a score of 314!!!
I want to thank you SO much because the Magicsheets were by far my most valued study aides. The advice you gave me above re: my study plan was so helpful too.
I’m so grateful! Already told everyone I know who still has to take the bar about Magicsheets.
Wishing you all the best, [N]
—
Resources used:
Themis (completed about 30%)
UWorld (included with Themis)
Magicsheets
Free BarMD MPT workshops
Study Plan
I spent about 1-2 weeks following the Themis schedule religiously. Then I started to question the amount of passive learning involved and looked to Reddit to see if anyone else had similar concerns. That’s how I came to know about Magicsheets.
I spent another 1-2 weeks finishing the lectures on Themis at 2x speed. As I watched the lectures on a topic I would skim the related section in the Magicsheets to reinforce the information and familiarize myself with the way the information was presented in the Magicsheets.
After this, I planned 3 “study phases” for myself. Each phase lasted 2 weeks, and I chose to focus on 1-2 topics of law a day.
This is how I scheduled each two-week phase:
Sun 1
CivPro
Sun 2
Property
Mon 1
ConLaw
Mon 2
Contracts
Tues 1
Evidence
Tues 2
Secured Transactions + Agency
Wed 1
Crim
Wed 2
Partnerships + Corporations
Thurs 1
CrimPro
Thurs 2
Wills & Estates + Trusts
Fri 1
Torts
Fri 2
Family + Conflict of Laws
Sat 1
MPT/Catch-up
Sat 2
MPT/Catch-up
Phase 1
AM session:
Read the Magicsheet for topic of the day (~1hr)
My first read-through I really took my time to make sure I understood every line in a Magicsheet, because none of it is just filler.
If I didn’t understand a line, I looked up what it was about and annotated with an explanation/re-wrote it in my own words.
Do 17 practice MBE questions, open-book (~30mins)
Review answer explanations (1hr+)
This was absolutely key. I read every explanation for every possible answer, whether I got the question wrong or right. While doing this, I was surprised by how many times I was actually getting answers correct on accident.
Whenever I came across new information/information I had previously misunderstood in the answer explanations, I wrote a note about it directly on the Magicsheet.
PM session:
Outline 2 MEE practice questions for the topic of the day, open-book (~1hr)
At this point in my studies I was more focused on applying rules properly than memorizing them, so everything was generously open-book.
Review answer explanations (~45mins per question)
Again, I read every answer explanation and took notes on any new information/information I had previously misunderstood.
*Note: On days when I was studying 2 MEE topics (Tues 2-Fri 2), my days looked like this:
AM session:
Read Magicsheet for MEE topic
Outline 2 MEE practice questions
Review answer explanations
PM session:
Read Magicsheet for MEE topic
Outline 2 MEE practice questions
Review answer explanations
Phase 2
The only real differences from Phase 1 were that:
I only spent ~30mins in the morning quickly reviewing/skimming the Magicsheet for the day’s topic, then
I spent 30mins-1hr doing 17-34 MBE practice questions, (attempted) closed book
The number of MBE practice questions I did just depended on how well I was focusing that day
Everything else in terms of MEE outlining, reviewing all answers and annotating the Magicsheets was the same as Phase 1
Phase 3
The only addition to Phase 2 was that at the end of the day I spent an hour or so making an attack outline of the Magicsheet for the topic(s) I was working on that day
My attack outlines consisted of key terms/headings from the Magicsheets, and were limited to 1 page double-sided
The point of them was to give me a broad overview of the doctrines within that topic of law, and to eventually be an aid for rote memorization
Last 1.5 weeks
After all this I still had about 1.5 weeks left to study. I spent each of those days:
Doing a mixed set of 17-34 MBE practice questions, which I then reviewed and took notes on
Outlining 2 MEE practice questions, which I reviewed and took notes on.
Using my skeletal outlines to memorize as much as I could of the Magicsheets
By this point in my studies this was actually easier to do than it might seem, because I had spent a lot of time with the Magicsheets already and a lot of the material was very familiar to me
Key point: By “spending time” with the Magicsheets I don’t mean that I read them over and over, I mean that I used them in application- to do and review practice questions
MPTs
These made me very anxious at first because of the time-pressure component, and the Themis instruction for MPTs was not resonating with me, so again I turned to Reddit
That’s how I came to know about free MPT workshops offered by BarMD on Youtube and her website
I watched a handful of her workshops (which are wonderful) and took notes on them
Then, this was the only practice I did for the MPT, in order:
Outlined an MPT, untimed
Outlined an MPT, timed
Wrote a full MPT, untimed
This was very helpful for understanding the process and committing the BarMD method to memory
Wrote a full MPT, timed
I felt confident enough after my first timed MPT to just continue reviewing my notes from the BarMD workshops from time to time afterwards
I also downloaded a 1-page sheet of common MPT templates from JD Advising and memorized those
“Mistakes” I Made Early On in the Study process
Spending too much time on passive learning (reading, watching lectures, etc.)
Not reviewing my answers thoroughly
Trying to memorize the Magicsheets before I had spent hours using them to do practice questions
A Note about Breaks, and Life
At first I scheduled myself 1 day off every week. I ended up deciding to be more flexible and intuitive about breaks, choosing to take them when my body and mind needed it rather than on principle and on an arbitrary day.
My breaks also did not have to be one whole day off. Sometimes they would just be taking a few hours off in the middle of a Tuesday to go watch a movie with my mom. Something about following the natural flow of life and saying yes to things as they came up (e.g. a weekend trip to visit my brother, or taking a family friend sightseeing over winter break) was much more fulfilling and healing than trying to come up with fun/relaxing things to do to occupy a day that I scheduled off.
Final Reflections
A lot of bar prep. blogs, courses, etc. write about how we should aim to do a certain number of practice questions, or spend a certain number of hours studying if we want to pass. I ended up doing about 900 practice MBE questions, and outlining about 5-6 MEE practice questions per MEE topic. In the beginning of bar prep. I probably only studied about 5-6 hours a day (this became closer to 8+ hours towards the very end when I was trying to memorize as much as I could).
On the surface this looks like less work than what is often recommended. But for me, the progress came from slowing down and going for quality over quantity, being consistent, being honest with myself about how productive I was really being, and not letting things that I didn’t understand just slip through the cracks.
