The

Undeniable

Ruth

®

…and the Ruth shall set you free!

  • Send Love To Stressed Out Bar Exam Candidates

    ·

    Ruth Carter

    The July Bar Exam is less than two weeks away.  For people who are taking BarBri to prepare, our lectures and classes are over.  We’re at the point where every day we’re given a topic and a simple instruction – “Memorize.”  It’s hard not to let the panic set in.

    studying
    Image by English106 via Flickr

    From what I can tell from my classmates on Facebook, we’re all exhausted, stressed, and reaching the point where we just don’t care about these materials anymore.  My day still starts before 6am so I can workout before hitting the books.  I am studying by 7:30am and I spend most of the day going through my flashcards, outlining essay questions, and going through multiple choice questions.  I end my day by spending an hour writing flashcards for other topics.  My goals are to work efficiently these next few weeks and not burn myself out.

    These days anything that takes away from studying or my daily routine, like laundry or errands, is a burden.  I’ve recently become aware that studying for the bar has diminished my ability to do normal things.  When I drive somewhere, I have to triple check that I put my car in the proper gear before taking my foot off the brake so I don’t inadvertently crash into another car.

    Studying for the bar has definitely made me more irritable.  Everyone is glad that I have limited contact with the public in general.  The stupidest things annoy me.  My friend says I have crankypants.  My family barely hears from me.  My posts of Facebook and rare phone calls prove that I’m alive.  I made a brief cameo at the 4th of July family gathering and left before the fireworks.  I took a rare study break last week to go to Food Truck Friday in downtown Phoenix.  I didn’t realize how tired I was until I saw my friend and gauged my level of energy against his.

    This week I realized that what everyone studying for the bar probably needs is a word of encouragement.  We’re focused on studying and don’t have the time to see our family and friends, but it would be wonderful to hear from you.  Please leave a comment for everyone taking the bar exam this month.  It will do wonders for everyone’s spirits just to know that we’re loved and supported while we’re going through academic-professional hell.

    Related articles
    Enhanced by Zemanta

  • A Day In The Life of Bar Prep

    ·

    Ruth Carter

    I’ll admit it – studying for the bar exam is hard, lonely work.   My days are long and boring.   I’m trying to keep my stress in check, and it’s starting to be a challenge.

    I initially felt guilty when I banned everyone from house for the duration of bar prep, but now I’m so grateful I did that – and so is everyone else.  I can do my own thing all day without bothering anyone and then I decide when I interact with the world.  It sounds self-centered (and it is) but it’s necessary.

    In case you wanted to know, here’s what a day in the life of my bar prep looks like.

    • 5:45am: Get up, Work out, Shower, Breakfast, Check email.
    • 7:30am: Study – often using the Pomodoro Method.  I turn the French doors into my to-do list every day.
    • 11:15am: Lunch.
    • 12:00pm: Meet up with my carpool group.  The highlight of my day is getting to play with my friend’s dog, Oscar.
    • 1:00pm: BarBri class.
    • 5:00pm: Relax, Dinner.
    • 7:00pm: Study, sometimes in the pool when I need to avoid all distractions.
    • 11:00pm: Bed.

    Studying for the bar involves a lot of sitting which results in my body getting all types of sore.  During my study breaks, I often ice my sore back, neck and shoulders.  I’m grateful when my massage therapist, Thomas Porter, runs a special so I can afford him.  I told him that he needs to run one the week before the bar exam.

    My one weekly indulgence is still watching Deadliest Catch on Tuesday nights.  It reminds me that studying is nothing compared to working on a crab boat in the Bering Sea.

    Every so often I have a mini freak out and I reach out to my lawyer friends who have survived the bar.  Their calls and emails keep me grounded.  They all say that if I follow the BarBri program that I’ll be fine.

    Here are my tips for everyone who has a loved one studying for the bar:

    • If you’ve never studied for the bar, you have no idea what this is like.
    • A lot of the time, we’re not in a good mood.  Don’t be surprised if we have a short fuse when it comes to distractions and annoying things.
    • Don’t take it personally if we don’t have time to hang out or even return phone calls.
    • We can be optimistic about passing the bar and not be pleasant to be around in general.
    • If we’re in a bad mood, it’s not your job to make us laugh.
    • When we take a study break, there’s a good chance we don’t want to talk about how studying is going.  We may have nothing to talk about because all we do is study so fill us in on what’s going on in the real world.
    Related articles
    Enhanced by Zemanta

  • Guidelines for Studying for the Bar Exam

    ·

    Ruth Carter

    Today is my first day of BarBri class.  For the next 10 weeks, I will be on a regimented schedule of going to class and studying as I prepare for the Arizona Bar Exam.  Thankfully, I am a person who thrives in structure, so being on a strict schedule should work well for me.  I have been thinking about what guidelines will apply to my life during Bar prep.

    1. A Student of the University of British Columbi...
      Image via Wikipedia

      Stick to the BarBri schedule – go to class every day and study for a total of 8 hours a day, 7 days a week.  It’s better to be over-prepared than under-prepared.

    2. Use study techniques that work for me: class, outlines, and flash cards.
    3. Everyone is banned from the house unless they have an invitation.
    4. Do 30 minutes of walking, jogging, swimming, biking, or yoga every day.
    5. Eat a balanced diet – lots of fresh fruit, veggies, and protein; minimal sugar; & plenty of water.
    6. Get at least 7 hours of sleep every night.
    7. Avoid people and places that bring excessive drama to my life.
    8. No TV except for my weekly indulgences of House and Deadliest Catch.
    9. When I’m studying, I cannot have my cell phone where I can see or hear it.
    10. When I’m outlining on the computer, stay off of email, Facebook, and Twitter.
    11. If I realize that I’m just staring at my books without doing any productive work, STOP and take a break.
    12. The default response to any invitation to social events until the Bar is “No;” however there must be the occasional fun event to maintain my sanity.

    I’ve spent the last few days getting the house in order so that I will have as few distractions as possible while I’m studying.  I have also been reading Chad Noreuil’s The Arizona Bar Exam: Pass It Now.  I’m grateful that my family and friends are being supportive of me and my process.  One of my friends has already put me on notice that if I’m too non-responsive to the point that he worries that I’m getting unbalanced, that he’ll stage a raid.  I doubt that will be necessary but it’s good to know that people care about me enough that they would be willing to do that.

    Related articles
    Enhanced by Zemanta