The

Undeniable

Ruth

®

…and the Ruth shall set you free!

  • A Day In The Life of Bar Prep

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    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.
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  • Guidelines for Studying for the Bar Exam

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    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...
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      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.

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  • The Marathon of Bar Prep

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    Ruth Carter

    I’m graduating from law school in 30 days, and I’m tired.

    Usually around this time of the semester, I’m gearing up for the sprint to the end of the semester.  There are many late nights of studying and writing papers and excessive caffeination.  Once finals are done, I’m exhausted, and usually get to collapse for a few days if not a few weeks.

    At the end of my first semester of law school, I went to my parents’ house for Christmas and I literally did nothing but sit on the couch for two days.  One day, I literally watched courtroom dramas (People’s Court, Judge Judy, Divorce Court, etc.) from 9am until 5pm, with the exception of one hour.  At the end of my third semester of law school, I drove for over 12 hours to my parents’ house and I was so exhausted that I have no memory of the trip.

    I don’t have the luxury of burning myself out at the end of this semester.  Three days after I graduate I will start BarBri, the class that teaches you how to pass the Bar Exam.  For this semester, once I finish the sprint to finish finals, I have to turn around and line up for the marathon of studying for the Bar.

    From what I’ve heard from other lawyers, all I have to do is follow the BarBri program and study schedule and I’ll pass the Bar.  My classmate looked at our study schedule and reported that we’re expected to study and/or go to class 8 hours a day, 7 days a week.  I did the math and considering study time, sleep, and everyday activities, I’m going to have maybe 4 hours a day for myself.  I suspect that my life is going to get really simple.

    My friends and I have been formulating our plan of attack.  We will have a focused study group in the morning followed by class in the afternoon.  Everyone will be banned from my house unless a specific invitation is extended.  All stressful people, places, and events will be avoided at all costs.  I contemplated having someone change my Facebook and Twitter passwords, but I decided I needed the ability to see what’s going on the real world on occasion.  My phone is usually on or near my person; however, when I’m studying, it will be in a place where I can’t see or hear it except when I’m not studying.

    I will still have scheduled relaxation and fun.  There are select fun events on my calendar during the weeks leading up to the Bar.  I’m hoping to keep a regular workout schedule – walking, hiking, biking, and/or yoga – to maintain my health and sanity.  I have great friends who will remind me how normal people live.  They are also on notice that when I finish the Bar Exam, one of them better be waiting outside the testing center with a strawberry milkshake and a hug.

    There’s a saying in the Carter family: “You can do anything for 6 months.”  I only have to make it through the next 105 days.

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