Well, I'm moving tomorrow and I'd hoped to be ahead of the game. My internet service is being turned off today, and I am not quite where I wanted to be in terms of studying. I have several quizzes that I need to do, sections to go back over and of course lectures to listen to. I am not going to be able to get through it all today, and that means I am going to be behind schedule when I sign off today. Not good. The anxiety level regarding this move has shot through the roof, even though I believe I have just about everything taken care of ... I know that I'm going to be behind, and looking at the schedule, I know I don't have enough "free" days to be able to catch up the way I should. Nervous, yes. Just how nervous? Ask me when I am back online.
I have to finish packing and moving things around so that when I get the truck tomorrow I can just load and go. No need to fuss around when I don't have to.
One thing is for certain - I am going to be bored out of my mind tonight after I disconnect my modem. There is only so much bar review can do for you when you're back is against the wall.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
There is only one place ...
There is only one place where Fargo, Pulp Fiction, Sponge Bob and Simpson-laden zombies would come up in conversation - you got it, criminal law preparation.
Apparently shooting zombies can be bad (even when it is Ned Flanders), Fargo is laced with conspiracies and felony-murder, Pulp Fiction is all about revenge and Sponge Bob can't break the law. On the other hand, Jack Bauer does nothing but break the law - daily and hourly - particularly with his torture techniques.
One thing is for certain - the criminal law subjects that come up can make for memorable fact patterns. The lecturer seems certain that this can be one of the best areas on the bar exam because there is a simple formula that works each and every time. It would have been nice if the lecturer could have actually relayed the information instead of dancing around it though. There is nothing more annoying than starting to say something, changing gears and never getting back to your original point ... that was all this lecturer seemed to do ... very frustrating.
Apparently shooting zombies can be bad (even when it is Ned Flanders), Fargo is laced with conspiracies and felony-murder, Pulp Fiction is all about revenge and Sponge Bob can't break the law. On the other hand, Jack Bauer does nothing but break the law - daily and hourly - particularly with his torture techniques.
One thing is for certain - the criminal law subjects that come up can make for memorable fact patterns. The lecturer seems certain that this can be one of the best areas on the bar exam because there is a simple formula that works each and every time. It would have been nice if the lecturer could have actually relayed the information instead of dancing around it though. There is nothing more annoying than starting to say something, changing gears and never getting back to your original point ... that was all this lecturer seemed to do ... very frustrating.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
On writing ... instead of typing
Well, today I went through and did my first MPT workshop and corresponding practices. Needless to say I wish I could change my application at this point in time to using a laptop instead of writing out the exam. Typing my answer for the MPT took me roughly a third of the time it took me to write it out by hand. If I end up running into a snag on exam day regarding either one of the MPT questions, I may have difficulty being able to put together a "complete" response to the question. My hand doesn't move as quickly as my fingers - and unfortunately on the MPT speed is going to be a factor in getting the assignment done right and legibly. My handwriting is bad enough as is, and putting a time factor into the equation might just make it nothing more than chicken scratch.
I think I am going to see if there is any chance of moving over to a laptop test instead of writing it out by hand. The essays haven't been that much of a problem but there is just so much information to get down to answer the MPT-type questions that I'm really worried about being able to finish.
Being able to write so that the grader can actually read it is my primary concern - and right now, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I wish I had a copy of windows on hand. If I had a copy of windows, I wouldn't even be worried about this - but unfortunately all exam-taking software isn't created equal.
I think I am going to see if there is any chance of moving over to a laptop test instead of writing it out by hand. The essays haven't been that much of a problem but there is just so much information to get down to answer the MPT-type questions that I'm really worried about being able to finish.
Being able to write so that the grader can actually read it is my primary concern - and right now, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I wish I had a copy of windows on hand. If I had a copy of windows, I wouldn't even be worried about this - but unfortunately all exam-taking software isn't created equal.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Aye Goo
Well, when I got up on Monday fully intent on continuing my work on the bar exam I noticed that I was simply exhausted. I couldn't read more than a few lines without wondering what I'd just read. Bad sign.
The day got progressively worse and finally I gave up. This was the start of a slide off a cliff. I ended up in full day/night reversal, and today was the first day that I've been "kinda" back to normal. When I gave up to give my mind a break on Monday I started watching movies (Hulu was the culprit this time), and that ended up lasting until Tuesday morning. Granted, when I got up on Tuesday afternoon I felt great - refreshed and ready to go.
I made it through the last day of lectures, essays and quizzes for the second full subject in bar prep and I felt really good about myself. Granted, with the quiz on this subject matter, since I took the day off and didn't really review anything, my score really reflected my preparation. By the time I was done with all of this, it was already Wednesday morning (since I didn't actually start until Tuesday afternoon). I then proceeded to start with the next subject matter lectures ... I made it 40 minutes into the lecture before I had to stop and go to sleep.
Normally, even with night/day reversal (this is not the first time it has happened to me), I stay awake for my normal duration and when I need to switch back I just deprive myself of sleep to get back on track. For whatever reason, on Tuesday I couldn't stay awake for as long as I needed. I think I was only up for about 12 hours before I conked out again. Well, this conking out on Wednesday lasted until late Wednesday evening - and when I finally got up, all I could do was read for a short while before my mind felt like goo. It was time to get myself back on my normal sleeping schedule. I need myself to be alert and ready to go to make it through this material on a daily basis. You never know how taxing it actually is until you go through it.
Today I was back on track and managed to get through all three days of lectures for my third subject. I have to do the quizzes and essays tomorrow, but I feel like I actually did a good amount of work today. I understand the material and have done well on the practice questions. I do hope that this is the last time I end up with my reversal, because in hindsight, that really messes up my ability to work like this ... and I need to keep on point. My move is coming up in 10 days, and I have to get that week of material done ahead of time so that I don't fall behind while I am trekking across the country in a moving van.
Just to gripe a little bit - the darn videos in this particular subject matter were incredibly glitchy. I had to restart many times with each of them, and on the second video the last five minutes took more than 20 to get through because of the constant restarts. Very, very frustrating.
Tomorrow is another day, and let us please keep on track. The clock is ticking and July 27th will be here before I know it.
The day got progressively worse and finally I gave up. This was the start of a slide off a cliff. I ended up in full day/night reversal, and today was the first day that I've been "kinda" back to normal. When I gave up to give my mind a break on Monday I started watching movies (Hulu was the culprit this time), and that ended up lasting until Tuesday morning. Granted, when I got up on Tuesday afternoon I felt great - refreshed and ready to go.
I made it through the last day of lectures, essays and quizzes for the second full subject in bar prep and I felt really good about myself. Granted, with the quiz on this subject matter, since I took the day off and didn't really review anything, my score really reflected my preparation. By the time I was done with all of this, it was already Wednesday morning (since I didn't actually start until Tuesday afternoon). I then proceeded to start with the next subject matter lectures ... I made it 40 minutes into the lecture before I had to stop and go to sleep.
Normally, even with night/day reversal (this is not the first time it has happened to me), I stay awake for my normal duration and when I need to switch back I just deprive myself of sleep to get back on track. For whatever reason, on Tuesday I couldn't stay awake for as long as I needed. I think I was only up for about 12 hours before I conked out again. Well, this conking out on Wednesday lasted until late Wednesday evening - and when I finally got up, all I could do was read for a short while before my mind felt like goo. It was time to get myself back on my normal sleeping schedule. I need myself to be alert and ready to go to make it through this material on a daily basis. You never know how taxing it actually is until you go through it.
Today I was back on track and managed to get through all three days of lectures for my third subject. I have to do the quizzes and essays tomorrow, but I feel like I actually did a good amount of work today. I understand the material and have done well on the practice questions. I do hope that this is the last time I end up with my reversal, because in hindsight, that really messes up my ability to work like this ... and I need to keep on point. My move is coming up in 10 days, and I have to get that week of material done ahead of time so that I don't fall behind while I am trekking across the country in a moving van.
Just to gripe a little bit - the darn videos in this particular subject matter were incredibly glitchy. I had to restart many times with each of them, and on the second video the last five minutes took more than 20 to get through because of the constant restarts. Very, very frustrating.
Tomorrow is another day, and let us please keep on track. The clock is ticking and July 27th will be here before I know it.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Now that one hurt just a little bit
It would seem that the parol evidence rule and UCC 2-201 continue to cause greater headaches than they ever managed during first year. Yesterday I started my contracts review for bar review, and after making it through formation and consideration I was feeling really good about contracts. I did quite well on the questions that came after the lecture and then that high came crashing down when I started to review my lecture notes for today's lecture on SOF and parol evidence.
I found myself re-reading the same passages over and over again and just simply moved on because my brain just wasn't getting it. It would seem that even after the lecture, apparently I am still not getting it. Considering how aptly these topics are tested on the bar, I have a lot of work to do to become comfortable with this particular aspect of contract law. On the plus side, at least the lectures are understandable and easier on the ears for this subject matter.
I am also finding that my ability to physically write has dwindled as my penmanship becomes increasingly illegible as the days count down to the bar. I have to write out my exam for various reasons, none of which I am pleased with. I hate having to write things out for other people to read because my penmanship is terrible. My reliance and speed on the keyboard have pretty much made writing obsolete in my world, and right now that is a very bad thing. Writing out cards to people takes a lot of effort on my part to make my notes legible. I write things for myself all the time because hey, if I can write it, I can read it. Some words may take double-takes to understand, my I can read my own writing 99% of the time.
My style also changes so often that it looks quite schizo. It's quite funny when I go back and read stories that I've written in years past. You can almost tell when the mood of the story changes because the style of writing changes along with it. Intense scene, intense writing - you get the picture. Sometimes I'm amazed that I can even read what I've written - especially when I'm in a hurry to get ideas down on paper. My mind is racing and my pen tries to follow, I emphasize that the pen TRIES to follow. Actual obedience, well, that's another story. At least some of the strokes look like they attempted to connect and form a word. Others are just there for kicks.
When I start to write, my hold changes depending on how my hands/fingers feel. For starters, I start writing with my pen firmly between my index and middle finger - with my middle finger near the tip of the pen. The allows me to write relatively straight with no slant to my text. When my finger tires, I slide the pen down so that it rests a little lower on my middle finger and this is where the slanting starts. If I move my notebook to the right, the writing severely slants to the right. If I slant my notebook to the left, my writing slants to the left - it's all a comfort thing. My hands start to cramp up after writing for about two hours, and given the bar exam is broken down into two segments with writing in excess of six hours for the day, I am concerned. I don't print because I can't do it fast enough and it becomes very, very sloppy. Lack of patience means I do not print unless absolutely necessary. Even when I take my time, my printing is atrocious. If you have the chance to use your laptop to take the bar exam - DO IT. Do not hesitate, do not pass go, do not collect $200, just DO IT. You will save your hand and your anxiety level will not include the constant thoughts of will they or won't they (be able to read my answers).
I envy people whose printing is absolutely neat, clear and simply beautiful. It always amazes me when I see people who do nothing but print. Printing takes more work and greater concentration than cursive. Each individual letter has to start and stop, whereas with cursive everything blends together. While I enjoy reading things in print, I love reading things written in cursive and I do wish I spent more time perfecting my style so that it was easier to read. I also know that when I really get into writing something, my mind tends to move through things faster than my hand can keep up and the result is the first part of the word showing up and actually resembling a word, but the end of it just kind of blends together - scribbles if you will. I would prefer to have my exam answers read by the bar readers instead of just bypassed, so it looks like my chicken scratch requires just as much work as understanding the parol evidence rule and UCC 2-201. Oh joy.
I found myself re-reading the same passages over and over again and just simply moved on because my brain just wasn't getting it. It would seem that even after the lecture, apparently I am still not getting it. Considering how aptly these topics are tested on the bar, I have a lot of work to do to become comfortable with this particular aspect of contract law. On the plus side, at least the lectures are understandable and easier on the ears for this subject matter.
I am also finding that my ability to physically write has dwindled as my penmanship becomes increasingly illegible as the days count down to the bar. I have to write out my exam for various reasons, none of which I am pleased with. I hate having to write things out for other people to read because my penmanship is terrible. My reliance and speed on the keyboard have pretty much made writing obsolete in my world, and right now that is a very bad thing. Writing out cards to people takes a lot of effort on my part to make my notes legible. I write things for myself all the time because hey, if I can write it, I can read it. Some words may take double-takes to understand, my I can read my own writing 99% of the time.
My style also changes so often that it looks quite schizo. It's quite funny when I go back and read stories that I've written in years past. You can almost tell when the mood of the story changes because the style of writing changes along with it. Intense scene, intense writing - you get the picture. Sometimes I'm amazed that I can even read what I've written - especially when I'm in a hurry to get ideas down on paper. My mind is racing and my pen tries to follow, I emphasize that the pen TRIES to follow. Actual obedience, well, that's another story. At least some of the strokes look like they attempted to connect and form a word. Others are just there for kicks.
When I start to write, my hold changes depending on how my hands/fingers feel. For starters, I start writing with my pen firmly between my index and middle finger - with my middle finger near the tip of the pen. The allows me to write relatively straight with no slant to my text. When my finger tires, I slide the pen down so that it rests a little lower on my middle finger and this is where the slanting starts. If I move my notebook to the right, the writing severely slants to the right. If I slant my notebook to the left, my writing slants to the left - it's all a comfort thing. My hands start to cramp up after writing for about two hours, and given the bar exam is broken down into two segments with writing in excess of six hours for the day, I am concerned. I don't print because I can't do it fast enough and it becomes very, very sloppy. Lack of patience means I do not print unless absolutely necessary. Even when I take my time, my printing is atrocious. If you have the chance to use your laptop to take the bar exam - DO IT. Do not hesitate, do not pass go, do not collect $200, just DO IT. You will save your hand and your anxiety level will not include the constant thoughts of will they or won't they (be able to read my answers).
I envy people whose printing is absolutely neat, clear and simply beautiful. It always amazes me when I see people who do nothing but print. Printing takes more work and greater concentration than cursive. Each individual letter has to start and stop, whereas with cursive everything blends together. While I enjoy reading things in print, I love reading things written in cursive and I do wish I spent more time perfecting my style so that it was easier to read. I also know that when I really get into writing something, my mind tends to move through things faster than my hand can keep up and the result is the first part of the word showing up and actually resembling a word, but the end of it just kind of blends together - scribbles if you will. I would prefer to have my exam answers read by the bar readers instead of just bypassed, so it looks like my chicken scratch requires just as much work as understanding the parol evidence rule and UCC 2-201. Oh joy.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Productive? Maybe.
Today I wanted to start off on the high note of yesterday - and continue on my productivity streak. I was off to a rough start, from having trouble sleeping last night to having trouble waking this morning, the stars were aligned against me. It seemed like technology was also fighting against me today, my video lecture restarted or froze on six separate occasions, and started to try my patience. Mini-breaks became my friend today to stave off utter frustration. Eventually I got through it and had a pretty good feeling about the subject matter.
I do have to say though, I had to take several mini-breaks throughout the lecture today because my focus was feigning, and this was in addition to my frustration with the freezing lectures. I didn't get a chance to go out and walk over my lunch break because I started my lecture late today (a little too late to be able to take an hour off to go and walk while still finishing before dawn tomorrow). Eventually I made it through and started on the questions of the day. I thought I would do better on the questions today, those 33 lucky questions, but it turns out that wasn't the case - I actually did worse today than I have over the last two days on this subject. Frustrating. It was then time for the checkpoint quiz that I was so worried about yesterday. The checkpoint quizzes are just what they sound like - per subject to try and keep you on track and find your weak areas within that particular subject. Great study tool.
The checkpoint quiz went a lot better than I thought it would, and that left me in higher spirits ... that was until I got down to my homework for the night and the targeted study. Wow, wow, wow - that is a lot of work. Before getting to the second checkpoint quiz at a later time, I have a ton of review work to do. This review is not just going back over the outline, but also includes re-watching certain areas of the video and doing area specific quizzes. I do have to say though, I am very impressed at the tools I have available right now. It knows where my problem areas are at and it is throwing everything possible at me to get me to master those areas. Now, granted the time commitment for all of this targeted studying really is quite immense, but if it helps me pass the bar on the first try - I am all for spending hours doing this additional review.
If I can ever finish up with all of this review, I get to start on an entirely new subject matter tomorrow. Bring on the contracts and (at least for now) sayonara torts.
I do have to say though, I had to take several mini-breaks throughout the lecture today because my focus was feigning, and this was in addition to my frustration with the freezing lectures. I didn't get a chance to go out and walk over my lunch break because I started my lecture late today (a little too late to be able to take an hour off to go and walk while still finishing before dawn tomorrow). Eventually I made it through and started on the questions of the day. I thought I would do better on the questions today, those 33 lucky questions, but it turns out that wasn't the case - I actually did worse today than I have over the last two days on this subject. Frustrating. It was then time for the checkpoint quiz that I was so worried about yesterday. The checkpoint quizzes are just what they sound like - per subject to try and keep you on track and find your weak areas within that particular subject. Great study tool.
The checkpoint quiz went a lot better than I thought it would, and that left me in higher spirits ... that was until I got down to my homework for the night and the targeted study. Wow, wow, wow - that is a lot of work. Before getting to the second checkpoint quiz at a later time, I have a ton of review work to do. This review is not just going back over the outline, but also includes re-watching certain areas of the video and doing area specific quizzes. I do have to say though, I am very impressed at the tools I have available right now. It knows where my problem areas are at and it is throwing everything possible at me to get me to master those areas. Now, granted the time commitment for all of this targeted studying really is quite immense, but if it helps me pass the bar on the first try - I am all for spending hours doing this additional review.
If I can ever finish up with all of this review, I get to start on an entirely new subject matter tomorrow. Bring on the contracts and (at least for now) sayonara torts.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Actual productivity
Today was the first day that I have actually felt productive with respect to bar preparation. I spent a full 11 hours doing nothing but bar prep, from watching the four hour lecture with only my designated breaks, doing the practice questions, reviewing the material from the lecture and preparing for tomorrow. I have to say, I'm feeling rather good about today's work right about now - and the preparation and review definitely helped with the review questions. I spent my break between the morning and afternoon session going for a walk to help clear my head, and it really did the trick. By the time I got back for the afternoon session, I was ready to go and not dragging my feet like I have been over the last few days.
I do know that I need more days like today. I have to get ahead of the game to make up for the time I am going to lose when I move and if I can stay on track, I will be right where I need to be in order to make a smooth transition from here to there.
I do hope the material from today will remain and not ooze out of my ears while I sleep - I have a checkpoint quiz tomorrow (well, later today given the time right now) and I do hope I am able to actively retain some of this information. I've started reciting the mnemonics provided to remember the specific elements and that has helped quite dramatically. I do, however, have a concern regarding the essay portions for some subjects because it is just so much information. Maybe I will feel differently about it in a month - ask me again, and we shall see how much has changed about my fear of information overload.
I do know that I need more days like today. I have to get ahead of the game to make up for the time I am going to lose when I move and if I can stay on track, I will be right where I need to be in order to make a smooth transition from here to there.
I do hope the material from today will remain and not ooze out of my ears while I sleep - I have a checkpoint quiz tomorrow (well, later today given the time right now) and I do hope I am able to actively retain some of this information. I've started reciting the mnemonics provided to remember the specific elements and that has helped quite dramatically. I do, however, have a concern regarding the essay portions for some subjects because it is just so much information. Maybe I will feel differently about it in a month - ask me again, and we shall see how much has changed about my fear of information overload.
Distractions Part Deux
Well, the distractions from Saturday spilled over to Sunday and Monday. I rationalize it as taking a break for the holiday, but in reality I simply could not focus on the questions or the outlines to be productive at all. I went for walks, got a little sun in the process, but now have been able to get another good day of work under my belt.
I made it through the foundation course and started in on the actual general review. Let's just say the videos for the foundation course were far better than the videos for the general stuff ...
For starters, the professor that is doing the first subject of the general review speaks with kind of a lisp so it is difficult to understand him in the first place, but when he speaks quickly it becomes nearly impossible. The toggles that were so wonderful in the foundation course videos have now become sparse, an endangered species if you will, as they only show up for each new heading. That means you have a toggle for the main items of the course, but not the sub-topics. That makes it rather difficult to relocate your space when the video decides to flake out and freeze, or restart, and you have two hours of a topic in between toggles ... talk about trial and error to find your place once again. It would've really helped if the creators would've created toggles in the videos that matched up with the outlines so you could easily find your place again instead of aimlessly wasting time to do so.
On the plus side, the ability to pause the video is a nice feature because the professors talk way too fast to be able to write anything down and actually get what you are writing before they move on to the next topic on the list. I don't know what the live classes are like, and I have heard good things about the live lectures, but I have to imagine they move rather quickly through the material because let's face it - this is a TON of material.
Off to another day of general review ... how much of this is actually sticking in my head, well I guess only time will tell.
Oh, for the main distraction - here you go . . . the external HDD is put away, but I took a long walk yesterday and picked up True Blood season 2. I don't have TV, so I've relied on itunes for all my episodes and have been anxiously awaiting this DVD release. I talked with a friend who just started watching season 2, and since I needed yet another distraction I picked it up. Yesterday I watched the entire season from start to finish and now I am satisfied. Rest assured, I only watched the season AFTER I finished with my bar requirements for the day. I spent the first 7 hours of my day with the bar material, but after that - I spent the next 11 or so hours with the folks in Bon Temps. The distraction was worth it - now my focus isn't split wondering what happened with Bill and Sookie.
Onward bar soldiers.
I made it through the foundation course and started in on the actual general review. Let's just say the videos for the foundation course were far better than the videos for the general stuff ...
For starters, the professor that is doing the first subject of the general review speaks with kind of a lisp so it is difficult to understand him in the first place, but when he speaks quickly it becomes nearly impossible. The toggles that were so wonderful in the foundation course videos have now become sparse, an endangered species if you will, as they only show up for each new heading. That means you have a toggle for the main items of the course, but not the sub-topics. That makes it rather difficult to relocate your space when the video decides to flake out and freeze, or restart, and you have two hours of a topic in between toggles ... talk about trial and error to find your place once again. It would've really helped if the creators would've created toggles in the videos that matched up with the outlines so you could easily find your place again instead of aimlessly wasting time to do so.
On the plus side, the ability to pause the video is a nice feature because the professors talk way too fast to be able to write anything down and actually get what you are writing before they move on to the next topic on the list. I don't know what the live classes are like, and I have heard good things about the live lectures, but I have to imagine they move rather quickly through the material because let's face it - this is a TON of material.
Off to another day of general review ... how much of this is actually sticking in my head, well I guess only time will tell.
Oh, for the main distraction - here you go . . . the external HDD is put away, but I took a long walk yesterday and picked up True Blood season 2. I don't have TV, so I've relied on itunes for all my episodes and have been anxiously awaiting this DVD release. I talked with a friend who just started watching season 2, and since I needed yet another distraction I picked it up. Yesterday I watched the entire season from start to finish and now I am satisfied. Rest assured, I only watched the season AFTER I finished with my bar requirements for the day. I spent the first 7 hours of my day with the bar material, but after that - I spent the next 11 or so hours with the folks in Bon Temps. The distraction was worth it - now my focus isn't split wondering what happened with Bill and Sookie.
Onward bar soldiers.
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