One month until I find out if I passed the Bar

[propita]

Last year, I began feeling confident--until about an hour before I found out I hadn’t passed. This year, I feel there’s a good chance I blew it by 10 points. I really don’t want to get my hopes up.

As it is, I’ll be in Vegas when the website’s available, so I won’t be checking that night. Hubby might, though. He’s a bit concerned, since my health took such a turn from the stress of taking and then re-taking it. Enough blood tests have come in to show spikes, so he’s worried what would happen if I have to re-take it again.

I’m kinda counting the days now, but trying not to, since there’s nothing I can do about it now to change anything. Instead, I’m going to the gym, taking care of things around the house and errands, and doing what the doctors tell me to do about exercise/meals/meds.

I’ll let you all know in a month or so.

 

[Kestra]

One month is a long time to be stressed out about this. Keep getting involved in other things and make other plans so your life doesn't revolve around this one event. I thought you weren't going to take it again anyway?

 

[Shatnertage]

Good luck with it! And have fun in Vegas. I remember you had a thread a while back about recommendations--let me know if you have any other questions about anything.

 

[propita]

One month is a long time to be stressed out about this. Keep getting involved in other things and make other plans so your life doesn't revolve around this one event. I thought you weren't going to take it again anyway?

One month? I took the test at the end of July. It’s a four month wait.

Hubby and my Mom convinced me to finish this and retake it. I’ve been exercising a lot lately (as I posted in another thread) to help with the stress and health issues. I just want to pass it; I don’t see me working full-time as an attorney. Hubby’s schedule is difficult, so when he has time off, we agreed that it’d be better if I was available. And I’m not interested in working in the same manner of my classmates who have passed.

Teaching wouldn’t be bad, but I’d need to pass and my school would have to be interested in hiring me. I’ve no real professional legal experience, but my professors have commented that I seem to be a natural teacher. And I directly helped at least four people go from failing law school in their first semester to passing with excellent grades. That’s something I wouldn’t mind doing--helping others achieve what they’re attempting.

 

[SmoothieX]

4 months?!? Crap, that made the 10 weeks after the professional engineer's exam seem mild.

I was an emotional wreck waiting for that.

 

[ancientone51]

Should we start a count down for you...

Thirty days of wait on the the mail, 30 days of wait. Take one down and pass it around....

I'm sure you did just fine.

 

[propita]

Thanks. I thought that last year, though.

[song] ... 29 days of wait on the mail[/endsong]

 

[Kestra]

One month is a long time to be stressed out about this. Keep getting involved in other things and make other plans so your life doesn't revolve around this one event. I thought you weren't going to take it again anyway?

One month? I took the test at the end of July. It’s a four month wait.

I know it's a longer wait overall; I was talking about this point on as you mentioned you have one month left in your original post.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

As somebody who has just been forced to look down the tunnel to see the light (just paid a deposit for my Bar/bri course three years away), I'll definitely be looking with interest. Good luck this time. Even if you don't want to be a lawyer, I know you've worked so hard on passing. Hopefully you have.

If you become a professor, are you going to be one of those evil law school professors* and cold call a student the first day for a nice half hour Socratic lesson?

* I'm not sure whether the evil in that sentence is redundant or not.

 

[propita]

One month is a long time to be stressed out about this. Keep getting involved in other things and make other plans so your life doesn't revolve around this one event. I thought you weren't going to take it again anyway?

One month? I took the test at the end of July. It’s a four month wait.

I know it's a longer wait overall; I was talking about this point on as you mentioned you have one month left in your original post.

Ah.

As somebody who has just been forced to look down the tunnel to see the light (just paid a deposit for my Bar/bri course three years away), I'll definitely be looking with interest. Good luck this time. Even if you don't want to be a lawyer, I know you've worked so hard on passing. Hopefully you have.

If you become a professor, are you going to be one of those evil law school professors* and cold call a student the first day for a nice half hour Socratic lesson?

* I'm not sure whether the evil in that sentence is redundant or not.

My school was generally not very Socratic. You were usually taught, somewhere in the lecture, the actual rule of law. Sometimes it was clearly stated; sometimes more generally stated.

I DO have some hints about my [herein unnamed] bar prep course. The lectures were good, though some info was left off, because they can’t go over EVERY little thing.

The sample PTs were good and generally reflective of recent CA Bar exams (imo). However, I think that the lecturer (whom I really liked) was a bit off the mark in style for doing the PT. I don’t know anyone who outlined in that much detail. They did some outline, noting what they wanted to include, and then got to it. One thing to remember--pay attention to the tone of what they’re asking for, whether a formal letter or whatever. This IS gone over in the lecture, but I was still having a problem with it and defaulted to something that did not match the tone (also imo).

As for the essays, as I said, the lectures were good to very good. The practice essays (imo), while good for going over the info in the various subjects, are no longer adequate for the CA Bar. The Bar essay questions have changed in style over the past few years and sample essay questions over 5 yo don’t reflect this. You’re better off using the sample essays only to review each subject, but to practice timed Bar essay tests, use samples from the last 5 years from the state Bar website. CA posts them, not sure about other states.

And beware WHAT is being asked for. If all that is being asked whether a prima facie case could be made, defenses are not really required. Touch on them, maybe, but if the question seems short, check that a later question isn’t one that will demand far more time. A quick answer on an early question with a horse-race question later was on each Bar exams I took--closing down the “1 hour per question” idea. It was more like 40-45 minutes; 1 hour; 1 hour 15-20 minutes. BIG difference.

I know you’re 3 years away and this was the CA Bar, but it may apply to yours, too.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

I'll keep that in mind for three years from now. Of course, the Virginia Bar has something like 5 more topics for possible essays, so it'll suck no matter what. I guess fear of the bar will make upcoming 1L exams easier to swallow

 

[RJDiogenes]

Good luck, propita. Don't dwell on waiting, though. Think about other things. Like Halloween!

 

[Mr Awe]

I just want to pass it; I don’t see me working full-time as an attorney.

I've mentioned this before, but I will again. This makes no sense to me. You're generating a lot of necessary stress by insistingon taking and retaking this when you don't need it. Is it really worth the health issues that it's causing? You get one shot at life, do you want to potentially ruin your health over something that you don't need? Sorry, I'm just concerned.

Good luck on the results for sure though. Hopefully this will be a moot point! I sincerely hope that you pass!

Mr Awe

 

[propita]

You’re likely right, Mr Awe, and I have thought of that. But it had been pointed out to me that I owed myself another shot. And if this was a no-go, I’d consider a third try. But I don’t like what it does to me, healthwise. I’ve never been one to quit after starting, but then I’ve never been one to fail, especially not twice.

I’m kinda torn, because i wouldn’t mind teaching one night a week (if they wanted me--and I do have a lot to offer on enabling people to understand concepts), but I have to pass the Bar for that. I’ve had so many people tell me that they wouldn’t’ve passed law school but for my help, though they were not failing at the time, as those others I had mentioned were.

I’m not brushing you off, what you say is very valid and something I’ve thought about very seriously. But I also don’t want to close off a possibility. And I’m concerned about the chance that I’d be “quitting” and taking the easy way out. I’m more-than-a-bit insecure.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

You’re likely right, Mr Awe, and I have thought of that. But it had been pointed out to me that I owed myself another shot. And if this was a no-go, I’d consider a third try. But I don’t like what it does to me, healthwise. I’ve never been one to quit after starting, but then I’ve never been one to fail, especially not twice.

I’m kinda torn, because i wouldn’t mind teaching one night a week (if they wanted me--and I do have a lot to offer on enabling people to understand concepts), but I have to pass the Bar for that. I’ve had so many people tell me that they wouldn’t’ve passed law school but for my help, though they were not failing at the time, as those others I had mentioned were.

I’m not brushing you off, what you say is very valid and something I’ve thought about very seriously. But I also don’t want to close off a possibility. And I’m concerned about the chance that I’d be “quitting” and taking the easy way out. I’m more-than-a-bit insecure.

I'm reluctant to point this out but given how much stress the Bar causes you, are you really in any shape to actually practice law? I mean, if waiting for test results takes so much out of you I hate to think what dealing with the pressures of real-life legal cases would do to you.

 

[SmoothieX]

^Have you ever waited months to hear back on results from an exam that will determine your professional livelihood? You go through an emotional roller coaster waiting to hear back on those things.

 

[propita]

Well, it’s not like I’m sitting around going “Omg, omg omg omg!” I’m --- well, to be honest, I’m watching a lot of tv and relaxing, and trying to get familiar with the word processing on our new iMac. And hitting the gym, cleaning a house that has been only “maintained” while I was in law school and studying, and running errands.

But as for the stress, as I’ve mentioned, I don’t want it. My friends talk about (when they’re not working) all the stress of getting this done and that done and the partners and the clients (not sure which is worse). I had a job for 16 years that was good in its ways, with some supervisors and bosses that sucked. I’m not going through that again since my stress always expresses physiologically (migraines, gerd, tendonitis, etc--only one at a time).

I don’t thrive on stress and can’t understand how some people do. I figure their requirements for external stimuli must be high, whereas mine are low. Which is why I figure something relatively low-stress would be better. Doing what I did at the courthouse (2-3 days/week) but for pay would actually be ideal, but I’m not expecting that. Or, as I’ve posted, teaching. I’d like that.

 

[Alpha Romeo]

You’re likely right, Mr Awe, and I have thought of that. But it had been pointed out to me that I owed myself another shot. And if this was a no-go, I’d consider a third try. But I don’t like what it does to me, healthwise. I’ve never been one to quit after starting, but then I’ve never been one to fail, especially not twice.

I’m kinda torn, because i wouldn’t mind teaching one night a week (if they wanted me--and I do have a lot to offer on enabling people to understand concepts), but I have to pass the Bar for that. I’ve had so many people tell me that they wouldn’t’ve passed law school but for my help, though they were not failing at the time, as those others I had mentioned were.

I’m not brushing you off, what you say is very valid and something I’ve thought about very seriously. But I also don’t want to close off a possibility. And I’m concerned about the chance that I’d be “quitting” and taking the easy way out. I’m more-than-a-bit insecure.

I'm reluctant to point this out but given how much stress the Bar causes you, are you really in any shape to actually practice law? I mean, if waiting for test results takes so much out of you I hate to think what dealing with the pressures of real-life legal cases would do to you.

That was my thought as well...no offense.

 

[Mutai Sho-Rin]

Propita, I'll join you in the collective breath-holding. The longest I've ever had to wait for something important was the results of a job interview. Actually, let me take that back. 9 months gestation period waiting to see what squirts out is pretty stressful too. Fortunately for us, the results (now aged 26 & 31) were worth the wait.

 

[bluedana]

I'm reluctant to point this out but given how much stress the Bar causes you, are you really in any shape to actually practice law? I mean, if waiting for test results takes so much out of you I hate to think what dealing with the pressures of real-life legal cases would do to you.

The practice of law is very broad. Not all lawyers handle high pressure legal cases. Lots of very smart attorneys never set foot in a courtroom or do any sort of litigation. And even so, actual practice is very different from taking a stressful test.