Emotional Damage: Preparing for the Bar Exam

Why the bar exam so difficult? It’s stressful, emotionally draining, and usually makes those studying a ball of frustration and anxiety. Why? Over one exam?! I’ve shared before that the summer I studied for the Bar, was beyond stressful. I did nothing but study for 12-14 hours a day, freaking out every day that I was going to fail, and on exam day when I read the first question I was -literally-embarassed at how much I had freaked out because the test was just like my law school exams. Duh. That’s what everyone who had taken the test said, but I just couldn’t believe them.

So I know that in writing this for those that are about to start the process of studying, you will likely also not believe me. But maybe a few weeks before it all starts, we can get ahead of the anxiety or at least prepare yourself for what may be a stress filled Summer 2024.

Ok so, why is it so overwhelming? I believe it’s a mix of self-confidence, lack of knowledge, and financial concerns. First, for most people, law school breaks you down. You go in being the smartest person in the room and suddenly struggle to keep up with the readings, maybe you don’t get the summer jobs you want, or you don’t make the team/journal you wanted–or maybe you struggled with grades and exams. Or all of the above. Imagine going into the Most Important Test of your life with dinged up self-confidence. Starting off in a deficit of believing in yourself is not a great start.

Second, yes, you’ve done law school exams, but you’ve never done a bar exam, which does have some different components. You also haven’t thought about most of these topics since your 1L year. You realize that the basics of these laws aren’t something you kept fresh in your mind and it can freak you out that suddenly you can’t pass a torts example test because you don’t remember the elements of IIED.

Finally, you may have taken a loan to take time to study or you’re working and studying so you’re burning the candle on both ends (and TIRED), even if no one says it all that is riding on the exam–your license, ability to get the job you want, and earn money is always on the back of your mind. In short, this is a triple whammy punch that likely means you’ll spend about 10 weeks in misery.

How can you even prepare for this?

One. Recognize your triggers. Knowing that you’re going into a super stressful time means you need to recognize what your stress triggers look like, how stress manifests in you, and what your coping skills will be. Maybe you are proactive and start to exercise more to increase endorphins. Or you cut down caffeine so you aren’t as jittery. Maybe you schedule a mental health break once a week until it gets closer to the exam. There are many things you can do to prepare ahead of time so that you take care of yourself.

Two. Rely on your tried and true study methods. It’s unrealistic to think you’ll remember all the rules of property when you haven’t studied it in 2 years. Instead, you will have to relearn some of those elements and cases. That is a bummer, but what you need to do is implement whatever study method has worked best for you during law school. The Exam also requires a lot of memorization so think of ways to make that easier for you but this isn’t the time to try a new method when you’re unsure if it will work.

Three. Do what you need to do. Finally, do what you need to do covers everything else. Do what you need to do to feel financially stable (maybe that means working or it means taking out a bar prep loan). Maybe it means moving back home with parents so that you don’t have to stress about bills or it means staying far away because it’s not a healthy space. How family/friends react to boundaries and your finances are the two biggest issues that impact your state of mind and they are the ones you can’t often control. Early on in your studying, decide what you need to do in order to be as focused and calm as can be.

Of course, even if you do all this I can almost guarantee that there will be one or two emotional outbursts. Don’t feel bad when that happens. The test is a big deal, it’s asking a lot out of you, sometimes the only right response is tears. But as long as that is not the majority of your experience then you’ll be on the right path. If you’re about to start bar exam studying, really consider how to combat stress and anxiety before you start so that you are as in control and focused as can be. Buena suerte!!