-
The Bar Exam: Helping Family Understand Your Stress
Many will start their Bar course this week. I remember clearly how much fear of the unknown I had going into my first course. And rather than feeling somewhat relieved after the first day, I left feeling more nervous than before because I just didn’t know how I was going to learn everything I needed to learn in time for the Bar. I say this not to freak you out, but to show solidarity in the complete mind-F that the Bar prep can be; it’s a really difficult time because this is high stress, high stakes. Throughout the summer we’ll share Bar prep tips that are useful for those studying,…
-
Confidence Boost: What All Law Students Need to Know
During law school, I kept a semi-consistent blog where I basically just re-capped my weekends (super riveting, I know). I was looking at a post I wrote after the first day of my Bar prep course and how much I was already freaking out about failing: But mostly I’m fearful because the one thing law school was great at was reminding me how unintelligent I am. I mean, when people asked me questions about theories or laws I would think to myself, “why are they asking me?” Seriously, my intellectual confidence took a beating so it’s no surprise that I am apprehensive about this whole Bar thing. Now, some people…
-
Celebrating the Bar Exam
Way back when I was researching and planning my law school applications (so a while ago), I remember reading about post-Bar exam trips. This was pre-recession, and what seemed like truly gilded times. The idea was that you had a job lined up pre-graduation and so after you took the Bar, you wouldn’t start until September, giving yourself a month’s time to do something awesome, like travel to Europe. As I write this, it seems so laughable to me. These ridiculous standards that were set (and sometimes are still set) by the status quo just seem so out of reach for most of us. But regardless, that was how it…
-
Bar Exam Must Haves
So many are just weeks away from taking the February Bar! I remember hating the last two weeks because 1) all I did was study; 2) I was so ready for it to be over, but at the same time I was terrified to actually take the exam so it was a weird constant state of despair. For those that are taking the exam at the end of the month (or Super Planners, ready for July), I thought it would be useful to talk about some must-haves/must-dos/do nots for the day of the Bar: Must Have: Make sure you bring double the writing utensils that you need–even if you’re typing…
-
Get Rid of Stress in Ten Minutes or Less
If you follow me on Snapchat (and you should!) you saw that this week I had a crappy morning-so bad that I went off my regular tea-only schedule and bought myself a latte to feel better. I know that indulging in bad calories is probably not the greatest thing to do, but sometimes we just need the comfort, tu sabes. Anyway, I had a semi-hectic week (it got a lot better), but when combined with the anxious vibes I could feel from the soon-to-be attorneys studying for the February Bar, I found myself a little stressed out. It made me think that it would be a good idea to share…
-
Conquering the Bar Exam with Kids
There’s no way I can imagine what it’s like to study for the Bar as a parent. I’ve mentioned before that I noticed that mom-law students were always the best prepared (so well organized!), but I can’t imagine the added stress of children + the Bar. It’s tough, no doubt. For those February Bar takers that are juggling the exam and their family responsibilities, we have a guest writer today: Ariana Marte. She gives some tips and advice for parents as they head into the last month before the Bar. This past summer I studied for the July New York and New Jersey bar exams, and my son turned…
-
Celebrating Accomplishments: Si Se Pudo
It’s that time of year again–Bar announcements. And I’ve seen many have already gotten really great news! Felicidades! It’s such an exciting time! So this seemed like a great time to talk about the importance of acknowledging professional accomplishments. A common theme we see as women is that our professional achievements aren’t celebrated as strongly as events tied to family. This article does a great job of describing the problem. I also remember reading an article years ago where a girl from a small town, where many of her peers couldn’t go to college because of teen pregnancy, graduated high school and was accepted into college. Her achievement was so foreign…
-
Summer Series: Overcoming the Fear of Failure
Our Summer Series is winding down and we thought we’d end the Law Grad stories with Fulvia–not only is she a recent law school graduate, but she passed the New York bar this February and is newly licensed! Fulvia describes the fear and added stress many of us face(d) when studying for the Bar and how to push past it to meet your goals. My name is Fulvia and I am a recent graduate of Syracuse University College of Law as well as a newly admitted attorney (as of June 22, 2015!). I am originally from New York City and recently moved to Binghamton, NY after accepting a staff attorney…
-
Summer Series: Holding Yourself Accountable During the Bar.
Our Summer Series continues! This series highlights different Latina students and law grads as they embark in their summer jobs and/or bar prep all across the country. We hope to provide a variety of work experiences, options for a healthy work-life balance, and general motivation through different guest contributors to help you to take charge of your summer and professional goals! Today we hear from Gaby, a law school grad ready to take on the New York Bar and what she’s done to stay the course this summer. My name is Gaby. Originally from Nevada, I graduated from law school in Washington, DC. I’ve decided to study for the New York bar from…
-
Three Harsh Truths to Remember the Last Two Weeks Before the Bar Exam
The last two weeks of Bar prep oscillate between wishing the Bar exam were tomorrow so you can get it over with versus freaking out that you’ll never learn everything by the day of the test. The last two weeks are grueling, high paced, yet filled with hours that don’t seem to end. It really sucks. There’s not much you can do at the moment to alleviate the stress and anxiety. During this time, even I don’t recommend taking large chunks of time off to exercise or cook or to relax. Why? Because all the time you spend not studying will be mostly time stressed about the fact you’re not…