GO HEELS!!!!!

I studied hard today so that I could watch the UNC-Duke game without (much) guilt.  I knocked out 8 hours of studying and finished Contracts.  

I then allowed myself to enjoy a Foothills Sexual Chocolate beer (love this stuff!) and then  Merlot Aged Belgian Brown Ale, aged in a Merlot barrel, at Horniblows (Big Boss).  

And, most importantly, UNC WON!!!!!  101-87!!!!!!!!!!   Go HEELS!!!!

Tomorrow, it will be time to get back to the books (must finish Sales, Secured Transactions, and Civil Procedure).

But, at the least, it was nice to feel like something was more important than the bar exam today.  Even if I had stayed at home and studied, I probably would not have gotten much done.  One thing that's hard to do while in the home stretch of studying is balancing the need to relax with the omnipresent need (compulsion?) to study.  I'd like to think a 90/10 balance is healthy...at least for the next 2 weeks.  

The good thing is that I will be done with the Bar exam by the time the next UNC-Dook match-up rolls around.  And, in my ideal world, the Heels will be playing for the Final Four the weekend that I get my passing results.

GO HEELS!!!!!

You Know You're in the Bar Exam Study Zone when...

• Cleaning the house brings you an odd sense of comfort...or stress (sweeping the floor seems so easy and I see results immediately)

• You get flustered at even the slightest challenge in the real world because you just need to know that you can be right about something (after studying a topic all day and then only get 50% of multis right, and that's "normal")

• You eat the same thing for dinner most meals because you've already figured out how to prepare it and because it provides some nourishment (nachos are healthy, right?)

• You'd rather go grocery shopping than do another essay about archaic doctrines and rules about Shelley, Wild, Pullman, and M'Naghten

• And when you *do* go grocery shopping or out to eat, you wonder if the boss has negligently hired or retained the cashiers who are possibly embezzling (or just stealing) the money that you're giving them for that can of Diet Coke that might explode and harm you and the sweet old lady next to you who might have a heart attack and die and as you go to help her, you slip on a wet spot on the floor caused by a leaky roof that the manager knew about when he entered into the lease to rent the building....

• You desperately want to spend time with your significant other and know that it would be a good thing to relax for at least a few minutes, but you also know that it's easy to get distracted when you're not studying...and, if you think going through this hell is bad once...try going through it twice. ;)

• You repeat to others your study schedule not because they care, but because it soothes your nerves.

• You feed your pets scrambled eggs because you can't seem to remember to buy food for them.

• You find yourself enjoying things you don't usually enjoy, like watching reality shows.  Or, you start doing new things that you don't really have time for, but provide some respite from statute memorization.

• You miss being with your friends and family, but you also know they understand.  You call them up on purpose just to hear "You'll do fine!" even though you get a little perturbed when other people tell you that.

• You are constantly amazed at how much crap can fit into your brain and likewise, constantly amazed at how quickly you forget 99% of that.

So, 14 more days. Two weeks.  I finished up Property today, leaving only Contracts to finish by Wednesday.  I will take a break to watch the UNC/Dook game and I will also allow myself to not worry about getting much done during the game.  And, I am taking Valentine's evening off from studies.  One thing a friend reminded me is that during this time, us bar-takers become self absorbed.  She didn't say that directly, but it's true...it's another way you know you're in the "zone"...it's all about me right now, which means I'm not being the best friend, the best daughter, nor the best partner.  I have learned during this process of re-taking not to take those important people for granted.  So, if it means listening to my friend talk about her work issues, or listen to my sig other talk about beer and politics, or listen to my mom talk about her family challenges, I do it with pleasure and without regret that I maybe should have been studying instead of chatting.  But, in the end, I need those conversations as much as they do...to remind me of what is important...love and friendship definitely trump the Rule in Shelley's Case.

70 Degrees and Beginning to Sweat

It's going to be another 70 degree day today and I beginning to sweat.  I am hoping to do some studying in my backyard, in the sun, while my dogs take naps in the grass and dream of squirrels.  I, on the other hand, will see if I can finally understand those rules of law that I haven't been able to get (recording statutes,  third party beneficiaries, privilege and immunity clause of 14th Amendment, etc.).

Property will be done today, as well as about 20 multis in Torts, Crim Law, Evidence, and Con Law. Tomorrow I will start Contracts (my last MBE topic!!!!) Come Wednesday evening, I will be in all review mode.

16 days until the Big Day.  I will be writing the exam in the Dorton Arena, which is alternatively used for roller derby games and concerts for the State Fair.  I am already trying to figure out what I will wear that day because somehow I am guessing that the temperature controls will be wacky.

I am getting a bit more nervous, but also a bit more confident.  I still have 16 days.  I only have 16 days left.  

 

La Copa Vida

Just wanted to add a shout out to my new campground for the next 17 days--Copa Vida Coffee in Durham.  I'm probably an odd coffeeshop customer during bar exam time--I want good coffee, loud enough background music to drown out conversations that I would otherwise be tempted to listen in on, good coffee, good lighting, and...no internet.  Big coffee chain that shall not be named, but rhymes with Daddy Warbucks, usually has no free wireless, but, their coffee is...well, it's not from locally roasted beans, can be bitter, and comes in a coffee cup that has become a new status symbol.   

Why don't I like it when there's internet?  If I don't have it, then I'm not tempted by it.  Pretty simple.

Now, before I have people correcting me about Copa Vida's wireless access, I will note that they actually do have wireless.  It's just password protected.  So, when very friendly barista asked if I wanted the code, I declined, knowing that I could get it at any time, should I need to.

Lo and behold....guess what happened?  I finished Mortgages in 3 hours flat.  

Durhamites, please go support this cafe.  In doing so, you support a local business in 2 ways, since they use Counter Culture coffee.

Needless to say, I've found my non-alcoholic watering hole.

Got my Ticket

It's official.  I'm taking the NC Bar Exam in 18 days.  I admit that, until I received the admission ticket in the mail, I secretly hoped that one of the letters from the Bar Association would say that they had made a mistake in grading my exam, and that, indeed, I did pass.  It's a good thing I've been studying because I don't see that happening.

It's another Friday night that I will spend with my books.  For "fun," I will go to a coffee place and study.  The wonderful beau is having fun this weekend and I will be having fun with....property.

I'm back to drinking Emergen-C every day just to keep the sickies at bay.  

Today was my last full week of work until after the bar. 

18 days.  

Torts, done!

Topics left: Property, Contracts, Secured Transactions, Civil Procedure.

Reminiscing on July, I remember that I was still making posters of outlines a few days before the exam.  By typing up the BarBri outlines and adding NC distinctions and my own mnemonics, I am essentially doing the same thing I did in July (making posters).  However, this time around, I will have a full 2 weeks to review, review, review, review.  Last time, I was looking at some topics for the first time (other than the 3 hours from Barbri class where I had a very hard time sitting still to watch a videotaped lecture) just days before the exam.  Add my July study to this study and I am finally feeling quite comfortable with most topics.  Once I do memorization drills and essay practice, I'm sure I will feel even better.

I will pass the bar.

Frustration of Purpose and Confusion of the Issues

Two legal phrases that best describe my mental state right now.

Last night, after scoring 78% on an Evidence practice set, I decided to go to bed. I was late anyway, but I did finish Evidence. For some reason, I decided to take my July 2008 Bar Exam essays to bed with me. Bad idea.

My undergrad degree is Education, so I learned how to test students and also how to give feedback. I was reminded last night that the bar examiners who write (and grade) those exams are lawyers, not teachers. For one, having essays with no writing on them to indicate where I did get points left me wondering where I really went wrong, especially when my essay covers the same things as a "model" essay. Was it my knowledge of the law that didn't come through as coherently? Did I not say the magic phrase? Second, knowing my score on an essay is almost useless if you don't know the overall range of scores---if average was a 5, then my 3 wasn't so bad after all.

I was also reminded of the range of my scores and that reminded me that different people write each question and grade it. So, it's obvious that the person who graded my Wills essay gave no points for about 10 things I mentioned that were also mentioned in the model essay. I could have written a letter to Santa on that essay and received as many points as I did actually writing about the issue (that would be 0 points). Yes, I got 0 points on an essay. It is a myth that if you identify the issue and write some basic, applicable rules, you'll get at least a point. Not true.

One point is all I have to recover, but I am aiming to recover a lot more. As for coverage, I am now down to Torts, Contracts, and Property (and their respective NC topics). I'm also down to 23 days until showtime. From today on out, it's at least 6 hours of studying a day until I take off time from work. At that point, it will be 8-10 hours a day. But, I will only be reviewing, which will be different than last time. Right now, I am feeling confident about the MBE, but not so confident about the essays. But, that is kinda where I expected to be at this point in the game---I wanted to get the MBE topics under my belt so that I could focus on memorizing NC law and writing essays in the home stretch.

I will pass the bar. I will pass the bar. I will pass the bar.