Back to Running

Part of this experience was supposed to include more running.  However, it was harder to do that considering the sun goes down at 5ish.  Well, now the days are getting longer and I don't have to study the difference between unilateral and bilateral contracts, so I can pick up the frequency of my runs.

My new running shoes were on my front doorstep when I got home on Tuesday, after Day 1 of the exam.  I love my Brooks Adrenaline because they always fit just right so I don't have to bother with shoe shopping (which I cannot stand).

I went for a quick 3 mile run tonight with the dogs and got back just as it was getting dark. Hopefully, I'll get up to a 7 mile run this month. I can do 5 without much problem, so I think 7 is reasonable.

And now I don't have to listen to bar prep on my Ipod while running.  Ahhhh....

Done

Done.  5 months after I got the "unsuccessful" letter, I am done with Bar Exam, Take 2.

After today, I feel almost the same as I did the last time, which I think is a good thing, considering I only missed it by a point.  I paced myself better, but still did not have enough time.  I always wonder how people finish 30 minutes early.

This time, I felt like I was able to eliminate wrong answers much quicker, yet I wasn't always happy with the answer I was left with.  MBE practice reminds us to select the "best" answer, though it might not always be right.

After today, I don't want to hear anything about landlords and tenants, nor anything to do with deeds.  I don't care who recorded first.  I don't care if the municipal library was adversely possessed or not.  

We need to average about 6 points per essay and about 65% right on the MBE in order to pass in NC.  That means that getting 70-80 questions out of 200 wrong is "normal."  Knowing that doesn't make the dreadful feeling of failing go away. The solace is knowing that people do pass this and many feel equally as ambushed as I do right now.

I am tired.  Drinking wine and listening to Howard Stern.  I put away my bar prep materials because I am just tired right now and really don't want to see these green books ever, ever, ever, again.

What's done is done and now the challenge is knowing that there is nothing I can do now to change my results.  I passed, or I didn't.  The thing about failing is that you lose that innocence/ignorance of knowing what failing feels like.  I wonder if that makes it easier...if I don't pass, I know I'll survive.  I'm just really ready to get this under my belt.

Blurbs as an Essay

The Evidence question regarded exclusion of witnesses.  Evidence is one of my best subjects and I blew this question.  But, to my defense, I'm betting everyone else did too.  The applicable law needed to answer it is 3 lines in the big BarBri book and 3 lines in the NC distinctions section.  Rule 615.  Ask me anything about hearsay and I've got you covered.  But, exclusion of witnesses in a civil trial (which is very different than a criminal trial)...all wrong.  It almost seems unfair to premise at least 6 of my precious evidence points on a rule that occupies 1/100th of the entire subject matter of evidence to be covered on the exam.

All I can hope is that Rule 615 comes up tomorrow on the MBE so that I can recover a point, out of the 6 I lost today. Sigh....

The rule (maybe I got a few points since I said the party witness should not have been excluded):
Rule 615. Exclusion of witnesses.
At the request of a party the court may order witnesses excluded so that they cannot hear the testimony of other witnesses, and it may make the order of its own motion. This rule does not authorize exclusion of (1) a party who is a natural person, or (2) an officer or employee of a party that is not a natural person designated as its representative by its attorney, or (3) a person whose presence is shown by a party to be essential to the presentation of his cause, or (4) a person whose presence is determined by the court to be in the interest of justice. (1983, c. 701, s. 1.)

Day One, Done

And, in case any of you are wondering...it doesn't feel any better.  There is still the feeling that I didn't do enough, but I've learned that that's a common feeling.  I've been doing well on multis, so I hope that tomorrow I can do well enough to recover for any deficiencies today.

A few questions were relating to topics that I had at least a 6 point knowledge of (we're told we need to average 6 points an essay to pass).  And, on the topics I didn't know so well, I think I may have managed at least 6 points on those.  And, then of course, there are a few questions where my score will depend on how others answered, so that is my hope for the Secured transactions question regarding a bankruptcy trustee and bank accounts.  It was question #12 and I had only 15 minutes left to answer it.  I don't think extra time would have given me more time for a better answer, but one can only hope that no one else knew a lick about set-offs and bankruptcy.

I shared a table with another person who failed in July by one point.  I hope he passes, too.  If anyone ever wanted to depict "WTF?,"  I'm sure that they would see that look on our faces after a bar exam session.

You can study and study and study and get hit with something you've never seen.  You can give it your all and still feel like it wasn't enough.  We just won't know until 5 weeks from now whether we are minimally competent enough.

So, while I had intended to completely rest tonight, I am going to look over some MBE stuff for insurance.  Of course, I'll do that over a glass of wine...

Decanting

Enjoyed coffee and a strudel at Copa Vida this morning as I went over those 100 key flashcards. Got groceries for the next few days (half-and-half since my sweet lab decided he wanted to drink the pint I had left on the counter, and eggs and bread for my packed with protein breakfast sandwich).  Picked up Girl Scout cookies I ordered.  Cleaned the house.  Went to the gym.  Got a pedicure (chose a fun purple for some odd reason).  Finally "got" the difference between spousal privilege and marital privilege and scribbled the stick-person image on a wadded up receipt in my purse. Went to dinner with the beau.  Now, sitting on the couch and drinking wine. Clothing is ready for tomorrow (fleece yoga pants and a fleece pullover). Backup wake-up calls are scheduled.  Snacks are packed (not like we can bring anything in...) and my admission ticket is under my car keys.  I am as ready as I'll ever be.

I am so tired.  I can't believe the bar exam is finally here.  I am going to do my best and that's all I can do. :)

Wish me luck....

Closing the Books....for good

And the time to close those big green books has finally come.  Finally.  In a way, these past 6 months have flown by.  On the other hand, I feel like I've been studying forever.

I didn't get as much done today as I thought I would, but I think I figured out why.  Adrenaline pushes us to study more, train more, etc.  I just didn't feel like I need to have a final "push" today.  I made flashcards for Civ Pro, Mortgages, and did a few other cards for some definitions/rules that I always seem to forget.  I've had a plan this time and I've stuck to it.

I re-read the July 2008 exam.  I can see now that I could have answered  some of those questions better than I did.  That being said, since I only missed it by one point, I am a bit concerned that the bar would have given me a license to practice considering those answers. It really it a test of minimum competence...you just can't be minimally competent on some things and completely incompetent on others.

I think I know all I can know to pass this test on Tuesday/Wednesday.  All of my books and outlines are now reduced to about 200 index cards that I will flip through tomorrow.  And then I'll relax for the rest of the day.

To my fellow re-takers:  I wish you all the best and hope to see you on the other side of the bar very soon!

To my law school friends: thanks for all of your support and kind words over the past months...I am honored to have such wonderful colleagues.

To other friends: thanks for believing in me and for always having a beer with me, whether I pass or fail.

To my family:  thanks for being there for me when I got the bad news and thanks for always reminding me that my performance on this exam is not a measure of who I am.

To V:  thanks for being so understanding of my need to study and for listening to me go on and on and on about what I've been studying, and most importantly, being a shoulder to cry on when I feel scared or overwhelmed.  

I truly hope I will not have to go through this again. It is a learning experience and it has been an opportunity for a lot of personal growth.  But, I really really really really do not want to go through this again.

That all being said....it's time for bed.

Fizzling out

Today's goal was to look at Civil Procedure, Family Law, Mortgages, Contracts/Sales, PR, and then review.  So far, done with Civ Pro and Family Law.  But, it's 3 p.m. and I am just running out of steam.  Realistically, I know I can finish up with those other topics before dinnertime and then enjoy a beer with my flashcards.

I'm just tired of looking at these BarBri outlines.  Tired of writing.  Tired of reading.  Tired of having my cat bite my hand while I type.  Tired of chewing on all of my pens. Tired of index cards.  Just plain tired.

Just a few more hours....