Round Deux in Review

Apologies for being MIA. I admit, I have been celebrating like there's no tomorrow since I found out I passed. The wedding diet came to a screeching halt, and I've been wined and dined at some of my favorite restaurants in the city. I just came back from my bachelorette celebration in Vegas. The girls definitely went above and beyond, and followed my strict rule of no sashes, veils, or penises!

I wanted to give credit to the few programs that I think made the difference for my second try. I know people learn differently, and I've always been that one that needs 2 shots. I took the SATs twice, the LSATs twice, and of course, the Bar twice. I don't memorize very well, and as you all know, this exam is all about memorization.

The following are programs and strategies I found most useful in my Bar studies, Round Deux:

1. Essay Advantage with Jeff Adachi - EA is offered with BarBri. I'm not sure how the other instructors are at the various locations, but in San Francisco, I was able to learn from Mr. Adachi himself. He breaks each subject down, and then breaks them down again. What makes this course different is that he teaches you exactly what to write for each subject, and in what order to write things. The course book is concise, witty, and effective. This course definitely teaches you how to manage an overwhelming amount of info. My biggest mistake was not taking it with Barbri my first time through. There is also a discount for repeat BarBri students.

2. Bar Breaker Series - If Essay Advantage puts too much of a strain on your wallet, I would highly recommend Jeff Adachi's Bar Breaker books. It is basically what he teaches in the course. Each subject is written in a way where he's speaking to you, so it's simple reading as you learn his methods. He goes through actual essays, model answers, scoring sheets step-by-step. It's a very, very effective tool, especially if you're only taking BarBri to learn the law.

3. Advanced Performance Seminar with John Holtz - Take it. Seriously, just take it. This course was the "secret course" that I blogged about in February. I attended the one-day seminar only because I missed the 3-day course. Still, I felt like I learned everything I needed. No doubt, it was intense. Probably the most intense one day I had during the study period. If you decide on the one-day, realize that you need to go in there with complete dedication or else it won't be worth it. Mr. Holtz is fantastic. He teaches you things about the performance exam that you simply cannot learn elsewhere. I'll never know for sure, but in my mind, I believe the strategies I learned from this course is what helped me pass Round Deux.

4. Strategies & Tactics: The Finz Multistate Method - My weakness the first time around was clearly my MBEs. A friend had recommended this book to me. The problems are divided into AM and PM practice exams. Take them timed. It's a perfect tool in preparation for the real thing.

5. NCBE Practice Exams - I ordered this online and completed them a week or two before the exam. Since the questions are actual problems used on prior exams, it was a good indicator of how well I was doing.

6. Flash cards - My first time around, I half-assed them. The second time around, I dedicated myself to writing out the law for each subject on flashcards. It works if you can write concise rules of law not not entire paragraphs. It forced me to review everything over and over again. I know BarBri says don't worry about memorizing until later down the road. That's complete BS. If you're like me and need extra time to memorize, start now!

7. The Secret by Rhonda Byrne - Yes, I know you may be rolling your eyes at me, but this book seriously kept me from losing myself. I bought the book at Costco and read it as my break in between studying. It helped considerably. The book taught me how to stay positive, which is not easy when you feel like crap every morning. It teaches you to wake up knowing that you passed the Bar already.

Another tip - PMBR was a waste of money and precious time. I shouldn't have taken that course. People kept telling me the same, but I felt compelled to do what everyone else was doing.

I hope this helps some of you. I really tried to stick to my calendar, based off of BarBri's pace program. Honestly though, there were many days I just wasn't into it and fell behind. I guess the key is consistency and maintaining a positive attitude. If you fall off the horse one day, just get back on the next.