05-12-2008
|
#5 |
| New
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 21
| Re: Advice on taking the TN bar exam - Tennessee Bar Exam
such good advice. probably relevant advice for any exam, not just TN Bar. Quote:
Here is my advice for exam day and before exam day:
1. I don't even know where the TN Bar is administered but if it's a
hotel, get a room at that hotel if at all possible. If not possible,
get a hotel as close to the exam site as possible. You do not want to
worry about transportation screwups on the day of the exam. When I took
the Missouri bar (my first), I got a room at a hotel next to the exam
site even though my apartment was less than 30 minutes away. I know
class mates who made the 30 minute drive, and they were a wreck.
They were constantly worried about some stupid thing like a traffic
accident or the bridge being closed on account of fog. When I took the
KY bar, my room was in the hotel where the exam was being administered.
My travel literally consisted of a 30 second walk from my room to the
ballroom. That was VERY handy.
2. DO NOT STUDY WITH OR ASSOCIATE WITH YOUR FELLOW BAR TAKERS ON THE
DAY OF THE EXAM OR THE DAY BEFORE THE EXAM. I don't mean to shout but
this was crucial for me. You remember the nervous energy surrounding
each and every law school exam you took? The nervous chatter where
people said, "Can you believe they asked such and such?" Or, "How did
you answer such and such?" Now take that nervous chatter and multiply
by about a thousand. The nerves and lack of confidence tends to feed
off itself. You do not need that. On the night before the exam, study
alone in your room. You will be much calmer.
3. This is probably personal preference, but on the night before each
exam day, I only studied the condensed study guide. I cannot remember
what it is called, but it is much smaller than those huge bar bri books
that contain in depth outlines for each subject. I found that too
detailed a study was exhausting mentally and led to confusion more than
anything.
4. Do not stay up all night studying. It is more important in my
opinion that you are as mentally refreshed and relaxed as possible. I
did one run through the condensed book I referenced above and that was
it. I then ordered room service and watched a movie. I also went for a
short walk.
5. Be sure and consume all of the alcholic beverages in that little
refrigerator in your hotel room. This is of course a stupid suggestion.
You obviously want to stay away from the alcohol prior to the exam.
After the exam . . .
6. If you ignore my advice and study with your friends the night before
the exam, please reconsider and do not hangout for the post-mortem that
occurs as each section of the exam concludes. It really does not matter
what anyone there thinks about the questions or how they answered them.
And, it will only serve to shake your confidence.
7. So much of the bar is staying calm enough and patient enough to read
through the ENTIRE question to know what is being asked before trying to
answer. You will be amazed at what you remember when needed. And if
you do not remember something? That's ok! That is one good thing about
this being a long ordeal. One forgotten item will not sink you. In
fact (and the Bar Bri people can tell you the percentage), it is
astonishing the amount of questions you can screw up on and still pass.
The bar examiners do not expect or require perfection. And, as everyone
else has told you, none of your clients will care how you scored.
| |
|  |