I am currently one of the thousands of students frantically studying for the bar exam. One of the things that calm me down is hearing about the bar exam studying strategies of others. If you guys can kindly share your advice for taking NY bar, I would be forever grateful.
flashcard, take a day off, and be prepared
This is a collection of answers i have gathered for you from helpful past Ny bar takers online regarding how to pass the NY bar. Hope they help:
1. My advice for studying for the bar is to take the day before the bar off to relax and catch up on all the sleep you've been missing these past few weeks. You've already learned all you're going to learn by that point. The best thing to do is try to quiet your nerves. Good luck everyone!
2. I took it last year. Like almost everyone, I felt ill prepared, overwhelmed, etc. If you haven't wigged out yet, do it. Last year, right around this time (or maybe the weekend before) I had a complete meltdown where I lost confidence, got really drunk and said screw it. The last week, I was in a peaceful nirvana - sorta like the, i've done the best that i can do, let's face the inevitable. The reason why I recommend that is, you won't wig out during the exam. I did not freak out at all, since I got it out of my system. And i'm a pretty uptight freak when it comes to prepping for exams. Also, have faith in your essays and WRITE EVERY LITTLE THING. In little broken sentences. If you know the distinction b/w MBE and NYS, mention it. If you're using a laptop or even writing it, bold/underline/the key words. Make sure the reader knows that YOU know what they are looking for. Finally, pack earplugs (there was construction going on last year), wear layers (there was strong AC and i'm really glad i wore my sweatshirt). Get plenty of rest in the days LEADING UP to the bar. You will NOT get a good night's sleep the night before (and in b/w the first and second day). If you are staying in the city like I did, you'll get woken up by everything - trucks, honking, cops, etc. So sleep plenty in the days leading up so you will not be exhausted on test day. AND, pack lots of munchies that can give you a boost but is not so obnoxious to others. Like a bag of (unsalted) almonds/nuts. Last thing you want to worry about is salty fingers.
3. The best thing I did to prepare for the bar was arriving at the hotel the Saturday prior to the bar (my bar was a Tuesday-Wednesday bar). I arrived mid-day Saturday, and literally holed up for Saturday afternoon/evening, all day Sunday, all day Monday. Studied, studied, studied. BARBRI and PMBR were great, but it really look that focused concentration for several days for everything to gel together in my mind. Forget those people who say "don't study the day before" -- that's crap! Study every second you can. It will be over with before you know it and you'll never have to go through it again. GOOD LUCK!
4. Flashcards: Anyway, worked for me, and I pretty much blew off the "paced program." In fact I also got the pre-filled-out Bar/Bri lecture notes from a friend so I pretty much stopped going to class. You can definitely get away with doing that as long as you actually do learn the basic material... the wait is just a little scarier because you can't comfort yourself by telling yourself you followed the recommended program, so you'll probably be ok.
Source: abovethelaw.com
My advice is to rock the Multistate. I passed NY with a 165 on the MBE and I can tell you truthfully that I totally bombed the NY practice and NY distinctions on the essays. Fortunately, I write well, so I think that carried me the rest of the way. You should take at least 3-5 simulated 200 question multi-state practice exams before walking in there. I tossed in some earplugs, dialed in on the questions and breezed out of there with 20 mins to spare on the morning and afternoon sessions. The essay day was not such a cake walk for me though...
Thanks for this advice. I passed MA and will sit for NY in February. I'm nervous, but not nearly as nervous as I was for MA. I know it's in God's hands, and I will do my part and let him do his part. For first time takers, the key is not to overly stress yourself. Trust me, this will cause you to fail. I don't care what anyone says, the bar exam tests your confidence as much as it tests your ability to "reason" (whatever that means these days)! Many people who fail say "I wrote those issues, how come I didn't pass?" The truth is, it's not "what you say" but "how you say it." Bar examiners are looking for a specific style of writing not just simple issue spotting (although spotting issues is very important). I will have more later!
The hardest part of the NY bar are the essays. Beat The Bar.net has a great product that can amke the difefrence. Check it out!
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