Sunday, June 29, 2008

96 out of 200

That was my score on the MBE yesterday - a 48%. And I'm actually pretty pleased with it. I didn't get to listen to the con law lectures in time and I never took it in law school, so there went 34 of 200 questions. And I haven't read over anything in the outlines I've filled in between pauses and while doing household chores (I have a snazzy little clipboard I carry with me all over the house - JP makes fun of it, and my even snazzier pen, but it keeps me from going crazy couped up in the study). The average test taker at this point last year got a 109 so I'm not far off. It's just low enough to scare me into studying but not low enough to make me freak out. I feel like I'm in a good place and I'm ready to take on the month of July, which is exactly what I hoped to get out of this workshop.

Another benefit of sitting on a hard metal chair for 8 hours the past two days is it has made me immensely grateful for the iPod self study option. It is SO much better than sitting in that class room (or really warehouse, our classes were canceled last weekend for the Gun Show. Yeah, I'm in Texas now!). It's in a crappy part of town, 45 minutes away, and I'd have to pay for the gas and a lunch each day. I also definitely like being separated from all the crazy people who have all their flash cards made, color coded, and memorized and who have finished a whole book of practice exams. I'm just not in their league right now and given how much fun I had at the pool the other day with Landon, I'm okay with that. Also, I really don't think you gain anything from hearing the lectures live. For one, the instructor is just reading off their notes and isn't using visuals or even many hand motions. This is fine because you're bent down over your handouts frantically filling in the blanks, generally two or three blanks behind, and not looking up until the instructor calls for a 10 minute break. I don't think video, life, or audio would make the slightest bit of difference - everyone is just hunched over their paper. And the ability to pause and rewind a lecture on the iPod is invaluable. I know I won't have the time or inclination to listen to these lectures a second time so when we've gone through a tricky section, I often rewind and replay, just listening and not writing, and I think that's helped me learn a few things without actually studying yet. Plus you don't miss anything- there were so many times today that I wanted to pause or press rewind, it was driving me crazy!

The MBE workshop has been really helpful though. A lot of people skipped today because the instructor was just going over answers that were already explained in detail in the exam book. But this guy went way beyond the answers and gave us summarized tests and approaches, as well as the frequency certain questions have been asked over the years. I left with 19 pages of hand-written notes, my hand felt like it was going to fall off. And I feel like I've already learned enough to do substantially better on another exam. I also think I may have been talked into registering for the Texas Procedure and Evidence workshop (we have a separate Texas civil procedure and evidence short answer exam that is 10% of our overall score - if anyone has thoughts or knowledge of that workshop, let me know- should I do it? I may be too late to sign up, but it seems like barbri deadlines don't really exist even when they pretend they do).

What's freaking me out right now is the essays. Damn, that's going to be a TON of information that needs to be on total recall. It's not like the multiple choice where you can narrow down and guess, this is staring at a blank document. I have a lot of work to do. But I feel ready to do it.

It's now pouring rain outside (rain we desperately needed) and because I did Bar stuff all day I gave myself the night off, guilt free. We already watched the swimming Olympic Trials. Based on the first night alone the U.S. is going to have an unbelievable team this year - 2 world records broken already! The current world record holder in the men's 100 Fly is one of our best friends and my roommate last summer; I think we'll end up knowing about half the Olympic team again, which makes it so much fun to cheer them on. It's on every night through Sun. from 7-8 CT on NBC or USA. Now I'm going to drink too much wine, cuddle on the couch with JP, and maybe even be crazy and watch a movie! I'm savoring my last bits of June.

18 comments:

  1. Enjoy your nice evening! It sounds like you are in a really good place with the studying. July will be a lot of work, but then you will be done! Good luck! It makes me feel better to know there is someone else out there for whom July is going to be a lot of boring, hard work!!

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  2. I'm glad to hear that you are giving such good reviews to the Ipod version of barbri. I just registered the other day (I had to get the book for MPRE) and I've been thinking about whether I will do the lectures at my school or get the Ipod. Everyone who goes to the lectures always seems to trash talk the Ipod version.
    Anyway, it sounds like you are in a good place to start July studying. Just like finals, I think it helps you tremendously to be well-rested, happy and healthy in the weeks and days leading up to the test, especially when everyone else is completely stressed out and sleep deprived. Enjoy the last day of June!

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  3. Sounds like you are right on track!

    I'm with you on the trials. My sister was a collegiate swimmer and made it to the trials in '92. It was always fun to watch people you knew. Of course, I like watching any of those guys--whether I know them or not!

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  4. leo, that's funny you said the people in the lectures trash talk the ipod. Everyone I talked to (all the people I worked with last summer) really wished they'd done the iPod, they were quite open in their regret. Barbri has made it easier to skip a few lectures and make them up by watching the video online and after doing a few of those most people wished they could just do all the lectures at home. I'd imagine barbri will move that way at some point.

    Everyone likes different things but I didn't meet anyone today who was happy they were in the live lectures. But our location really does suck, so that may have something to do with it.

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  5. So RP and I were watching the Olympic trials too and we were wondering if the water is cold or warm. I figured a former ncaa champion swimmer would know. . .

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  6. I did not take the P&E prep and heard it was pretty much a waste of time and money. P&E was definitely the easiest part of the bar, and you should be able to do reasonably well if you do several practice tests. That said, I took 2semesters of state-specific procedure and a couple of evidence intensive courses in law school and felt very comfortable with the subject matter. It may be worth it to take the course since you went to an out-of-state school.

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  7. Balancing Act - the water is freezing. About 1 degree warmer than the temp that would shock and distract you when you dove in. The water feels more "solid" when its cold and you feel like you can power through it better, but man, does it hurt when you dive in in the morning for warm-up!

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  8. i think i would kill to be able to do the ipod version! the commute and the breaks makes it soo worthless for me, i would save probably 2 hours a day if i could listen to the lectures at home.

    but barbri makes it pretty hard to get the ipod - i think you have to be like more than 75 miles from a testing center, and it costs like $1000 more.

    honestly, i doubt they'll move toward the ipod because if they admitted you could do everything without them and their precious dvds by just sitting at home with an ipod, they'd be admitting that their program isn't really that special!

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  9. heather: they've eliminated the distance requirement, it's now just a "self-study" option available for anyone. It is $600 more (it looks like it's closer to $1200, but half of that is a deposit for the iPod that you get back when you mail it in), but luckily my firm covered that for me. I don't think I would (or could) have made up the difference myself.

    I don't think it detracts from their "specialness" because it is still their lectures, their books, their handouts, and their program. They already do some locations purely by video lecture and the iPod is only one step removed from that. I do hope they eventually make it cheaper for people, but given their already ridiculous prices, I'm not holding my breath.

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  10. I would have loved to take BarBri with an ipod. Not only do you not have to commute across town, sit in a freezing cold building, around tables with not enough space, feeling the frenzied stress of everyone else, but you can do the lectures on your own time from the comfort of your own couch, or porch, or lounge chair by the pool.

    Don't do the Procedure and Evidence BarBri class. Do the old exams and you will be fine. I didn't take anything beyond Civil Procedure.

    There is one exam for Criminal and one for Civil. Each has 30 questions and you are basically racing to fill in the answers. The questions are all in sequence as if you are proceeding thru a case or a scenario.

    Good luck!!

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  11. hey LL - i think it must vary by state! mine still has the 75 mile requirement unless you get a waiver from the barbri director, and use of the audio files is $900 (non-refundable), and then there is a refundable additional $500 ipod rental fee. totally, totally lame.

    and i totally agree there's nothing really added to the program by attending the class, but for some reason they seem dead set on making people come to class (like not posting the make-up lectures until 3 days after the class sometimes so you'll get behind if you miss, only allowing four make-ups, etc.).

    i'm glad you were able to do the ipod though, especially with your family situation - it would be even lamer to be at school!

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  12. I agree with blonde and certifiable - don't take the extra course - just read lots of test answers! It bothered me to be up there taking the extra course at the time it was offered - so close to the Bar. I would tell you now that I could have gotten a LOT more done during that time period on my own! I also thought, though, that Certifiable had a good point - with you being out of state. Take a practice test or two, and if you feel okay - DON't take the extra course.

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  13. Oddly, I'm much morenervous about the multiple choice than I am about the essays . . . I guess 'cause with an essay I can b.s. my way through but with a multiple choice answer there's no room for error.

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  14. I did the video lectures... you're not missing anything by just having the audio.

    And you're doing very well! Congrats on the 96. Have they told you the "threshold" multistate score for Texas yet? I don't even know that there is one for Texas, but there is for NY (I think it's around 145/150).

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  15. I'm doing the ipod lectures for KY bar right now and LOVE it. We don't have the distance requirement and it was an extra $1000 ($500 back at the end), but I would have easily spent that in gas (45 mile commute each way). I agree that the rewind option is invaluable. Plus, I listen in the car on my way to work if it is a class that I didn't take in law school just so I've heard it twice. I didn't have a babysitter for this weekend, but I'm doing PMBR this weekend so hopefully I won't be completely disappointed! Ha! Took the kids to the children's museum today so I am right there with ya on sqeezing every drop out of June that you can! Very best wishes headed your way!!

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  16. Texas doesn't have a threshold. Texas has a weird convoluted scaling system that even the bar examiners cannot explain.
    Just providing extra info.

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  17. again, totally out of my league here with all the fun law-talk (I love reading it!)...but it seems like your plan is working and you're scooting along well.
    I, like Tranny Head, always did better with written tests because I can babble on about stuff pretty well. I'm sure that comes as a big surprise from me. ;)
    This weekend I'll be watching as my Olympic trials as I can find. I'm not a huge sports fan, but I LOVE the Olympics...to me, those are the real athletes...not the roid-rage Amazons we employ here for "professional" sports.

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  18. Hey, I'm studying for the bar exam now and also got 96/200 on the practice MBE. I'm a little worried but your post helped. Did you end up passing the bar the first time?

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