Themis Bar Review Hangout - July 2015 Exam Forum

[MarcZero]

Oh. My. Christ.

I am getting VERY tired of finding out about an exception to a rule or a rule exception in the goddamn answer explanations in the MBE practice sets. I've missed five questions because of this where I'd initially picked the right answer, but didn't know about the rule I hadn't heard of before until I click "submit answer".

/quote]
+2.

Seriously. I got a 66% on a set today and thought I was a fucking genius. Then I remembered that's the bare minimum to pass. I'm also still getting hit by questions where I have no idea what the rule is. Each time I'm just like this:

[zot1]

Oh. My. Christ.

I am getting VERY tired of finding out about an exception to a rule or a rule exception in the goddamn answer explanations in the MBE practice sets. I've missed five questions because of this where I'd initially picked the right answer, but didn't know about the rule I hadn't heard of before until I click "submit answer".

/quote]
+2.

Seriously. I got a 66% on a set today and thought I was a fucking genius. Then I remembered that's the bare minimum to pass. I'm also still getting hit by questions where I have no idea what the rule is. Each time I'm just like this:

Same

[Mad Hatter]

Seriously, fuck this shit. If you're going to include a couple of questions on auctions, voidable title, and other random topics in each MBE PQ set, then include them in the damn lectures.

[UnamSanctam]

I don't know why you guys are getting worked up. Getting them wrong now raises a special flag about those rules at a time when it doesn't count. It's good to get them wrong now so you remember them for the real deal.

[Pleasye]

I don't know why you guys are getting worked up. Getting them wrong now raises a special flag about those rules at a time when it doesn't count. It's good to get them wrong now so you remember them for the real deal.

Exactly. Do you guys want to watch 24 hour long lectures? They can't put everything in them, it's impossible.

[BearLaw]

Got my first graded essay back. Score gave me hope, but the comments were pretty basic. Not sure overall how I feel. What I wrote was reasonably consistent with the provided model, so I think the score is reasonable, but I would have liked more insight into what I missed/got wrong.

[anon sequitur]

seriously guys, this is not like the LSAT, the MBE questions are there to actually teach you substantive law, not only to review concepts that have previously been taught. It's much more effective than trying to have an outline or lecture with every single substantive point of law and all their exceptions. Who cares how many you get right at this point?

[Mad Hatter]

I don't know why you guys are getting worked up. Getting them wrong now raises a special flag about those rules at a time when it doesn't count. It's good to get them wrong now so you remember them for the real deal.

Exactly. Do you guys want to watch 24 hour long lectures? They can't put everything in them, it's impossible.

No, but at least provide some kind of key to indicate what is included in the books but not in the lectures (kind of like what the previous poster provided for property).

[kjartan]

I don't know why you guys are getting worked up. Getting them wrong now raises a special flag about those rules at a time when it doesn't count. It's good to get them wrong now so you remember them for the real deal.

Exactly. Do you guys want to watch 24 hour long lectures? They can't put everything in them, it's impossible.

Plus, everything is in the big outline.

[zot1]

Do you guys know what grade we should be getting on our graded essays at this point? The practice MBEs give us a goal, but I'm not sure I know how to compare if what I just got is where I should be or not.

Thanks!

[gr8scOtt!]

Do you guys know what grade we should be getting on our graded essays at this point? The practice MBEs give us a goal, but I'm not sure I know how to compare if what I just got is where I should be or not.

Thanks!

I'm not sure there is a target grade. Aren't the essays scaled? So if everyone does poorly, your poor score is actually average?

For mine, I can see my score, and the average score. I'm aiming to be in that average score range. There is much improvement to be had, as my first graded essay score was half of the average

[sd5289]

Re. the practice MBE debate: yes I understand it's better to get them wrong now than on the real deal. If it wasn't obvious from my language choices, I was more frustrated than anything else, and subsequently venting as a result (the MJ meme was a perfect response to that). It's a coping strategy (in my case anyway).

In other news, can I just say I <3 Kramer (prof for Property). He's pretty much fantastic and a great antidote to the Torts prof.

Also, I haven't gotten my essay back yet. I submitted it on Friday. :-/

[habz]

Re. the practice MBE debate: yes I understand it's better to get them wrong now than on the real deal. If it wasn't obvious from my language choices, I was more frustrated than anything else, and subsequently venting as a result (the MJ meme was a perfect response to that). It's a coping strategy (in my case anyway).

In other news, can I just say I <3 Kramer (prof for Property). He's pretty much fantastic and a great antidote to the Torts prof.

Also, I haven't gotten my essay back yet. I submitted it on Friday. :-/

100% agree about kramer and I also have not gotten my graded essay back despite submitting on friday. my only question is how am i gonna learn torts now? I'm more confused now than before I started with his lectures.

[kiwi4president]

When y'all do a practice essay question are you actually writing out the answer like you would on test day or just outlining the issues? I've been doing a little of both but I'd like to know what the consensus is.

[smalogna]

Re. the practice MBE debate: yes I understand it's better to get them wrong now than on the real deal. If it wasn't obvious from my language choices, I was more frustrated than anything else, and subsequently venting as a result (the MJ meme was a perfect response to that). It's a coping strategy (in my case anyway).

In other news, can I just say I <3 Kramer (prof for Property). He's pretty much fantastic and a great antidote to the Torts prof.

Also, I haven't gotten my essay back yet. I submitted it on Friday. :-/

100% agree about kramer and I also have not gotten my graded essay back despite submitting on friday. my only question is how am i gonna learn torts now? I'm more confused now than before I started with his lectures.

Graders I believe (at least in the early stage of the bar prep) only work regular business hours so you won't receive a grade back on the weekend.

55% on that next set of contracts MBEs. I'm regressing. Accord, satisfaction, and assignment will be the death of me.

Also apparently I'm not a reasonable person to believe that a dealer who says free set of wheels while surrounded by cars shouldn't be held to that statement.

[sdphill]

Also apparently I'm not a reasonable person to believe that a dealer who says free set of wheels while surrounded by cars shouldn't be held to that statement.

I thought I was the only person who would believe the car dealer. I would have never thought it would be a bike.... Pssh.

[yngblkgifted]

Also thought a free set of wheels meant a car. Go figure. On a completely different note, does anyone have a completed Property MBE outline they saved as a PDF? Like an idiot, I didn't save half of my work when I closed out of it. If you have one that you'd be willing to send along, just send me a PM. I would greatly appreciate it.


Update: got what I needed thanks!

[Tripl3Espresso]

When y'all do a practice essay question are you actually writing out the answer like you would on test day or just outlining the issues? I've been doing a little of both but I'd like to know what the consensus is.

I write out the essays in their entirety, and simultaneously use the essay workshops to get the rule statements. If the essay workshop does not have the rule statement I just wing it.

Side note:
I am also in the same boat as most of the other poster in regard to the mbe and I am growing increasingly frustrated with the language of the answer choices and obscure rules they select to test us on.

[IamIn]

Re. the practice MBE debate: yes I understand it's better to get them wrong now than on the real deal. If it wasn't obvious from my language choices, I was more frustrated than anything else, and subsequently venting as a result (the MJ meme was a perfect response to that). It's a coping strategy (in my case anyway).

In other news, can I just say I <3 Kramer (prof for Property). He's pretty much fantastic and a great antidote to the Torts prof.

Also, I haven't gotten my essay back yet. I submitted it on Friday. :-/

100% agree about kramer and I also have not gotten my graded essay back despite submitting on friday. my only question is how am i gonna learn torts now? I'm more confused now than before I started with his lectures.

Are they really that bad? Usually I prefer lectures to the long outlines, but after reading you guys I'm thinking to skip the torts lecture and focus on reading the outline and the critical pass flashcards. Not sure what to do..

[IamIn]

Also apparently I'm not a reasonable person to believe that a dealer who says free set of wheels while surrounded by cars shouldn't be held to that statement.

I thought I was the only person who would believe the car dealer. I would have never thought it would be a bike.... Pssh.

If we all think that, then the answer is clearly wrong. we can't be all unreasonable here lol

[gr8scOtt!]

Also apparently I'm not a reasonable person to believe that a dealer who says free set of wheels while surrounded by cars shouldn't be held to that statement.

I thought I was the only person who would believe the car dealer. I would have never thought it would be a bike.... Pssh.

If we all think that, then the answer is clearly wrong. we can't be all unreasonable here lol

I took him literally and assumed he meant four rims and four tires... You know, a set of wheels

[FloRida15]

Property MBE -- just finished my second set of property MBE questions. The distribution of questions over different topics seems strange. A ton on mortgages and deeds, but only 1 future interest question. Any idea if this is a reflection of the MBE? or Just a bizarre breakdown by Themis?

[zot1]

Also apparently I'm not a reasonable person to believe that a dealer who says free set of wheels while surrounded by cars shouldn't be held to that statement.

I thought I was the only person who would believe the car dealer. I would have never thought it would be a bike.... Pssh.

If we all think that, then the answer is clearly wrong. we can't be all unreasonable here lol

I took him literally and assumed he meant four rims and four tires... You know, a set of wheels

Me too! Which to me made it more believable. But of course they were being ambiguous and meaning something else.

[MarcZero]

Property MBE -- just finished my second set of property MBE questions. The distribution of questions over different topics seems strange. A ton on mortgages and deeds, but only 1 future interest question. Any idea if this is a reflection of the MBE? or Just a bizarre breakdown by Themis?

I just finished my 4th set of property MBE questions and there have been more future interest questions, but it is still mainly focused on land contracts/mortgages/etc. It seems though that the real covenants and equitable servitudes have almost never shown up in MBE form. I'm guessing that means that they are much more likely to show up in essay format.

[sd5289]

Also apparently I'm not a reasonable person to believe that a dealer who says free set of wheels while surrounded by cars shouldn't be held to that statement.

I thought I was the only person who would believe the car dealer. I would have never thought it would be a bike.... Pssh.

If we all think that, then the answer is clearly wrong. we can't be all unreasonable here lol

I took him literally and assumed he meant four rims and four tires... You know, a set of wheels

Yeah, I also thought literal wheels at first, then saw the bike and thought "oh, right." I must be in the minority of people who didn't think it was a car.