Themis Bar Review Hangout - July 2014 Exam Forum

[JoeFish]

Taking the Bar Exam in Texas. Today is my first day studying and I spent 4 hours taking notes on the video lectures. This will be a long summer SMH

I already hate the videos so incredibly much. I am listening to them at 1.5x speed (I think I could comprehend the information at 2x speed, but I'm too distracted by how goofy it sounds). Based on how I like to study, I think my strategy - do a very thorough reading of the comprehensive outline, and then listen to the video to sort of "imprint" the info - is going to work well. I'm just going to hate every minute of it.

I do like how the people in the intro tell you things like "don't quit smoking, put off your break-up" and such.

[SilverE2]

Just stumbled across this forum while Googling some Themis stuff so forgive my newborn child like posts please. Just started Themis yesterday for FL and finished up MBE Con Law lectures. Totally bombed the Con Law PQ's too, which has me pissed off. It felt like they wrote their own questions for the PQ's and weren't using actual MBE questions. I've taken 3 practice MBE's this past semester and done well, and am scoring around 70% in Con Law on Adaptibar. Some of the questions they are asking on their PQ's just seem ridiculous and I've never seen them asked on any of the practice MBE's I've taken. Anyone else feel that way too?

Hey, I'm taking FL as well and also bombed the first set of PQs - got 47% correct. The fact that the "target" score was 50% though gave me some hope that maybe they were meant to be bombed. Either way, the weekend is reserved for con law review (according to the schedule) and then another set of PQs, which I hope will go better.

[Lasers]

i just started...read 80 pages of the conlaw outline? oh fuck, this is already too much work.

i'm so lazy.

[hous]

Just stumbled across this forum while Googling some Themis stuff so forgive my newborn child like posts please. Just started Themis yesterday for FL and finished up MBE Con Law lectures. Totally bombed the Con Law PQ's too, which has me pissed off. It felt like they wrote their own questions for the PQ's and weren't using actual MBE questions. I've taken 3 practice MBE's this past semester and done well, and am scoring around 70% in Con Law on Adaptibar. Some of the questions they are asking on their PQ's just seem ridiculous and I've never seen them asked on any of the practice MBE's I've taken. Anyone else feel that way too?

Hey, I'm taking FL as well and also bombed the first set of PQs - got 47% correct. The fact that the "target" score was 50% though gave me some hope that maybe they were meant to be bombed. Either way, the weekend is reserved for con law review (according to the schedule) and then another set of PQs, which I hope will go better.

Also Florida, also scored a 47% on the first conlaw PQ. It's meant to scare you just like every other prep course intro assignment. You are not supposed to feel confident because then you wouldnt study as hard. Whats important at this stage is that we realize where we went wrong.

[hous]

When I review MBE I'm less interested in why the answer I chose is correct and more interested in why all the other options are not correct. It's how I learned a significant amount of the material for the MPRE and it's helpful for the MBE so far as well.

I agree. Some people learn more from lectures, others from the outlines, but I definitely get more from practice problems and answers.

[DavidB]

My schedule shows four Conlaw PQs with 119 questions. Is there a way to run through an arbitrary number of additional MBE PQs with Themis?

I remember reading on TLS last year a Themis rep stated their bank of available MBE questions was in the thousands--does anyone know where I find these through the interface?

[Tanicius]

My schedule shows four Conlaw PQs with 119 questions. Is there a way to run through an arbitrary number of additional MBE PQs with Themis?

I remember reading on TLS last year a Themis rep stated their bank of available MBE questions was in the thousands--does anyone know where I find these through the interface?

Doing practice questions that are limited by subject type can have its draw backs. It kind of cheats you of the ability to issue spot because you know what the general subject is supposed to be looking for in the answers every time you read the next question. I'd only do the subject-specific MBE PT's that they actually recommend and save the rest for simulated MBE exams where all the subjects are jumbled together. You can later identify, after a month of prep or so, which of your subjects are weakest, and then pick out a bunch of subject-specific questions and hammer those.

[nowinGA]

I may be a moron - but has anyone figured out how to rewind the videos like, 10 seconds? I am not sure I understand what the percentages mean in terms of going forwards and backwards...but it always seems to be too much. 10 or 30 seconds would be ideal...for when my mind wanders or I don't hear what he says.

[SilverE2]

I just click on the little bar. I think that's the only way; the seek option goes back way too far.

[jjcincy14]

How do we speed up the videos? I was looking for the button but can't seem to find it anywhere.

[jjcincy14]

Nevermind, found it!

[fordprefect]

I'm not sure if this is by design, but has anyone been assigned a practice essay that covers material you haven't studied yet? I've only finished Con Law thus far, which did not discuss double jeopardy, yet one of the two Con Law essay questions I was just assigned covered that topic exclusively.

I can only assume double jeopardy is covered in Crim Pro, but if that's the case why assign the question now? Feels like I just wasted my time.

[puttycake]

I'm not sure if this is by design, but has anyone been assigned a practice essay that covers material you haven't studied yet? I've only finished Con Law thus far, which did not discuss double jeopardy, yet one of the two Con Law essay questions I was just assigned covered that topic exclusively.

I can only assume double jeopardy is covered in Crim Pro, but if that's the case why assign the question now? Feels like I just wasted my time.

That's frustrating. No, I've only had questions that pertain directly to what I've studied.

[lawyerwannabe]

Week 1: Already trying to find the motivation to finish the assigned material.

[Kincade12]

I'm not sure if this is by design, but has anyone been assigned a practice essay that covers material you haven't studied yet? I've only finished Con Law thus far, which did not discuss double jeopardy, yet one of the two Con Law essay questions I was just assigned covered that topic exclusively.

I can only assume double jeopardy is covered in Crim Pro, but if that's the case why assign the question now? Feels like I just wasted my time.

I had the same issue. They also had me to a practice torts essay before I even watched one lecture. I emailed my rep and she said the essays are just for format at this point. They just want us to get the TRAC method down. I'm not sure how we are supposed to do that without answers or at least guesses for the questions but I think soon we should only have essays pertaining to the material we're studying.

[Tanicius]

I'm not sure if this is by design, but has anyone been assigned a practice essay that covers material you haven't studied yet? I've only finished Con Law thus far, which did not discuss double jeopardy, yet one of the two Con Law essay questions I was just assigned covered that topic exclusively.

I can only assume double jeopardy is covered in Crim Pro, but if that's the case why assign the question now? Feels like I just wasted my time.

I had the same issue. They also had me to a practice torts essay before I even watched one lecture. I emailed my rep and she said the essays are just for format at this point. They just want us to get the TRAC method down. I'm not sure how we are supposed to do that without answers or at least guesses for the questions but I think soon we should only have essays pertaining to the material we're studying.

Presumably you can just make up a rule, however deliberately crazy or wrong it is, and still write a compact essay with a succinct rule structure and good analysis.

[ConsiderMeMilesDavis]

FL taker. already over 1 day behind!

how are you using the lecture handouts? I think printing them is largely useless as it seems they all essentially follow the "big" outline verbatim.

[SilverE2]

FL taker. already over 1 day behind!

how are you using the lecture handouts? I think printing them is largely useless as it seems they all essentially follow the "big" outline verbatim.

What I did for Con Law is I used the lecture handout to make my own outline. Then I supplemented my own outline using the short outline they provided us with yesterday. I did okay on the practice questions after doing this. I don't know if it's right, but what I do know is that the full outlines are very detailed, and I don't think it'll be a good use of my time to start distilling those, as it will likely take a very long time.

Also, has the schedule been re-ordered for you (or any other Florida takers)? I could have sworn when I checked yesterday that we were scheduled to do Florida Con Law review today, but I just checked and saw that Florida Con Law Review has been moved to Tuesday. Anyone else?

[puttycake]

FL taker. already over 1 day behind!

how are you using the lecture handouts? I think printing them is largely useless as it seems they all essentially follow the "big" outline verbatim.

Don't worry about being behind. Some of the days go really fast. You can catch up if you feel you need to, or not fret about it.

I print out the handouts and fill them out. I do think it's helping me be mindful of what the lecturer is saying. But everyone has their own way of remembering, so don't let me bully you!

[nowinGA]

FL taker. already over 1 day behind!

how are you using the lecture handouts? I think printing them is largely useless as it seems they all essentially follow the "big" outline verbatim.

Don't worry about being behind. Some of the days go really fast. You can catch up if you feel you need to, or not fret about it.

I print out the handouts and fill them out. I do think it's helping me be mindful of what the lecturer is saying. But everyone has their own way of remembering, so don't let me bully you!

I agree that everyone has their own way. I print them because the process of writing on them is how I remember things. (In addition to filling in the blanks I do some highlighting, underlining, and writing in the margins.) I also take any other notes that come up during PQs, etc., on them so that in the end I will make my own consolidated outline and/or note cards from the handouts and not the longer outline. For me, the lectures + handouts are where it's at. I don't learn well from just reading an outline. So the handouts are where all the deets are for me. But, again, I understand we are all different. Just thought I'd share my approach.

[puttycake]

Just did my first Performance Test. I didn't quite bomb it, but it was close enough to a bomb.

I can see how practice will make it easier, though. I feel like I was so tentative when I started even after watching the how-to lectures.

[hous]

Just did my first Performance Test. I didn't quite bomb it, but it was close enough to a bomb.

I can see how practice will make it easier, though. I feel like I was so tentative when I started even after watching the how-to lectures.

I got a 47% on the 17 con law questions and a 50% on the 34. I haven't gone over outline or lecture notes a second time yet, will do that tonight. Hope it helps.

[iLoveFruits&Veggies]

Hello from California! I'm using Themis and Adaptibar... already miserable and having trouble staying focused... always running to the kitchen or outside. May have to start studying in a library or cafe, but it just seems so time consuming to travel somewhere when I have a quite place to study at home. Ugh. Themis Con Law Essay tomorrow - whoohoo! lol! Good Luck Everyone!

[JoeFish]

Also, has the schedule been re-ordered for you (or any other Florida takers)? I could have sworn when I checked yesterday that we were scheduled to do Florida Con Law review today, but I just checked and saw that Florida Con Law Review has been moved to Tuesday. Anyone else?

I do most of my studying in the dead of night, and I didn't start Friday's prep until after midnight (technically Saturday morning). The schedule automatically shifted stuff around for the whole next week. Don't know if that's what happened to you. But yeah it will automatically shift stuff around just for you personally if you miss something.

[SilverE2]

Also, has the schedule been re-ordered for you (or any other Florida takers)? I could have sworn when I checked yesterday that we were scheduled to do Florida Con Law review today, but I just checked and saw that Florida Con Law Review has been moved to Tuesday. Anyone else?

I do most of my studying in the dead of night, and I didn't start Friday's prep until after midnight (technically Saturday morning). The schedule automatically shifted stuff around for the whole next week. Don't know if that's what happened to you. But yeah it will automatically shift stuff around just for you personally if you miss something.

Ugh yeah that's probably what happened. Wish it would switch stuff back if I go Flex Study mode and complete it, but it doesn't look like it does. Seems like my entire schedule may be altered, it moved everything forward a day.