Themis Bar Review Hangout - July 2016 Forum

[unidentifiable]

How many hours a day are you guys putting in at this point?

Average seems to be about 8 hours.

Minimum is 6, max is 12.

I start at 6:30am and go until about 10:30am, then I take about an hour break to exercise. Start back up right at 11:30, and go until about 4:30pm.

I pepper in some internet time in the afternoon. Sometimes I'll go a little past 4:30, or do some light outline reading/typing at night for a few hours.

[1down1togo]

How many hours a day are you guys putting in at this point?

Average seems to be about 8 hours.

Minimum is 6, max is 12.

I start at 6:30am and go until about 10:30am, then I take about an hour break to exercise. Start back up right at 11:30, and go until about 4:30pm.

I pepper in some internet time in the afternoon. Sometimes I'll go a little past 4:30, or do some light outline reading/typing at night for a few hours.

5 hours a day m-f for 16 weeks. 12-14 hours per day on weekends.
I work full time- literally every minute I'm not working I'm studying. Jealous of all you ppl with open schedules!!

[Nebby]

I don't know. I just work until the list of assignments for that day is done. I start between 9-10am. I will usually call it quits of I'm not done by 6pm. I take breaks to TLS and do other things between assignments. If I was to be super efficient and not take any breaks, it would probably be 4 to 6 hours. In reality, it's more like 6 to 8 with breaks

[Vantwins]

The graded MPT - doing that later this morning. It's just on the computer? No paper version?? The little description doesn't reference if it's one from the MPT practice book. I don't want to click on it till I'm ready to start, but I'd rather use a paper version that I can underline, etc.

[Easy-E]

I don't know. I just work until the list of assignments for that day is done. I start between 9-10am. I will usually call it quits of I'm not done by 6pm. I take breaks to TLS and do other things between assignments. If I was to be super efficient and not take any breaks, it would probably be 4 to 6 hours. In reality, it's more like 6 to 8 with breaks

This is about what I'm doing though my days are a bit longer because I'm behind. Kudos to you guys doing 10-12 hours but after about 8 my focus is gone. Sometimes I'll wrap up some lectures before bed though.

[Easy-E]

The graded MPT - doing that later this morning. It's just on the computer? No paper version?? The little description doesn't reference if it's one from the MPT practice book. I don't want to click on it till I'm ready to start, but I'd rather use a paper version that I can underline, etc.

It should be in the book... Otherwise I'm skipping it. Doing an MPT online would be such a pain in the ass.

[Nebby]

The graded MPT - doing that later this morning. It's just on the computer? No paper version?? The little description doesn't reference if it's one from the MPT practice book. I don't want to click on it till I'm ready to start, but I'd rather use a paper version that I can underline, etc.

It should be in the book... Otherwise I'm skipping it. Doing an MPT online would be such a pain in the ass.

I can't find it in a book...

[Nebby]

For anyone too lazy to go look, here's how Themis recommends approaching the MPT

1. Read the Instructions
2. Read the Task Memo and Instruction sheet
3. Evaluate task
4. Read Library
5. Read File
6. Outline response
7. Write the document

[NaeDeen]

How many hours a day are you guys putting in at this point?

I start about an hour after I wake up and go until 11pm. My breaks are about 15 mins every two-three hours. I work about 12-15 hrs a day. It's what works for me

I did absolutely nothing yesterday...went outside instead and enjoyed every second of it.

[Nebby]

Today Themis has scheduled the Graded MPT and 4 essays

I've actually started to like the essays. I am still doing them open outline, since I have spent most of my time mastering the MBE, but I have started to no longer dread the essays, because they are always testing on much more general subjects than the MBE

[ndp1234]

The graded MPT - doing that later this morning. It's just on the computer? No paper version?? The little description doesn't reference if it's one from the MPT practice book. I don't want to click on it till I'm ready to start, but I'd rather use a paper version that I can underline, etc.

It should be in the book... Otherwise I'm skipping it. Doing an MPT online would be such a pain in the ass.

I can't find it in a book...

it's there (about 10th one in), I did it from the book, typed it in word and copied it into the online box.

[luxxe]

I don't know. I just work until the list of assignments for that day is done. I start between 9-10am. I will usually call it quits of I'm not done by 6pm. I take breaks to TLS and do other things between assignments. If I was to be super efficient and not take any breaks, it would probably be 4 to 6 hours. In reality, it's more like 6 to 8 with breaks

This is about what I'm doing though my days are a bit longer because I'm behind. Kudos to you guys doing 10-12 hours but after about 8 my focus is gone. Sometimes I'll wrap up some lectures before bed though.

Same. I might be able to motivate myself past 8 hours a day in the last few weeks, but no way I'd be efficient for that long now. A day's assignments, approx 50 adaptibar questions, and reviewing flashcards usually puts me at 6-7 hours a day.

[ndp1234]

Also, my graded essay was marked Criminal Law & Criminal Procedure. But there was no procedure in there....Maybe they just always consider them as one whole subject

[Nebby]

Pro-Tip:

If you have OneNote, I have been using it (never used it before) to write all graded and practice essays. It is a lot easier to use than say Word or Notepad (it's like Notepad but with all the functionality of a Microsoft Office product!).

I will snap my Chrome browser with Themis on the left, and snap OneNote on the right so I can type at the same time I can look at outlines or the essay prompt.

[Nebby]

Also, my graded essay was marked Criminal Law & Criminal Procedure. But there was no procedure in there....Maybe they just always consider them as one whole subject

Yeah they do.

[BarPreppin'12]

How many hours a day are you guys putting in at this point?

I'm studying from 7am - 11pm with a 3 hour break in the middle of the afternoon because I need a nap. I spend the morning doing at least 50 MBE questions and meticulously go over each answer, even the right ones. I take 20 minutes after that to eat, then write a practice essay. I peter around on the internet or nap and eat from 2pm-5pm. I watch lectures from 6pm - 11pm. I'll be finished with the lectures tomorrow. I expect to change up my schedule after that. To what? IDK yet.

I am a slacker.

If you were above median at a T14 during 1L, you do not need more than 6 hours a day.

I think that is a huge misconception that if you went to a great school and did reasonably well, your chances are higher. I went to an elite school, where for the past 2 years, 4 bar exams, a Tier 4 school got a 84% bar passage or above, while we have been hovering around 58-63%. We have far superior professors, have a far superior program, and we turn out try prestigious lawyers. With all that in mind, they crush us in bar passage because, instead of learning to think like a lawyer, instead of dedicating their resources to academia and real practice, they focus on bar prep with a slew of required classes even in the 2nd and 3rd year, where memorization is valued over research and analytical thinking. A school that prepares one to simply take the bar exam is going to turn out students that are far more successful at taking the bar exam than a school that turns out students how to think, research, analyze, and argue.

Also, I finished cum laude, and was in the top 25% after 1L year, and these essays are killing me, and I'm having trouble scoring anything above a 70% on adaptibar, and anything above a 68% on Themis' mixed set of questions (depending on the set of questions I get). So, for all my highfalutin, expensive, education, my honors and awards, I a still not at a level where I can comfortably walk into the exam room and take the exam, and have any modicum of confidence that the result will be passable, whereas my colleagues at the Tier 4 school, many of them are scoring into the mid 80's without trepidation.

[Nebby]

How many hours a day are you guys putting in at this point?

I'm studying from 7am - 11pm with a 3 hour break in the middle of the afternoon because I need a nap. I spend the morning doing at least 50 MBE questions and meticulously go over each answer, even the right ones. I take 20 minutes after that to eat, then write a practice essay. I peter around on the internet or nap and eat from 2pm-5pm. I watch lectures from 6pm - 11pm. I'll be finished with the lectures tomorrow. I expect to change up my schedule after that. To what? IDK yet.

I am a slacker.

If you were above median at a T14 during 1L, you do not need more than 6 hours a day.

Dumb opinion

[AlanShore]

What does everyone think about the essays in terms of how much we need to know our state distinctions? I've just been looking at the distinction short outlines and throwing in what I think are the most important distinctions.. there are just so many and I don't think I can remember that many on top of all the MBE rules. For my state consistent 4s is a good essay score... wondering if I can get that consistently if I only know the 5-10 biggest distinctions for each MBE topic?

[Easy-E]

The graded MPT - doing that later this morning. It's just on the computer? No paper version?? The little description doesn't reference if it's one from the MPT practice book. I don't want to click on it till I'm ready to start, but I'd rather use a paper version that I can underline, etc.

It should be in the book... Otherwise I'm skipping it. Doing an MPT online would be such a pain in the ass.

I can't find it in a book...

It's in my book, assuming we are doing the same one (Franklin)?

And agree about the essays. I used to loathe them, now I just outline them quickly. Definitely starting to feel better about them, though I need to get into memorization mode.

Also, crazy how many people here haven't used OneNote. It was so great for outlining and note-taking.

[Vantwins]

The graded MPT - doing that later this morning. It's just on the computer? No paper version?? The little description doesn't reference if it's one from the MPT practice book. I don't want to click on it till I'm ready to start, but I'd rather use a paper version that I can underline, etc.

It should be in the book... Otherwise I'm skipping it. Doing an MPT online would be such a pain in the ass.

I can't find it in a book...

it's there (about 10th one in), I did it from the book, typed it in word and copied it into the online box.

Thanks, I think I'm going to go to the library to limit distractions, so I'll bring the MPT book with me.

[bsktbll28082]

Sounds like Strategies & Tactics is a good buy? I'm thinking of getting it.

[unidentifiable]

Sounds like Strategies & Tactics is a good buy? I'm thinking of getting it.

I'd recommend it.

Very, very useful tips that are written in plain english (mostly). Not sure if it's helped my numbers, yet, but its definitely helped my confidence.

The questions are different from Themis. They're supposed to be "real bar questions." So you get some exposure to what the bar should be like.

[countryfried]

What's the advantage of OneNote over Word?

[ChocolateTruffle]

What do I need to score on the MBE (assuming average scores on MEE and MPT) to get a 276 on the UBE? I'm so scared. I read somewhere that getting even a 270 on the UBE is really difficult. NY requires a 266. But I want to score a 276 just in case I need to move to Colorado for personal reasons. Does anyone know? Thanks!

[hogfan1991]

Sounds like Strategies & Tactics is a good buy? I'm thinking of getting it.

I got it and have read through the tips and strategies in the front and seemed to pretty good on explaining common themes and the way material is tested. Haven't done the practice problems yet though, but plan to get to all of them before the Bar.