Themis Bar Review Hangout - July 2015 Exam Forum

[2014]

I've been considering doing a set of MBE questions in test mode instead of interactive. Has anyone tried both ways and felt one way was better than the other? I tend to get on a wrong streak so I feel like one wrong answer tends to spiral into more but on the other hand reading the explanations right after helps and sometimes the same rule comes up in a later question during the same set.

I go back and forth. I kind of like the suspense of test mode and it's definitely easier to write the hard questions out of your memory when you aren't faced with your up to the minute performance. On the other hand, the instant feedback makes me more likely to actually review and internalize what I did wrong.

[sd5289]

Finally getting back into the grind and feeling productive like I was in June.

14 assignments between today and tomorrow, including a wills graded essay even though I haven't gotten to wills yet

It's cool. Just trying to take it one step at a time.

I've just started jumping around according to how I'm feeling rather than complying with the order that Themis has set for me, and it seems to be working better. I've been concentrating on wills and trusts this week, and while my first wills practice essay was a complete disaster, one "review" session later and I just nailed the second practice essay (and I did *not* take T&E or any kind of wills class during LS). As soon as I do the milestone #2, which I'm going to do on Saturday since I'm taking a half day on Sunday to watch Team USA beat Japan while at the beer garden, I'll be able to check off a lot of the "review" assignments I've been doing but haven't been able to check off because Themis' portal won't let me*.

* at least, I don't think it will in "flex study" mode...if anyone knows how to, post it. I'm at 57% now, but that's gonna jump quite a bit once I'm allowed to check off things that I've been doing but Themis isn't counting because I can't mark them off.

Does anyone know if the in-person simulated MBE will involve a scantron? My ticket says to bring my test book, so I'm wondering if it's just, like, showing up with your own stuff and then self-grading at the end, in which case, why drag my butt down there...

I have to go from Queens to downtown Manhattan to get to this, but I think it's probably pretty valuable to do it in testing conditions with other neurotics in the room in order to get a feel for test day.

And I mean "neurotics" in the most complimentary way possible, and include myself in that designation.

[MrBriggs360]

Possibly stupid question:

Are Crim Law/ Pro sets 1–3 exclusively Crim Law and then 4–5 are exclusively Crim Pro?

[somuchbooty]

Possibly stupid question:

Are Crim Law/ Pro sets 1–3 exclusively Crim Law and then 4–5 are exclusively Crim Pro?

No, 1, 3, and 5 are crim law and 2 and 4 are crim pro, or at least that's how mine is set up.

[sd5289]

Hey New Yorkers, T&E question:

In the handout and lecture, Themis is saying that a "failed gift" (in the trust formation segment) may be construed as a trust, thus saving the gift. However, the long outline is saying that most courts reject the argument that a failed gift can be saved by re-characterizing the donor's intent. The long outline goes on to say that if the donee relied on the gift to his/her detriment, then the court may impose a constructive trust.

Am I right to interpret this as NY courts are more likely to NOT save the failed gift absent this detrimental reliance? The handout and lecture didn't really make that clear.

[Nelson]

I'll be able to check off a lot of the "review" assignments I've been doing but haven't been able to check off because Themis' portal won't let me*.

* at least, I don't think it will in "flex study" mode...if anyone knows how to, post it. I'm at 57% now, but that's gonna jump quite a bit once I'm allowed to check off things that I've been doing but Themis isn't counting because I can't mark them off.

There's no point worrying about checking off review assignments. They don't count towards completion % and as far as I can tell just appear in a set order over time (they don't change based on what lectures you've covered/what practice problems you've done or where your weaknesses are).

[misterjames]

so i'm still about 4 days behind as i have been since the start, so i think i'm going to just plow through the remaining lectures and fill out the handouts so i can switch over to review and practice. not looking forward to 12 hours straight of lectures but whatever, i just want them done and out of the way

[MrBriggs360]

There's no point worrying about checking off review assignments. They don't count towards completion % and as far as I can tell just appear in a set order over time (they don't change based on what lectures you've covered/what practice problems you've done or where your weaknesses are).

They absolutely count as a % for me, and sometimes a large %. I don't know if it's different for the rest of you.

[Worker and Parasite]

There's no point worrying about checking off review assignments. They don't count towards completion % and as far as I can tell just appear in a set order over time (they don't change based on what lectures you've covered/what practice problems you've done or where your weaknesses are).

They absolutely count as a % for me, and sometimes a large %. I don't know if it's different for the rest of you.

Yeah I get like .1% from them.


God I'd kill for lecture transcripts

[zot1]

Finally getting back into the grind and feeling productive like I was in June.

14 assignments between today and tomorrow, including a wills graded essay even though I haven't gotten to wills yet

It's cool. Just trying to take it one step at a time.

I've just started jumping around according to how I'm feeling rather than complying with the order that Themis has set for me, and it seems to be working better. I've been concentrating on wills and trusts this week, and while my first wills practice essay was a complete disaster, one "review" session later and I just nailed the second practice essay (and I did *not* take T&E or any kind of wills class during LS). As soon as I do the milestone #2, which I'm going to do on Saturday since I'm taking a half day on Sunday to watch Team USA beat Japan while at the beer garden, I'll be able to check off a lot of the "review" assignments I've been doing but haven't been able to check off because Themis' portal won't let me*.

* at least, I don't think it will in "flex study" mode...if anyone knows how to, post it. I'm at 57% now, but that's gonna jump quite a bit once I'm allowed to check off things that I've been doing but Themis isn't counting because I can't mark them off.

I don't mind directed study. I'm just behind, so my schedule is messed up.

There's no way to check off review assignments. Honestly, this seems like something Themis could have easily incorporated into their flex option so we could get it out of the way.

[somuchbooty]

The common law rule to conspiracy is so dumb that I keep missing it. Maybe voicing my frustration here will remind me to take into account how stupid the rule is before answering questions on it.

[henry flower]

Learning to just ignore the percentages has been a big help for me. It relieved a huge amount of artificial stress.

For Maryland, Themis is disproportionately focused on the MBE, which I am already doing well on, so I don't plan on doing all of the materials. And at this point, I know my strengths and weaknesses well enough to work out what I need to do on my own. For example, I know it makes more sense for me to spend a few hours rewriting my answers to some older practice essay questions than to do the umpteenth set of con law MBEs, although I won't get any % credit for the former.

[kjartan]

Reading the long outlines for subjects that are only tested on essays is flame.

[Nelson]

There's no point worrying about checking off review assignments. They don't count towards completion % and as far as I can tell just appear in a set order over time (they don't change based on what lectures you've covered/what practice problems you've done or where your weaknesses are).

They absolutely count as a % for me, and sometimes a large %. I don't know if it's different for the rest of you.

I wonder if it varies state by state? For me they are 0% so I just click through them every time and do whatever review I think necessary on my own.

[henry flower]

Reading the long outlines for subjects that are only tested on essays is flame.

I don't know... In my jurisdiction, aside from one MPT, the essay Qs are all state-specific. And the state-specific lecturers/handouts are largely worthless, so the outlines are basically the only resource. Plus, Maryland isn't afraid to (occasionally) test on obscure points of law that would only be on the long outline.

But I can only handle reading 15-20 pages of the long outline at a time, so I have to mix it up.

[always_raining]

There's no point worrying about checking off review assignments. They don't count towards completion % and as far as I can tell just appear in a set order over time (they don't change based on what lectures you've covered/what practice problems you've done or where your weaknesses are).

They absolutely count as a % for me, and sometimes a large %. I don't know if it's different for the rest of you.

I wonder if it varies state by state? For me they are 0% so I just click through them every time and do whatever review I think necessary on my own.

I think it might depend on how far along you are in the course. I used to get a % for them, but now I dont.

[Confused7]

There's no point worrying about checking off review assignments. They don't count towards completion % and as far as I can tell just appear in a set order over time (they don't change based on what lectures you've covered/what practice problems you've done or where your weaknesses are).

They absolutely count as a % for me, and sometimes a large %. I don't know if it's different for the rest of you.

I wonder if it varies state by state? For me they are 0% so I just click through them every time and do whatever review I think necessary on my own.

I think it might depend on how far along you are in the course. I used to get a % for them, but now I dont.

How do you even check off the review assignments?

[kateebee]

If someone could please explain the GD bar exam to my non-lawyer husband so he would get off my back, that would be awesome. I know he's trying to help me chill out by saying that I will obviously pass because I was in the top of my class, but he just does not understand the amount of work that needs to be put in to translate good grades to passing the bar exam. I am way behind and in panic-mode and he is just oblivious.

[always_raining]

How do you even check off the review assignments?

Under directed study, I will be assigned "Review Evidence Lecture Handout" and I can click on it and "Mark Complete." It doesn't open a new page or anything — I just get a pop-up box telling me to mark the assignment complete when I've done it. After I click "Mark Complete" then I get a little check next to the assignment.

[always_raining]

If someone could please explain the GD bar exam to my non-lawyer husband so he would get off my back, that would be awesome. I know he's trying to help me chill out by saying that I will obviously pass because I was in the top of my class, but he just does not understand the amount of work that needs to be put in to translate good grades to passing the bar exam. I am way behind and in panic-mode and he is just oblivious.

I gotta say, as someone dating an attorney, I find it even more irritating when I decide to take a few hours off at night and my SO is like "should you really be seeing your pal tonight? Bar exam time is for studying, and you should be more stressed out!" Yes, I am stressed, and I don't need your sass! Sorry but I can't study for more than 10 hours a day! Ugh.

Some of my friends try to reassure me and that's irritating too, though. It's all terrible.

[MrBriggs360]

If someone could please explain the GD bar exam to my non-lawyer husband so he would get off my back, that would be awesome. I know he's trying to help me chill out by saying that I will obviously pass because I was in the top of my class, but he just does not understand the amount of work that needs to be put in to translate good grades to passing the bar exam. I am way behind and in panic-mode and he is just oblivious.

I'm going through the exact same thing with my friends. "Dude, if (random idiot) passed it, how hard could it be?" and "I know for a fact that (random idiot) didn't even study, and he passed." I try to calmly explain that I don't give a fuck what anybody says, you are not passing the Bar exam without studying and taking it seriously.

[Confused7]

How do you even check off the review assignments?

Under directed study, I will be assigned "Review Evidence Lecture Handout" and I can click on it and "Mark Complete." It doesn't open a new page or anything — I just get a pop-up box telling me to mark the assignment complete when I've done it. After I click "Mark Complete" then I get a little check next to the assignment.

Thanks! Though I went to my Direct Study (the place where you can see your work for tomorrow, weekly, monthly) and it doesn't let me click on anything of the "Review" portions. Weird, but I might be doing something wrong.

[always_raining]

How do you even check off the review assignments?

Under directed study, I will be assigned "Review Evidence Lecture Handout" and I can click on it and "Mark Complete." It doesn't open a new page or anything — I just get a pop-up box telling me to mark the assignment complete when I've done it. After I click "Mark Complete" then I get a little check next to the assignment.

Thanks! Though I went to my Direct Study (the place where you can see your work for tomorrow, weekly, monthly) and it doesn't let me click on anything of the "Review" portions. Weird, but I might be doing something wrong.

Oh, I misunderstood. I cannot complete those assignments until they are assigned (day of).

[texlaw]

How do you even check off the review assignments?

Under directed study, I will be assigned "Review Evidence Lecture Handout" and I can click on it and "Mark Complete." It doesn't open a new page or anything — I just get a pop-up box telling me to mark the assignment complete when I've done it. After I click "Mark Complete" then I get a little check next to the assignment.

Thanks! Though I went to my Direct Study (the place where you can see your work for tomorrow, weekly, monthly) and it doesn't let me click on anything of the "Review" portions. Weird, but I might be doing something wrong.

You can only click on them if they are next on the list of things to do. The problem I'm having is that there are two big fat milestones that I never have time for, and direct study is scheduling them ahead of any of the review assignments. So it's not going to let me complete any of these review assignments until I take the milestones I guess.

[texlaw]

There's no point worrying about checking off review assignments. They don't count towards completion % and as far as I can tell just appear in a set order over time (they don't change based on what lectures you've covered/what practice problems you've done or where your weaknesses are).

They absolutely count as a % for me, and sometimes a large %. I don't know if it's different for the rest of you.

I wonder if it varies state by state? For me they are 0% so I just click through them every time and do whatever review I think necessary on my own.

I also got a % for completing them, although I always had to re-fresh my browser before the percentage was updated.