Themis Bar Review Hangout - July 2016 Forum

[ultimolugar]

i have completed 91.7% of the course and still feel unprepared...normal? the first time i took the bar back in 2009 I used barbri. I have preferred themis but don't remember how i felt this close to the exam last time.....

On Tuesday after I take the Florida portion, our school's resident bar professor guru who teaches a class on the Florida bar every year and helps write the questions for the test specifically suggested doing 10-15 MBE Evidence questions bc MBE Evidence is much different than Florida Evidence just so we would be in that mindset.

Carlos Woody?

[ndp1234]

I'm feeling especially schizophrenic today. One minute I'm ready to take the test all confident. The next I'm freaking out about stuff I still don't know. Couldn't sleep last night because my brain was running through every possible thing that could go wrong. I'm pretty sure I dreamt up 27 full evidence questions.

Don't really know what to do this weekend: If I should focus on memorization or focus more reviewing the answers I've gotten wrong.

How are you guys planning on studying this weekend?

Edit: I'll be at 97% today but still feel overwhelmingly underprepared.

[1down1togo]

I'm feeling especially schizophrenic today. One minute I'm ready to take the test all confident. The next I'm freaking out about stuff I still don't know. Couldn't sleep last night because my brain was running through every possible thing that could go wrong. I'm pretty sure I dreamt up 27 full evidence questions.

Don't really know what to do this weekend: If I should focus on memorization or focus more reviewing the answers I've gotten wrong.

How are you guys planning on studying this weekend?

Edit: I'll be at 97% today but still feel overwhelmingly underprepared.

Saturday study for essays
Sunday study for MBE.
Monday Off

For me, I'm more or less not trying to learn anything new at this point. I mean, if I do great, but I'm not going to be able to fill all my knowledge gaps. In fact, ill never be able to fill all my knowledge gaps- simply too much to learn. So I'll be spending my time reviewing outlines, going over stuff, refreshing my memory. I figure, there can't be too much new stuff I could possibly learn in a few days- but I could hit a lot of old stuff and make sure it sticks in my memory.

That's just me though.

[WinSome]

Just got Themed

[+] Spoiler

Did you know that the rules of contract law do not apply to bounties?

[1down1togo]

Just got Themed

[+] Spoiler

Did you know that the rules of contract law do not apply to bounties?

that question was some BULL-EFFING-CRAP.

No where, does it ever talk about anything relating to that. In fact, I saw the correct answer choice- and thought- no, it's talking about a term we've never heard of. There's no way that can be the correct answer. That whole question was complete and total BS.

that question was the Theme to end all Theming.

[unidentifiable]

Up half the night with a puking 6 year old. no camp for him today. I've never prayed that my child had food poisoning before, but I'm hoping it's that and nothing contagious! I think parents should automatically get a few bonus points on the exam. Alright, off to attempt some studying while he's watching Kung Fu Panda 3.

daaayum, that sucks. i'd support parents getting a few bonus points.

[unidentifiable]

Session 15 MBE PQs' goal went down to 50%?

why???

[Vantwins]

Up half the night with a puking 6 year old. no camp for him today. I've never prayed that my child had food poisoning before, but I'm hoping it's that and nothing contagious! I think parents should automatically get a few bonus points on the exam. Alright, off to attempt some studying while he's watching Kung Fu Panda 3.

daaayum, that sucks. i'd support parents getting a few bonus points.

Thanks, if either of my other two start puking I'm calling the hotel and asking if I can come early and my husband will have to deal with it.

husband was reminding me of when he took the day off for our newborn son's bris and the PIA partner he was working for at the time left a voice mail on his cell that started out "I don't know if you're on vacation or what, but..." He knew damn well why he wasn't working that day. So glad hubby has moved up the food chain by now and has less people entitled to harass him!

[blach0987]

Does anyone know if the number of MBE questions completed in our progress includes the Simulated MBE and the two milestone exams? (300 questions there).

[Fivedham]

Session 15 MBE PQs' goal went down to 50%?

why???

FWIW, I thought Mixed PQ 15 was really hard too. I got 68% despite scoring in the high 70s and 80s for the past ten or so sets. I went back into the 70s and 80s on 16 and 17, so my thinking is that it's an outlier.

[unidentifiable]

Session 15 MBE PQs' goal went down to 50%?

why???

FWIW, I thought Mixed PQ 15 was really hard too. I got 68% despite scoring in the high 70s and 80s for the past ten or so sets. I went back into the 70s and 80s on 16 and 17, so my thinking is that it's an outlier.

I got an 80 on Session 15. I thought the Goal of 50% was weird, since most of the others were 70%. Most of my questions were in the easy-green range.

Now, I'm scared of 16 and 17.. Im sure all teh difficult ones that were supposed to be in 15 will be in those. Hnnnnnng.

[Fivedham]

I'm feeling especially schizophrenic today. One minute I'm ready to take the test all confident. The next I'm freaking out about stuff I still don't know. Couldn't sleep last night because my brain was running through every possible thing that could go wrong. I'm pretty sure I dreamt up 27 full evidence questions.

Don't really know what to do this weekend: If I should focus on memorization or focus more reviewing the answers I've gotten wrong.

How are you guys planning on studying this weekend?

Edit: I'll be at 97% today but still feel overwhelmingly underprepared.

I'm at 93% as of this morning. I feel relatively good about the MBE, but I'm terrified of the essays. I'm finally gonna abandon directed study and just do my own thing, lots of essays, review, and MBEs. No more Performance Tests. Themis has me doing two more PTs over the weekend. I refuse to waste another three hours on those pointless open book essays.

My goal is to hit peak-MBE performance and score like a 150+ raw on the real thing so that I can bullshit essays I don't know much about, and reasonably get points for the ones that I do know.

[Rahviveh]

Anyone else getting a lot of repeats on the later PQ sets? I see so many, not sure if I did them on Adaptibar or Themis.

I'm scoring very well on them but I wonder how reliable they are with so many repeats.

[unidentifiable]

Anyone else getting a lot of repeats on the later PQ sets? I see so many, not sure if I did them on Adaptibar or Themis.

I'm scoring very well on them but I wonder how reliable they are with so many repeats.

Yeah, I'm getting a whole lot.

[WinSome]

Anyone else getting a lot of repeats on the later PQ sets? I see so many, not sure if I did them on Adaptibar or Themis.

I'm scoring very well on them but I wonder how reliable they are with so many repeats.

There's a lot of repeats with fact patterns that either slightly vary the facts or ask a different question. The only true verbatim repeats I've seen are those that were covered in the MBE Workshops.

[Fivedham]

Anyone else getting a lot of repeats on the later PQ sets? I see so many, not sure if I did them on Adaptibar or Themis.

I'm scoring very well on them but I wonder how reliable they are with so many repeats.

Some, but not many. I am seeing repeat fact patterns though where Themis changes the question in a small way/asks a different question. I'm at over 3,000 practice questions now though, so it's all a blur. The big recurring one is the computer store with the 47% speed improvement and with the satisfaction clause. I've probably seen that pattern 20 times in AdaptiBar and Themis.

[Hmasterflex]

I've been scoring pretty well on MBE PQs other than a few outliers, but I feel like it's just guess work. Anyone else feel that way?

[pheerful22]

i checked the schedule on clicking the course progress button - it still has assignments for Monday so if i would have started at the projected start date in may it still would have had work. Probably because of the sheer volume of subjects in my jurisdiction.

Yup. I have skimped on trusts. I hope that doesn't bite me in the ass.

Did you graduate from a TX school Pheer?

no i graduated from Ohio state law school in 2009 so all this is new to me I am praying that everyone else sitting for the test next week feels like I do hahaha because holy cow there are a shit ton of topics.....it is RIDICULOUS

I'm losing my mind, but i'm also a non-resident taker. Whatever that's worth

also where are you taking it?

SA

Me too!

[Rahviveh]

Anyone else getting a lot of repeats on the later PQ sets? I see so many, not sure if I did them on Adaptibar or Themis.

I'm scoring very well on them but I wonder how reliable they are with so many repeats.

Some, but not many. I am seeing repeat fact patterns though where Themis changes the question in a small way/asks a different question. I'm at over 3,000 practice questions now though, so it's all a blur. The big recurring one is the computer store with the 47% speed improvement and with the satisfaction clause. I've probably seen that pattern 20 times in AdaptiBar and Themis.

yeah, now that I think if it, its more repeated fact patterns with different quesitons or tweaked fcts than anything else. I do see straight repeats but not as many.

Also that question with the attorney saying he;ll pay for the doctor bills

[Hmasterflex]

i checked the schedule on clicking the course progress button - it still has assignments for Monday so if i would have started at the projected start date in may it still would have had work. Probably because of the sheer volume of subjects in my jurisdiction.

Yup. I have skimped on trusts. I hope that doesn't bite me in the ass.

Did you graduate from a TX school Pheer?

no i graduated from Ohio state law school in 2009 so all this is new to me I am praying that everyone else sitting for the test next week feels like I do hahaha because holy cow there are a shit ton of topics.....it is RIDICULOUS

I'm losing my mind, but i'm also a non-resident taker. Whatever that's worth

also where are you taking it?

SA

Me too!

Right on! I'll probably be making a test run on Monday to get a feel for the place

[1down1togo]

I've been scoring pretty well on MBE PQs other than a few outliers, but I feel like it's just guess work. Anyone else feel that way?

I feel like it's not guess work, but rather, educated guess work.

Think of it this way.

Let's say for 50% of the questions, you know the answer.
That's 50% correct.

for 30% you can narrow it down to 2 choices (this would be the educated guess) - that's 15% correct.

Finally, for the last 20%, you wildly guess- this results in 5% correct.

In the end, you'd get a 70% (50+15+5), despite only actually knowing half the answers, and on a full 1 in every 5 you have no idea. And that 70% would be UNSCALED- so you'd end up even higher than 70%- even higher than a 140.

So to answer your question- yes, a lot of this stuff we really don't know it. But the percentages we are aiming for aren't really high. You don't have to absolutely know all the questions- or even a majority of them, to do well enough to pass comfortably. You just have to know some of them cold, and for the others, at least know enough to eliminate some of the wrong answers.

This is what I tell myself anyway.

[Rahviveh]

Is it safe to say Rule 37 sanctions (for discovery) are capable of being much more punitive than Rule 11 sanctions? The outline is not clear on this distinction.

[rambleon65]

Is it safe to say Rule 37 sanctions (for discovery) are capable of being much more punitive than Rule 11 sanctions? The outline is not clear on this distinction.

I think you can say that, but I wouldn't necessarily think of it that way. Just think of them as two different rules for two different contexts.

[luxxe]

Is it safe to say Rule 37 sanctions (for discovery) are capable of being much more punitive than Rule 11 sanctions? The outline is not clear on this distinction.

Yes. Rule 11 sanctions seem to punish but not impact case i.e. a nonmonetary directive, an order to pay a penalty into court, and paying the atty's fees of the other party v. rule 37 which can allow dismissal of action, striking pleadings, disallowing parties to support claims/defenses, rendering a default judgment, etc.

[Vantwins]

I'm only at 73% and am playing Uno with my little boy. So, I think you all are doing just fine!