BarBri - NY Exam - July 2014 Forum

[Helpful]

Are the amp refreshers any more useful than just doing more MBEs/essays/flash cards? What about re-reading the CMR?

[AJS30]

How many subjects a day are people aiming for? I finished the lectures. I bought the 2013 MBE Question set this morning from NCBE and did that test, reviewed my domestic relations notes and now going to read the CMR portion, as I felt that things were left out (to refresh my memory, since I took family law). But I'm already exhausted....I don't know if its the weather or I'm just really sick of this stuff, but I just want to go home and go into bed. If this were 2 weeks ago, I was able to get through the day with minimal distractions, but now I find myself going more and more on my phone or the internet. I really thought I would be more motivated at this point, but I'm not & that scares me.

[Helpful]

My study style is more jumping around, so I am just doing a variety of MBEs/essays/flash cards rather than focusing on one subject. But I guess if I see that I'm weak in an important one like Wills I will review it further individually. I am also lacking motivation, though.

[thetashster]

I tend to do 1 big one like MBE (Wills will also fall into this category when I finally get to it) and then I try to look at and memorize 2 smaller ones (like agency/partnerships/corp) from StudySmart.

I also do practice questions of the other big topics and then I look at essays of the big topic I did.

Motivation is running low for everyone I think. Just 2 more weeks (a lot can be done in 2 weeks!)... do what we gotta do.

[plath]

I tend to do 1 big one like MBE (Wills will also fall into this category when I finally get to it) and then I try to look at and memorize 2 smaller ones (like agency/partnerships/corp) from StudySmart.

there's a non-MBE StudySmart?!

[thetashster]

I tend to do 1 big one like MBE (Wills will also fall into this category when I finally get to it) and then I try to look at and memorize 2 smaller ones (like agency/partnerships/corp) from StudySmart.

there's a non-MBE StudySmart?!

wow my brain's shorting out already :/

i meant SmartBar Prep... that outline with the rules and how often they appear. i've found it quite helpful. sorry for the false alarm!

[3Lennui]

Where does one find the SmartBar Prep?

I tend to do 1 big one like MBE (Wills will also fall into this category when I finally get to it) and then I try to look at and memorize 2 smaller ones (like agency/partnerships/corp) from StudySmart.

there's a non-MBE StudySmart?!

wow my brain's shorting out already :/

i meant SmartBar Prep... that outline with the rules and how often they appear. i've found it quite helpful. sorry for the false alarm!

[thetashster]

Where does one find the SmartBar Prep?

I tend to do 1 big one like MBE (Wills will also fall into this category when I finally get to it) and then I try to look at and memorize 2 smaller ones (like agency/partnerships/corp) from StudySmart.

there's a non-MBE StudySmart?!

wow my brain's shorting out already :/

i meant SmartBar Prep... that outline with the rules and how often they appear. i've found it quite helpful. sorry for the false alarm!

http://www.smartbarprep.com/SmartBarPre ... alysis.pdf

[overunderachiever]

Anyone purchase the SmartBarPrep outline? How is it?

[anon919]

Anyone purchase the SmartBarPrep outline? How is it?

This. Anyone use it yet?

[thetashster]

Anyone purchase the SmartBarPrep outline? How is it?

This. Anyone use it yet?

amazing. very valuable

[anon919]

Anyone purchase the SmartBarPrep outline? How is it?

This. Anyone use it yet?

amazing. very valuable

Cool. Thanks.

[thetashster]

Anyone purchase the SmartBarPrep outline? How is it?

This. Anyone use it yet?

amazing. very valuable

Cool. Thanks.

with the caveat that i haven't taken the bar exam yet... but after going through the outline and looking at the essays in the NY volume we were given by barbri... it's all there. wish it existed for the MA test too

[Helpful]

Did anyone ever confirm whether the mixed sets are real MBE questions? I know the released ones are. Just debating whether I should bother with Emanuel's/NCBE for extra practice.

[thetashster]

Did anyone ever confirm whether the mixed sets are real MBE questions? I know the released ones are. Just debating whether I should bother with Emanuel's/NCBE for extra practice.

i downloaded NCBE and it was a great confidence booster. but from what i've read online, those are the easy questions. i still don't regret getting it though because the questions ARE different in a way than barbri's. not sure how exactly... just different. i found it to be worth the $50 for 100 questions.

[Helpful]

Did anyone ever confirm whether the mixed sets are real MBE questions? I know the released ones are. Just debating whether I should bother with Emanuel's/NCBE for extra practice.

i downloaded NCBE and it was a great confidence booster. but from what i've read online, those are the easy questions. i still don't regret getting it though because the questions ARE different in a way than barbri's. not sure how exactly... just different. i found it to be worth the $50 for 100 questions.

Do these have explanations?

[thetashster]

Did anyone ever confirm whether the mixed sets are real MBE questions? I know the released ones are. Just debating whether I should bother with Emanuel's/NCBE for extra practice.

i downloaded NCBE and it was a great confidence booster. but from what i've read online, those are the easy questions. i still don't regret getting it though because the questions ARE different in a way than barbri's. not sure how exactly... just different. i found it to be worth the $50 for 100 questions.

Do these have explanations?

yes. so you answer a few questions (let's say you do a tort specific run of the exam). you can exit out and look at the questions you've answered. it'll show you whether you got it right or wrong. and under your response will be the explanation for why it is right or why it is wrong. they're not as thorough as Barbri. but they're also not as convoluted or non-sensical as barbri can sometimes be.

you can take it as many times as you want, timed or untimed. it shows your performance and gives you a scaled score. you can also do specific subject areas. and you can do the questions as many times as you want for a year.

[Helpful]

Thanks.

On a separate note, does anyone know if the model essays on the BOLE site will always reflect a proper conclusion? They have a disclaimer saying that the answers aren't perfect, but I find myself disagreeing with some of the conclusions, and given that that's more crucial here than in most LS exams I just want to check whether they mean to suggest the model answers' conclusions are always the right ones.

Edit: I am also disagreeing with a lot of the analysis and from my materials think I can fairly conclude that often another rule or issue is being tested -- I think I've heard it said on this forum that these answers do have problems -- someone confirm?

Edit 2: Never mind, I see that they include multiple answers. I didn't realize they were as lenient about conclusions (given good analysis) as this apparently suggests.

[thetashster]

Thanks.

On a separate note, does anyone know if the model essays on the BOLE site will always reflect a proper conclusion? They have a disclaimer saying that the answers aren't perfect, but I find myself disagreeing with some of the conclusions, and given that that's more crucial here than in most LS exams I just want to check whether they mean to suggest the model answers' conclusions are always the right ones.

Edit: I am also disagreeing with a lot of the analysis and from my materials think I can fairly conclude that often another rule or issue is being tested -- I think I've heard it said on this forum that these answers do have problems -- someone confirm?

Edit 2: Never mind, I see that they include multiple answers. I didn't realize they were as lenient about conclusions (given good analysis) as this apparently suggests.

don't know if this helps but, i talked to somebody at barbri... they said you really just need to do IRAC. you may not get the rule completely right, and your conclusion might differ but what's important is how you got there.

[Stringer6]

Thanks.

On a separate note, does anyone know if the model essays on the BOLE site will always reflect a proper conclusion? They have a disclaimer saying that the answers aren't perfect, but I find myself disagreeing with some of the conclusions, and given that that's more crucial here than in most LS exams I just want to check whether they mean to suggest the model answers' conclusions are always the right ones.

Edit: I am also disagreeing with a lot of the analysis and from my materials think I can fairly conclude that often another rule or issue is being tested -- I think I've heard it said on this forum that these answers do have problems -- someone confirm?

Edit 2: Never mind, I see that they include multiple answers. I didn't realize they were as lenient about conclusions (given good analysis) as this apparently suggests.

don't know if this helps but, i talked to somebody at barbri... they said you really just need to do IRAC. you may not get the rule completely right, and your conclusion might differ but what's important is how you got there.

more posts like this, please. reassurances are welcome.

[Helpful]

I am just surprised at the breadth of "disagreement" even among "model" answers. Makes it seem like the grading is less stringent than I anticipated.

[peanut123]

How are you all studying for NY Practice? I just did the NYMC questions on it (I know they were assigned a long time ago) and wanted to throw the book across the room. I did horribly. The lecture was entirely too long and still left out a huge chunk of material that is covered in the CMR. I am at a total loss for how to learn this. (And also pissed off because I'm going into transactional work).

[Guchster]

I am just surprised at the breadth of "disagreement" even among "model" answers. Makes it seem like the grading is less stringent than I anticipated.

Exact same surprise here. I think Barbri instilled fear of deviating from a perfect rule statement or conclusion by punishing harshly for a misstatement, missing an issue, or coming to a differing conclusion from its model answer.

If these are good answers, and they vary so much in application/conclusion, I definitely feel re-assured too.

[Guchster]

How are you all studying for NY Practice? I just did the NYMC questions on it (I know they were assigned a long time ago) and wanted to throw the book across the room. I did horribly. The lecture was entirely too long and still left out a huge chunk of material that is covered in the CMR. I am at a total loss for how to learn this. (And also pissed off because I'm going into transactional work).

I looked at study smart and learned the basics and most tested/obvious S/L and procedures. Way too much detail to give a fuck about it. It looks like its rarely ever a huge issue that makes up most of an essay--usually it's only tangentially part of a question that you can miss and still get the majority and substantive part of a question right anyway (and most of the time it's a summary judgment/motion to dismiss/or obvious S/L trigger (like medical malpractice, tort, UCC, etc.), and I'll just allot them to my 30-35/50 (or even 40-45 (lol) out of 50 if you do very strongly on the MBE) MC questions we can basically miss on NY exam if we do reasonably well on the MBE. Gladly surrendering points to MC questions that ask about random filing requirements, arcane procedural points, and arbitrary S/L because no1curr.

[thetashster]

Thanks.

On a separate note, does anyone know if the model essays on the BOLE site will always reflect a proper conclusion? They have a disclaimer saying that the answers aren't perfect, but I find myself disagreeing with some of the conclusions, and given that that's more crucial here than in most LS exams I just want to check whether they mean to suggest the model answers' conclusions are always the right ones.

Edit: I am also disagreeing with a lot of the analysis and from my materials think I can fairly conclude that often another rule or issue is being tested -- I think I've heard it said on this forum that these answers do have problems -- someone confirm?

Edit 2: Never mind, I see that they include multiple answers. I didn't realize they were as lenient about conclusions (given good analysis) as this apparently suggests.

don't know if this helps but, i talked to somebody at barbri... they said you really just need to do IRAC. you may not get the rule completely right, and your conclusion might differ but what's important is how you got there.

more posts like this, please. reassurances are welcome.

yeah i'm doing MA and NY... and had a major freakout the other day b/c you just can't learn all there is to know. he said "honestly if you don't know the rule, just put the rule you DO know and do IRAC."

and just keep in mind, the rule is 1/4 of IRAC. if you can list the issue, you just got part of it right!


EDIT: btw, the guy on the phone said "if you don't know something and you're freaking out, chances are the person to the left and right of you are also freaking the hell out. a curve is a DAMN GOOD thing"