July 2016 California Bar Exam Forum

[SlowLearner]

Any predictions for the essays yet?

Maybe you have seen this?
http://www.barsecrets.com/predictions

Take it all with a pinch of salt...
From what I can see, their system is merely a prediction of the two subjects which will NOT be on the exam (i.e. the two which will be used for the PT's). So they are calling Civ Pro and Trusts as NOT coming up. (Remedies is not listed but he throws it in during the audio).
Not sure how helpful that is.

[Stupiddreams]

Are we allowed to bring colored pen for the MBE? What are you guys gonna do with your cell phone?

[SlowLearner]

MBE
Nope. Mbe most strict of the 3 ...almost just pencils (pre sharpened with eraser on top) I.e. no pencil sharpener, no eraser, no mechanical pencil

CELL PHONE
Leave it in your room. (Cellphone separation anxiety setting in yet?)
If you bring it...
Best case - your phone might not get stolen, left outside in your bag (want to chance it?)
Worst case - you forget it's in your pocket due to the stress and it goes off in the exam and you get booted.

[LockBox]

Are we allowed to bring colored pen for the MBE? What are you guys gonna do with your cell phone?

No pens or highlighters are permitted during the MBE portion. I will likely leave my phone in my bag outside the testing room in the secured area.

[LurkerTurnedMember]

Are people getting nervous? I'm getting nervous... this week I woke up at 5:30 am on Tuesday and checked the date 5 times to make sure it wasn't the 26th. Then in the afternoon, I checked it a few more times to make sure it wasn't the 26th and that I didn't miss the first day.

[a male human]

Are people getting nervous? I'm getting nervous... this week I woke up at 5:30 am on Tuesday and checked the date 5 times to make sure it wasn't the 26th. Then in the afternoon, I checked it a few more times to make sure it wasn't the 26th and that I didn't miss the first day.

Nervous?? Isn't it exciting that you'll be done with this shit in exactly 7 days?

JK yeah it's normal to be nervous

[teabreeze]

Are people getting nervous? I'm getting nervous... this week I woke up at 5:30 am on Tuesday and checked the date 5 times to make sure it wasn't the 26th. Then in the afternoon, I checked it a few more times to make sure it wasn't the 26th and that I didn't miss the first day.

I feel you man, it's been difficult getting restful sleep. I'm yawning as I type this lol. I've been fighting the urge to take naps for the past few weeks since there'll be no nap time for us on the actual thing.

[a male human]

Are people getting nervous? I'm getting nervous... this week I woke up at 5:30 am on Tuesday and checked the date 5 times to make sure it wasn't the 26th. Then in the afternoon, I checked it a few more times to make sure it wasn't the 26th and that I didn't miss the first day.

I feel you man, it's been difficult getting restful sleep. I'm yawning as I type this lol. I've been fighting the urge to take naps for the past few weeks since there'll be no nap time for us on the actual thing.

What about lunch time? Most people eat or sit around in their car... I tried to go to sleep in my hotel room except the cleaners kept chattering outside, god

[LurkerTurnedMember]

Are people getting nervous? I'm getting nervous... this week I woke up at 5:30 am on Tuesday and checked the date 5 times to make sure it wasn't the 26th. Then in the afternoon, I checked it a few more times to make sure it wasn't the 26th and that I didn't miss the first day.

Nervous?? Isn't it exciting that you'll be done with this shit in exactly 7 days?

JK yeah it's normal to be nervous

What do you do if your computer or the exam software malfunctions? Barbri said something about grabbing a booklet right away and continuing to write... what does this mean? Start all over or just start where you stopped before the computer or software failed? And do people just get booklets ahead of time and keep em around near their computer just in case?

[ElleWoods363]

do people usually bring lunch or leave it in the car? can you even bring lunch into the testing room?

[a male human]

Are people getting nervous? I'm getting nervous... this week I woke up at 5:30 am on Tuesday and checked the date 5 times to make sure it wasn't the 26th. Then in the afternoon, I checked it a few more times to make sure it wasn't the 26th and that I didn't miss the first day.

Nervous?? Isn't it exciting that you'll be done with this shit in exactly 7 days?

JK yeah it's normal to be nervous

What do you do if your computer or the exam software malfunctions? Barbri said something about grabbing a booklet right away and continuing to write... what does this mean? Start all over or just start where you stopped before the computer or software failed? And do people just get booklets ahead of time and keep em around near their computer just in case?

Raise your hand and ask for a booklet so you can continue where you left off (if you can even remember).

The thing that fucked people over in 2014 with their SofTest was copy and pasting large amounts of text, about 500 or more words. Or at least that seems to be the common thread among people whose software freaked out. I have no idea if this has been fixed, but try to avoid that.

do people usually bring lunch or leave it in the car? can you even bring lunch into the testing room?

Nothing is allowed except for the allowed items: http://admissions.calbar.ca.gov/Portals ... 0616_R.pdf

During lunch on the first day, I spent like an hour finding a place and buying multiple takeout items to store it in my hotel room so that I could eat through the rest of the three days. (Everything was closed Monday night!) So if you can, try to stock up or bring them from elsewhere for easy access, including putting it in your car if you want.

[LurkerTurnedMember]

https://cdn.meme.am/instances/500x/67343387.jpg

[bnghle234]

The thing that fucked people over in 2014 with their SofTest was copy and pasting large amounts of text, about 500 or more words. Or at least that seems to be the common thread among people whose software freaked out. I have no idea if this has been fixed, but try to avoid that.

What happened?

[bnghle234]

After doing a few Property practice essays, there are so many rules and nuances that the Barbri lecturer never mentioned. I just had to vent. Not sure why this Property stuff just does not stick.

[a male human]

The thing that fucked people over in 2014 with their SofTest was copy and pasting large amounts of text, about 500 or more words. Or at least that seems to be the common thread among people whose software freaked out. I have no idea if this has been fixed, but try to avoid that.

What happened?

IIRC, people couldn't type or see words on their screen. My glitch was that I couldn't insert spaces unless I did some weird keyboard maneuvers like typing out a letter and deleting it first before being able to insert one space, or something like that.

After doing a few Property practice essays, there are so many rules and nuances that the Barbri lecturer never mentioned. I just had to vent. Not sure why this Property stuff just does not stick.

Yeah Property sucks, but remember you don't get better at the bar by listening to lectures; you get better at it by actually solving a variety of issues in practice... then doing the real thing as if it were practice.

Oversimplified and easier said than done, I know.

[rcharter1978]

Are people getting nervous? I'm getting nervous... this week I woke up at 5:30 am on Tuesday and checked the date 5 times to make sure it wasn't the 26th. Then in the afternoon, I checked it a few more times to make sure it wasn't the 26th and that I didn't miss the first day.

I had nightmares about waking up late and the night before the exam I slept with all the lights on. Terrible, terrible.

[rcharter1978]

After doing a few Property practice essays, there are so many rules and nuances that the Barbri lecturer never mentioned. I just had to vent. Not sure why this Property stuff just does not stick.

Property is the worst, and if its the same lecturer as last year, she is also the worst (but pretty organized).

I know its not advisable, but based on Barbri I just felt like there were certain property MBE questions that I was just going to have to make the best guess I could and move it along. You should really need to know those tiny crevice rules/exceptions down cold for the the MBE, the essays should test on larger areas.

[rcharter1978]

Any predictions for the essays yet?

Maybe you have seen this?
http://www.barsecrets.com/predictions

Take it all with a pinch of salt...
From what I can see, their system is merely a prediction of the two subjects which will NOT be on the exam (i.e. the two which will be used for the PT's). So they are calling Civ Pro and Trusts as NOT coming up. (Remedies is not listed but he throws it in during the audio).
Not sure how helpful that is.

I think there will be a CA Civ Pro in the next few administrations. Maybe this one.

Civ Pro in July '15, CA Evidence in Feb '16.....I think they may go there soon.

I don't know how often they test subjects back to back, but if they don't....than perhaps it means that you won't see the subjects from Feb '16 on this exam, right?

[LurkerTurnedMember]

Are people getting nervous? I'm getting nervous... this week I woke up at 5:30 am on Tuesday and checked the date 5 times to make sure it wasn't the 26th. Then in the afternoon, I checked it a few more times to make sure it wasn't the 26th and that I didn't miss the first day.

I had nightmares about waking up late and the night before the exam I slept with all the lights on. Terrible, terrible.

That couldn't have been good. I told people in my family to keep calling me that morning until I answer, and I already have two alarms set up. I already made a few trips out to the testing place so I know where I'm going. But the light thing would definitely throw me off.

I did have nightmares though that my computer crashed during testing and I ran out of time without finishing any of the essays. Ohh and I always worry I'll get one of those computer beaters next to me.. you know the ones that hit their computer keys so hard like they want everyone to know they're typing, as if hitting the keys harder makes them more confident and the answer better. That ticks me off so much, especially when they slam the space key and pause before typing again like "hey look at me I just completed a sentence and I'm moving on to the next one. Look how special I am."

If you told that person to stfu during the exam, would you get booted? Or do you have to first raise your hand and tell the moderators to tell them to stfu?

[a male human]

Are people getting nervous? I'm getting nervous... this week I woke up at 5:30 am on Tuesday and checked the date 5 times to make sure it wasn't the 26th. Then in the afternoon, I checked it a few more times to make sure it wasn't the 26th and that I didn't miss the first day.

I had nightmares about waking up late and the night before the exam I slept with all the lights on. Terrible, terrible.

That couldn't have been good. I told people in my family to keep calling me that morning until I answer, and I already have two alarms set up. I already made a few trips out to the testing place so I know where I'm going. But the light thing would definitely throw me off.

I did have nightmares though that my computer crashed during testing and I ran out of time without finishing any of the essays. Ohh and I always worry I'll get one of those computer beaters next to me.. you know the ones that hit their computer keys so hard like they want everyone to know they're typing, as if hitting the keys harder makes them more confident and the answer better. That ticks me off so much, especially when they slam the space key and pause before typing again like "hey look at me I just completed a sentence and I'm moving on to the next one. Look how special I am."

If you told that person to stfu during the exam, would you get booted? Or do you have to first raise your hand and tell the moderators to tell them to stfu?

Lol not sure if you can do anything in that situation unfortunately. I'd get some earplugs in case that happens.

And everyone has downloaded, run, and uploaded (as a test) the mock exam file, right? See how it looks and feels and all.

[LurkerTurnedMember]

Are people getting nervous? I'm getting nervous... this week I woke up at 5:30 am on Tuesday and checked the date 5 times to make sure it wasn't the 26th. Then in the afternoon, I checked it a few more times to make sure it wasn't the 26th and that I didn't miss the first day.

I had nightmares about waking up late and the night before the exam I slept with all the lights on. Terrible, terrible.

That couldn't have been good. I told people in my family to keep calling me that morning until I answer, and I already have two alarms set up. I already made a few trips out to the testing place so I know where I'm going. But the light thing would definitely throw me off.

I did have nightmares though that my computer crashed during testing and I ran out of time without finishing any of the essays. Ohh and I always worry I'll get one of those computer beaters next to me.. you know the ones that hit their computer keys so hard like they want everyone to know they're typing, as if hitting the keys harder makes them more confident and the answer better. That ticks me off so much, especially when they slam the space key and pause before typing again like "hey look at me I just completed a sentence and I'm moving on to the next one. Look how special I am."

If you told that person to stfu during the exam, would you get booted? Or do you have to first raise your hand and tell the moderators to tell them to stfu?

Lol not sure if you can do anything in that situation unfortunately. I'd get some earplugs in case that happens.

And everyone has downloaded, run, and uploaded (as a test) the mock exam file, right? See how it looks and feels and all.

haha it's not the noise that bothers me but the sense of entitlement and self-centeredness in it. The only benefit the person gets is attention, in exchange for harming the computer (long term), distracting people around them, and wasting time (incrementally) by having to slam every key down extra hard.

And the program is alright. Pretty bare bone so not confusing. I heard if you slam the keys as hard as you can while you type, the program answers the questions for you

[rcharter1978]

Are people getting nervous? I'm getting nervous... this week I woke up at 5:30 am on Tuesday and checked the date 5 times to make sure it wasn't the 26th. Then in the afternoon, I checked it a few more times to make sure it wasn't the 26th and that I didn't miss the first day.

I had nightmares about waking up late and the night before the exam I slept with all the lights on. Terrible, terrible.

That couldn't have been good. I told people in my family to keep calling me that morning until I answer, and I already have two alarms set up. I already made a few trips out to the testing place so I know where I'm going. But the light thing would definitely throw me off.

I did have nightmares though that my computer crashed during testing and I ran out of time without finishing any of the essays. Ohh and I always worry I'll get one of those computer beaters next to me.. you know the ones that hit their computer keys so hard like they want everyone to know they're typing, as if hitting the keys harder makes them more confident and the answer better. That ticks me off so much, especially when they slam the space key and pause before typing again like "hey look at me I just completed a sentence and I'm moving on to the next one. Look how special I am."

If you told that person to stfu during the exam, would you get booted? Or do you have to first raise your hand and tell the moderators to tell them to stfu?

It was not good at all! But I was so scared of showing up there late. In all of my dreams/nightmares, I was just sitting in traffic angry and crying as cars just inched along and every minute I knew I was later and later. Strangely, IRL I can't cry, but in my nightmares about showing up late I was crying like a true champ.

LOL @ computer beater. I did have a guy sitting next to me that insisted on bumping the table with his jiggling knee. It was constant and I never wanted to punch someone in the face more than I did at that moment. The proctors would ask him to stop and he would stop....for like exactly 3 minutes and start again.

I do feel like telling someone to STFU during the exam could be a Rule 16 violation....which they will go over....IN LENGTH before you start the testing session. You will be scared shitless to get a Rule 16 violation

[SlowLearner]

How are you guys organizing your last 3 days?

I'm only doing essay prep (leaving PT and MBE - though may do 10-25 mbe to keep me sharp) and using bar secrets predictions for my emphasis:

Giving more time to:
CONSTITUTIONAL
CRIME & CRIM PRO
PROPERTY
EVIDENCE
PR
BA/CONTRACTS
CP/WILLS

Less time and emphasis to:
TORT
CIV PRO (CA distinctions always a worry)
TRUSTS
REMEDIES (these are covered in Prop/Cont/Tort anyway)

Using:
-outlines for memorization,
-opening paragraphs from Stanford resource site
-3-4 model essay answers from calbar for each subject to keep reminding me what an answer should look like.

...trying to stay calm.
Anyone doing anything different?
Any hunches / stats / probability calculations / rat entrails or tea leaves on what's coming up or not?

[Baller31]

I used Bar Secrets as well. Not sure how reliable he is though. I am focusing more on the sample essay answers which CA gives you sense I believe they were written by actual attorneys while also still doing a few MBE's here and there.

How are you guys organizing your last 3 days?

I'm only doing essay prep (leaving PT and MBE - though may do 10-25 mbe to keep me sharp) and using bar secrets predictions for my emphasis:

Giving more time to:
CONSTITUTIONAL
CRIME & CRIM PRO
PROPERTY
EVIDENCE
PR
BA/CONTRACTS
CP/WILLS

Less time and emphasis to:
TORT
CIV PRO (CA distinctions always a worry)
TRUSTS
REMEDIES (these are covered in Prop/Cont/Tort anyway)

Using:
-outlines for memorization,
-opening paragraphs from Stanford resource site
-3-4 model essay answers from calbar for each subject to keep reminding me what an answer should look like.

...trying to stay calm.
Anyone doing anything different?
Any hunches / stats / probability calculations / rat entrails or tea leaves on what's coming up or not?

[Baller31]

Is there a law library still open late today in Oakland/San Francisco?