Themis Bar Review Hangout - July 2014 Exam Forum

[puttycake]

Taking the Bar Exam in Texas. Today is my first day studying and I spent 4 hours taking notes on the video lectures. This will be a long summer SMH

Were you using the handout? From the way you phrased this, I wasn't sure. (And maybe you just didn't want to use the handout.)

[puttycake]

There are no words for how much I hate contracts.

I hated the class in law school and I hate everything about it now.

[Genuine4ps]

For anyone who has already started, do you know if there's a summary outline for each area of law like the one provided at the end of Con Law? I was hoping there was because it seemed like time may have been better spent going over that than making flash cards; however, I can't find any for the other two areas of law I've gone over.

I found some old ones a while ago when I was poking around. But it looks like they removed them from the site because now I can't seem to find them.

So there are two sets of outlines? A comprehensive version and a more condensed version?

[Tanicius]

For anyone who has already started, do you know if there's a summary outline for each area of law like the one provided at the end of Con Law? I was hoping there was because it seemed like time may have been better spent going over that than making flash cards; however, I can't find any for the other two areas of law I've gone over.

I found some old ones a while ago when I was poking around. But it looks like they removed them from the site because now I can't seem to find them.

So there are two sets of outlines? A comprehensive version and a more condensed version?

Yes.

[lsutiger1987]

Taking the Bar Exam in Texas. Today is my first day studying and I spent 4 hours taking notes on the video lectures. This will be a long summer SMH

Were you using the handout? From the way you phrased this, I wasn't sure. (And maybe you just didn't want to use the handout.)

I didn't use the handout. I like to take hand written notes. Helps me retain the info better. Handouts did not help me when I practiced for the MPRE.

[Tanicius]

Taking the Bar Exam in Texas. Today is my first day studying and I spent 4 hours taking notes on the video lectures. This will be a long summer SMH

Were you using the handout? From the way you phrased this, I wasn't sure. (And maybe you just didn't want to use the handout.)

I didn't use the handout. I like to take hand written notes. Helps me retain the info better. Handouts did not help me when I practiced for the MPRE.

I think the MPRE handouts and lectures were too broad. I'm finding the MBE subjects to be a lot more thorough.

[Burgstaller04]

Taking the TX bar. Started with the intro videos today....super fun.

[Gumby]

VA prep starts today. should be fun.

[Genuine4ps]

Is it even going to be possible to finish 100% of this thing?

[puttycake]

Is it even going to be possible to finish 100% of this thing?

I don't think so. Not in the time we have and without killing ourselves.

[Genuine4ps]

Is it even going to be possible to finish 100% of this thing?

I don't think so. Not in the time we have and without killing ourselves.

Yeah, that's what I thought. I have no problem working my ass off, but I don't want to burn out.

Man, I hate this. Brings me back to LSAT days.

[Lasers]

has anyone started prep yet?

i'm gonna start the end of this week. at most, i might watch a few intro videos and familiarize myself with the materials a bit beforehand.

[puttycake]

I did my first practice essays today. I actually did okay on them. Community Property, so most of you won't have to worry about them. But fellow CA test-takers, take heart! They weren't that bad!

[Tanicius]

has anyone started prep yet?

i'm gonna start the end of this week. at most, i might watch a few intro videos and familiarize myself with the materials a bit beforehand.

I have. I'm in a UBE jurisdiction but my job requires that I pass the first go-around, so I'm very paranoid.

On top of that, I have never done well in a single doctrinal class. Got P's in every single class I ever took in law school that involved a written exam. Both my study skills suck (cause I have pretty much zero discipline to just sit down and read boring things all day long), and apparently my exam answers have never been arranged to the professors' likings.

For all of those reasons, I've decided that my best shot is to give myself extra time to prepare by really making sure I memorize all of the material in time to be able to adequately focus on essay structure.

[kapital98]

has anyone started prep yet?

i'm gonna start the end of this week. at most, i might watch a few intro videos and familiarize myself with the materials a bit beforehand.

I have. I'm in a UBE jurisdiction but my job requires that I pass the first go-around, so I'm very paranoid.

On top of that, I have never done well in a single doctrinal class. Got P's in every single class I ever took in law school that involved a written exam. Both my study skills suck (cause I have pretty much zero discipline to just sit down and read boring things all day long), and apparently my exam answers have never been arranged to the professors' likings.

For all of those reasons, I've decided that my best shot is to give myself extra time to prepare by really making sure I memorize all of the material in time to be able to adequately focus on essay structure.

Have you tried study guides like LEEWS? LEEWS was originally designed to help people pass the bar and then adapted into law school/1L strategy guide. It only takes ~8-10 hours to complete.

I know all of this sounds trivial at this point. I'm just bringing it up in case you want a primer on essay writing.

[fordprefect]

My method is to watch the videos, fill in the handouts, then quickly skim the outlines and read thoroughly any areas that weren't well covered in the video or that I found confusing. Is this basically what others are doing? Intently studying both the lectures and the outlines seems like a belt and suspenders approach and not the best use of time.

I'm also not planning on taking separate notes or re-writing the handouts. I suspect I'll just end up reviewing the handouts.

[puttycake]

My method is to watch the videos, fill in the handouts, then quickly skim the outlines and read thoroughly any areas that weren't well covered in the video or that I found confusing. Is this basically what others are doing? Intently studying both the lectures and the outlines seems like a belt and suspenders approach and not the best use of time.

I'm also not planning on taking separate notes or re-writing the handouts. I suspect I'll just end up reviewing the handouts.

I'm reading the outlines first, but not studying them or reading them very closely. More than a skim, but not intense.

So far, I'm finding that when I turn to the practice MBEs and essays, I discover there if there was something I really didn't understand from the initial outline read plus the lecture/handout combo. Granted, I've only done two practice essays and two practice MBEs (ConLaw), but so far that's how I'm catching things I need to take another look at.

[Tanicius]

My method is to watch the videos, fill in the handouts, then quickly skim the outlines and read thoroughly any areas that weren't well covered in the video or that I found confusing. Is this basically what others are doing? Intently studying both the lectures and the outlines seems like a belt and suspenders approach and not the best use of time.

I'm also not planning on taking separate notes or re-writing the handouts. I suspect I'll just end up reviewing the handouts.

That's how I studied for the MPRE (along with doing a ton of practice questions). I've been doing it differently for the MBE subjects by reading half of a subject outline and then watching half a subject's videos, the corresponding chapters.

I don't know which one will prove better. Themis recommends you do the latter one. I will say, it does significantly help my understanding of the video lectures having already read through the outline. I'm noticing that my understanding of Constitutional Law after taking the class two years ago, for example, is actually pretty wrong. I'm getting some important key concepts backwards (ex: I thought remedying past discrimination was by itself never a constitutionally acceptable rationale for Equal Protection; turns out I got that almost completely backwards). So, reading the outline has helped me find concepts that I don't correctly remember from classes, and it's also helped familiarize myself with a topic before the videos so that I'm not watching them talk about something in an alien language for the first time.

What I think remains to be seen is how effective reading the outlines will be on a longer-term level. When I watch the video lectures and fill out the handout, I only occasionally remember something from the outline well enough to actually fill in the handout before he started uttering the buzzword I was supposed to fill in. And I have no idea how well my memory retention will be in a few weeks' time after I've covered different subjects. My intuition is that my memory of things covered today will be pretty horrible a few weeks from now. But I don't think not reading the outline would help with it -- it would just give me more time to goof off and watch HBOGo and post here.

I'm still in that honeymoon phase of studying, like my first few days of school each year. I'm not hating the material enough that my mind wanders constantly, but just wait... A week from now, I'll have a much, much harder time actually forcing myself to read 50 pages of an outline in one day, let alone one morning or afternoon.

[fordprefect]

My state director (MI) suggested using the outlines as a supplement rather than a primary resource, because she said they're just too dense to be of much use. I'm hoping that's true because it jibes with the way I like to study.

Are you guys using the flex study at this point? I've just read the crim law outline and done today's con law part 1 video assignment, so I really have no idea how the practice questions/essays work out.

[Genuine4ps]

My state director (MI) suggested using the outlines as a supplement rather than a primary resource, because she said they're just too dense to be of much use. I'm hoping that's true because it jibes with the way I like to study.

Are you guys using the flex study at this point? I've just read the crim law outline and done today's con law part 1 video assignment, so I really have no idea how the practice questions/essays work out.

Somebody earlier said that there were two outlines, so doesn't it make sense to read the comprehensive outline, watch the lectures while doing the handout, and then review the second condensed outline?

[Tanicius]

My state director (MI) suggested using the outlines as a supplement rather than a primary resource, because she said they're just too dense to be of much use. I'm hoping that's true because it jibes with the way I like to study.

Are you guys using the flex study at this point? I've just read the crim law outline and done today's con law part 1 video assignment, so I really have no idea how the practice questions/essays work out.

I'm using Flex when the Directed Study doesn't give me enough work that I feel like I've accomplished something in a day. Like, one time the Directed Study told me to do just one thing for the entire day: read 30 pages of an outline. I simply decided to look at the Directed Study's schedule for the next day and then switched into Flex, which allowed to pick the assignments that would have been given to me the next day.

Use Directed Study's weekly and monthly schedules as a decent guide for the order of material and practice questions, and I think you'll be better off. I wouldn't so randomly read one subject like Crim and then watch the videos for a different subject like Conlaw. I think you're cheating yourself out of the chance to condense and summarize your knowledge before you forget it.

Somebody earlier said that there were two outlines, so doesn't it make sense to read the comprehensive outline, watch the lectures while doing the handout, and then review the second condensed outline?

That's what Themis recommends almost to a T, actually, with the caveat that they recommend you just skim the bigger outline. I've been reading it completely just at the outset so far, just to keep myself focused in the opening days and establish a routine while the work regimen in light.


[Edit]

I probably sound crazy getting this detailed and paranoid about shit. Sorry. I'm basically doing everything 100% differently from how I handled law school itself. Being a gunner is something new for me. I swear I'm still going out for drinks with friends at night and stuff.

[nowinGA]

Thanks for sharing your approaches, everyone. It's very useful. I am graduating a year later than my class/friends...so I don't have anyone to commiserate with. So I appreciate having all of you for troubleshooting, suggestions, etc.

I started today (but only with the intro lectures, etc.)

Substantive (Con Law) starts tomorrow! So much for the joy and excitement of Sunday's graduation!

[Lasers]

Damn you guys are hardcore. Gonna help keep me motivated...maybe. I usually hate lectures so I'm gonna spend more time on the outlines. I hate the idea of filling out worksheets.

[fordprefect]

My state director (MI) suggested using the outlines as a supplement rather than a primary resource, because she said they're just too dense to be of much use. I'm hoping that's true because it jibes with the way I like to study.

Are you guys using the flex study at this point? I've just read the crim law outline and done today's con law part 1 video assignment, so I really have no idea how the practice questions/essays work out.

Somebody earlier said that there were two outlines, so doesn't it make sense to read the comprehensive outline, watch the lectures while doing the handout, and then review the second condensed outline?

Do you know where to find the secondary, condensed outline? I've only seen the long outline and the handout.

I think your method makes a lot of sense in theory, but I'm concerned I won't have the time to get through all of that. If I was trying to study for a single class, this is definitely the method I'd use. Given the broad spectrum of things we have to know, I'm not sure which way will work better for me.

[puttycake]

I think your method makes a lot of sense in theory, but I'm concerned I won't have the time to get through all of that. If I was trying to study for a single class, this is definitely the method I'd use. Given the broad spectrum of things we have to know, I'm not sure which way will work better for me.

Maybe try the first topic (is yours ConLaw?) without pre-reading the outline, and see how it goes. Then switch it up for the second topic and see if that makes it better or is a waste of time.

I'm a fast reader and I have decent recall, so starting with the outlines is no big deal for me, and I can knock them out quickly and still be doing something positive. That doesn't have to be true for everyone!