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I just started Barbri on Tuesday and I'm already finding it hard to complete the "prepare for class" work. In particular I am having trouble completing the AMP assignments. I'm taking the Barbri online course.

What I've been doing the last few days has been watching the lectures from 9-12:30. Then I'm typing up my notes into my own outlines after class (very time consuming). Then I'm skimming the reading, then I attempt to do AMP.

My question is how important is AMP for the bar study? Also is it normal to already have trouble keeping up so early on?

Right now I haven't been assigned any practice questions yet, so I haven't done any (outside of the diagnostic). I'm taking the bar in a state which weighs the essays heavier than the multiple choice.

Moved to correct forum.

One of the introductory Barbri videos specifically stated that you should not prepare your own outlines. I'd imagine that's a big time-waster. From my limited experience, I've found the AMPs and in particular the explanations helpful to trigger my recollection on concepts professors covered 1L.

Its mostly made to scare you unnecessarily. I don't think I even had 50% progress on the paced program bar by the time the exam came around, and I passed easily. You do not need to do everything, and you do not need to be a master of everything. Just have a working proficiency in all areas, and you are fine. I almost never did those AMPs unless there was a trouble area I needed some extra work with. I spent almost all my time with practice questions, and then reviewing the Conviser book. Also did a bunch of practice (NY) essays to get a feel for spotting the issues (past a certain point, you see the same ones over and over again). Only did 3 or 4 MPT's.

Don't let them scare you into feeling like you are behind. Just be diligent in getting a working proficiency in all areas. Again, its not about mastering anything.

My Barbri course started a week early, and I've given up mostly on AMP. If I have time, I do them after everything else, prioritizing the topics giving me the most trouble. I find them overly detailed.

JDorBust wrote:One of the introductory Barbri videos specifically stated that you should not prepare your own outlines. I'd imagine that's a big time-waster. From my limited experience, I've found the AMPs and in particular the explanations helpful to trigger my recollection on concepts professors covered 1L.

I thought I read that or heard that somewhere about the outlines. For con law I made flash cards, which took me a while and I don't know if I will continue with that and was thinking of switching to outlining ( thought it may take less time), but then they you not to outline.....so I'm confused how to "actively review".

JDorBust wrote:One of the introductory Barbri videos specifically stated that you should not prepare your own outlines. I'd imagine that's a big time-waster. From my limited experience, I've found the AMPs and in particular the explanations helpful to trigger my recollection on concepts professors covered 1L.

Which video said that?

I'm not really outlining like law school. I just mean I am typing up my notes so they are more manageable (taking out most of the hypos and filler stuff). For example, the contracts handout is over 70 pages. I want to condense it to be like 10-20 pages so I can quickly flip through it for review.

AMP (to me) felt like a waste of time.

I found AMP to be worthwhile only after I studied the CMR and glanced over the outlines. Several years ago, BarBri replaced reading assignments out of the CMR with AMP to make it more interactive which, in my opinion, is a shame because you really need the CMR to pass the MBE comfortably and have work that in on your own schedule. If you read the CMR before doing AMP, you can rip through them fast and they are a healthy review at the end or when you are tired, but still feel like doing work. CMR + AMP also helps you hit, surpass, or come slightly under all the medians (except for Sets 5 and 6) for the MPQ1 and 2 sets which gives you the false sense of confidence you need heading into the MBE. Minimizing completely bombing the problem sets is very helpful for your overall stress levels and BarBri draws most of its ridiculous questions from the CMR + AMP.

get it to x wrote:I found AMP to be worthwhile only after I studied the CMR and glanced over the outlines. Several years ago, BarBri replaced reading assignments out of the CMR with AMP to make it more interactive which, in my opinion, is a shame because you really need the CMR to pass the MBE comfortably and have work that in on your own schedule. If you read the CMR before doing AMP, you can rip through them fast and they are a healthy review at the end or when you are tired, but still feel like doing work. CMR + AMP also helps you hit, surpass, or come slightly under all the medians (except for Sets 5 and 6) for the MPQ1 and 2 sets which gives you the false sense of confidence you need heading into the MBE. Minimizing completely bombing the problem sets is very helpful for your overall stress levels and BarBri draws most of its ridiculous questions from the CMR + AMP.

there are still reading assignments out of the CMR for every lecture

AJS30 wrote:

JDorBust wrote:One of the introductory Barbri videos specifically stated that you should not prepare your own outlines. I'd imagine that's a big time-waster. From my limited experience, I've found the AMPs and in particular the explanations helpful to trigger my recollection on concepts professors covered 1L.

I thought I read that or heard that somewhere about the outlines. For con law I made flash cards, which took me a while and I don't know if I will continue with that and was thinking of switching to outlining ( thought it may take less time), but then they you not to outline.....so I'm confused how to "actively review".

If you learn best from outlines, feel free to make your own. It's a pretty big time sink, but it was worth it for me.

get it to x wrote:I found AMP to be worthwhile only after I studied the CMR and glanced over the outlines. Several years ago, BarBri replaced reading assignments out of the CMR with AMP to make it more interactive which, in my opinion, is a shame because you really need the CMR to pass the MBE comfortably and have work that in on your own schedule. If you read the CMR before doing AMP, you can rip through them fast and they are a healthy review at the end or when you are tired, but still feel like doing work. CMR + AMP also helps you hit, surpass, or come slightly under all the medians (except for Sets 5 and 6) for the MPQ1 and 2 sets which gives you the false sense of confidence you need heading into the MBE. Minimizing completely bombing the problem sets is very helpful for your overall stress levels and BarBri draws most of its ridiculous questions from the CMR + AMP.

I don't think you need the CMR at all to pass the MBE comfortably. I used it for reference only.

I just started the barbri course last week as well, and drove myself crazy trying (and failing) to do every bit of assigned work. I realized that I just can't/won't get to all the AMP stuff every day. It seems like it would take around 12-13 hrs a day to do every assignment thoroughly.

I haven't taken the exam yet, but it appears that it's most important to keep up on the lectures, do the simulated/graded stuff that they assign periodically, and actively review every day. Take my opinion with a grain of salt, but I don't think it's necessary to work 12 hours a day every day for 2 months to pass the exam. I guess I'll find out in a few months....

ebl1014 wrote:I just started the barbri course last week as well, and drove myself crazy trying (and failing) to do every bit of assigned work. I realized that I just can't/won't get to all the AMP stuff every day. It seems like it would take around 12-13 hrs a day to do every assignment thoroughly.

I haven't taken the exam yet, but it appears that it's most important to keep up on the lectures, do the simulated/graded stuff that they assign periodically, and actively review every day. Take my opinion with a grain of salt, but I don't think it's necessary to work 12 hours a day every day for 2 months to pass the exam. I guess I'll find out in a few months....

I totally agree. I cannot keep up with the AMPs at all. Have been doing everything else. But taking today mostly off b/c I have no assignments on the passed program.

I think the idea is 6 hours the first few weeks, 8hours end of june, 12 hours beginning of the july, then insanity.

The trends appears to be that you are suppose to spend june understanding and july memorizing.

Skipping the AMPs makes barbri still challenging yet manageable. Why do AMPs when you can just outline and memorize from there. Those I know who have done all the AMPs are just going through the motions anyway. They're doing them just for the sake of finishing them, meaning they're guessing until they get the answer right. Waste of time IMO.

Am I missing something or does 12 hours to complete the daily paced program seem ridiculous?

I get through the lectures, review, practice questions, etc. in 6-8 hours max. Then I just stop. Are there assignments outside of what is listed in the paced program, or is the person who posted that just really slow at doing everything?

chestrockwell123 wrote:Am I missing something or does 12 hours to complete the daily paced program seem ridiculous?

I get through the lectures, review, practice questions, etc. in 6-8 hours max. Then I just stop. Are there assignments outside of what is listed in the paced program, or is the person who posted that just really slow at doing everything?

It takes me 7-8 hours to do everything assigned each day. I don't think I could retain anything more than 8 hours worth per day. So far I have done all assignments in the Paced Program and the only thing I skipped was a 2 hour video reviewing PQ answers -- got 80% correct and felt reading the explanations was sufficient, but I think if I get less correct or don't feel confident on future subjects I'll probably sit through the video answers. So far it is a little boring, but manageable.

What do you do with days off from the paced program?

Do you have problems relaxing?

I made my own outlines after each lecture and that is how I study best. Find what works for you. You've had three years of law school, YOU know how to study best.

As for the time sink: there are threads/websites on how to speed up Barbri lectures. It saved me hours each day last summer. Definitely worth a google.

I just bombed the second set of torts MBE. Is it just me or did the lecture not cover a lot of material that they test on.

jarofsoup wrote:I just bombed the second set of torts MBE. Is it just me or did the lecture not cover a lot of material that they test on.

It didn't. The fine details and less tested crap is in the CMR. I think barbri purposely focuses on the fine details in the MPQ for the freakout factor.

This forum warned me and told me to cop dat Themis. I'm really starting to regret my decision.

Its also really fucked up that you pay 5k and they will only grade 4 essay. Themis and Kaplan get them all graded.

jarofsoup wrote:I just bombed the second set of torts MBE. Is it just me or did the lecture not cover a lot of material that they test on.

I took a one week break from Torts and just did that this evening. Got a 8/18... whooo!

jarofsoup wrote:I just bombed the second set of torts MBE. Is it just me or did the lecture not cover a lot of material that they test on.

Yep- very frustrating. Does this mean read the CMR and memorize the details? Does this mean I should put those details in my outline (which I will atleast do that)? Is this BarBri trying to freak us out? Does this mean BarBri is a giant flame? Are they just "teaching questions"? There was some shit in there way out in left field. Very confusing/frustrating.

MoneyMay wrote:

jarofsoup wrote:I just bombed the second set of torts MBE. Is it just me or did the lecture not cover a lot of material that they test on.

Yep- very frustrating. Does this mean read the CMR and memorize the details? Does this mean I should put those details in my outline (which I will atleast do that)? Is this BarBri trying to freak us out? Does this mean BarBri is a giant flame? Are they just "teaching questions"? There was some shit in there way out in left field. Very confusing/frustrating.

Barbri would be pure flame if they only tested you on what they taught in the lectures. The real MBE isn't going to be like that. There will be questions you just don't know.