Themis Bar Review Hangout - July 2015 Exam Forum

[texlaw]

As a sequel to the Feb 2015 hangout, let's make a thread for those of us taking the July 2015 exams.

I'm a first-timer for the Texas bar exam. Two days into Themis and I'm already falling behind schedule.

[djh10]

First time taker here as well, for PA and NJ. I'm a little ahead schedule (surprisingly) on the lectures. I'm hoping to keep it up but not too confident about that w/ the holiday weekend coming up!

[sopranorleone]

CA first-timer checking in!

[Worker and Parasite]

California, checking in

[InternationalShoe]

NY -- checking in.

[zor]

NY, first time taker! Is it just me, or are the videos so low-res that they flicker every few sentences? The background flicker is seizure-inducing...

Also, why did it have to start with Contracts?

[jlaw14]

NY/NJ here. Anyone else concerned about the complete lack of acknowledgement of weekends on the schedule?

[InternationalShoe]

NY/NJ here. Anyone else concerned about the complete lack of acknowledgement of weekends on the schedule?

Are you looking at the right schedule? The 11-page "study schedule" has a little work on the weekends built in. But the short one-page "lecture schedule" doesn't.

[jlaw14]

NY/NJ here. Anyone else concerned about the complete lack of acknowledgement of weekends on the schedule?

Are you looking at the right schedule? The 11-page "study schedule" has a little work on the weekends built in. But the short one-page "lecture schedule" doesn't.

I am looking at the directed study schedule, have lectures, practice essays and MBE questions to do on the weekends. This Sunday I am supposed to do practice questions and next Saturday I am supposed to write an essay. What schedules are you referring to?

[InternationalShoe]

NY/NJ here. Anyone else concerned about the complete lack of acknowledgement of weekends on the schedule?

Are you looking at the right schedule? The 11-page "study schedule" has a little work on the weekends built in. But the short one-page "lecture schedule" doesn't.

I am looking at the directed study schedule, have lectures, practice essays and MBE questions to do on the weekends. This Sunday I am supposed to do practice questions and next Saturday I am supposed to write an essay. What schedules are you referring to?

Lol -- sorry, I totally misinterpreted what you meant by "lack of acknowledgement of weekends." I thought you meant that the schedule didn't acknowledge there would be any work on the weekends. Working on the weekends is going to suck. But at least the workload on the weekends seems reduced.

[GULCPerson]

Virginia checking in. Started today, and my weekends definitely don't seem to be reduced workload. I'm assuming everyone's schedule is a little different in directed study based on when you started and how well you keep up, right?

Also, kinda silly that the month view shows the daily workload as "X# of Assignments," since sometimes 1 assignment is 17 multiple choice questions, and sometimes it's 4 hours of lecture.

[sd5289]

NY first time taker checking in.

Themis videos have been working perfectly fine for me.

My weekends are a little lighter than the weeks during the initial couple of weeks, but it definitely picks up. I wasn't expecting to have a full day of contracts on day 1 (I knocked out the intro stuff last week cause I had some stuff to do this week, so I ended up jumping right into contracts). So I'll enjoy the lighter load this weekend.

[Underoath]

I want to be sure I am not wasting my time...is anyone else summarizing the big outline? I feel I am wasting time doing that, but when they say create a study aid, that's essentially what I'm doing and I will play the lecture in the background. What is everyone else doing?

**yes, my grammar sucks. This isn't the bar exam, yet.**

[djh10]

I want to be sure I am not wasting my time...is anyone else summarizing the big outline? I feel I am wasting time doing that, but when they say create a study aid, that's essentially what I'm doing and I will play the lecture in the background. What is everyone else doing?

**yes, my grammar sucks. This isn't the bar exam, yet.**

I'm not summarizing the outline, but I'm studying the handouts and Critical Pass MBE flashcards after each lecture. I'll occasionally flip open the big outline to go over a few points I feel like I'm weak in understanding. That seems to be doing the trick, for now at least.

I know some people do make their own outlines, but I suppose it's up to how you learn best. I plan on re-evaluating my initial strategies in the beginning of next week to make any necessary changes.

[Pleasye]

I want to be sure I am not wasting my time...is anyone else summarizing the big outline? I feel I am wasting time doing that, but when they say create a study aid, that's essentially what I'm doing and I will play the lecture in the background. What is everyone else doing?

**yes, my grammar sucks. This isn't the bar exam, yet.**

When the task says review lecture/handout I have been summarizing the hand out rather than the big outline. Not sure if I'm wasting my time either, but also not sure how else to make a study aid since that's pretty much how I've always studied.

Edit: I'm already part of like 3 other threads about the bar, but might as well check into this one too CA first time-taker.

[Underoath]

Thanks you guys. I am going to continue to just summarize the big outline and dwindle it down to a one page outline at the end. That's what works for me is creating my own outline. I don't find the lecture handout to really be helping me much, at least not for Ks. Might be a different story once I get into Property or Wills.

[anon sequitur]

hiya, VA bar bro, haven't actually started yet, just been reading about the bar and themis and all that. Was planning to start June 1st, but all this talk of people starting already have me a little freaked. Do people really spend 400 hours on this test? I thought people studied light for a month and then heavy for the last 3-4 weeks.

[Underoath]

I'm studying heavy for the entire time....I am taking two weekends off so I don't have a choice so I don't fall super super behind. It's already dumb I'm taking this weekend and next weekend off.

[MarcZero]

CA bar checking in.

I wasn't going to go to crazy with the bar materials but that 39% pass rate in Feb. has me a little concerned so I'm playing it safe and started a bit early. About to wrap up Contracts tomorrow and start Real property.

Biggest frustration so far is that the MBE practice questions have a ton of auction related questions on there, but no coverage of auctions in either the lectures or outlines. We never covered auctions in my 1L Contracts class so those practice questions are the first time I'm seeing the relevant rules.

[Underoath]

CA bar checking in.

I wasn't going to go to crazy with the bar materials but that 39% pass rate in Feb. has me a little concerned so I'm playing it safe and started a bit early. About to wrap up Contracts tomorrow and start Real property.

Biggest frustration so far is that the MBE practice questions have a ton of auction related questions on there, but no coverage of auctions in either the lectures or outlines. We never covered auctions in my 1L Contracts class so those practice questions are the first time I'm seeing the relevant rules.

WHOA, I am also taking the California bar....and auctions? come on Themis, really? Thanks for the heads up. I should be starting Real Property either later on Thursday or will have to wait until Tuesday since I am taking the weekend off.

=/

[MarcZero]

CA bar checking in.

I wasn't going to go to crazy with the bar materials but that 39% pass rate in Feb. has me a little concerned so I'm playing it safe and started a bit early. About to wrap up Contracts tomorrow and start Real property.

Biggest frustration so far is that the MBE practice questions have a ton of auction related questions on there, but no coverage of auctions in either the lectures or outlines. We never covered auctions in my 1L Contracts class so those practice questions are the first time I'm seeing the relevant rules.

WHOA, I am also taking the California bar....and auctions? come on Themis, really? Thanks for the heads up. I should be starting Real Property either later on Thursday or will have to wait until Tuesday since I am taking the weekend off.

=/

I don't know if we all get the same questions or if they are random, but I've done about 68 of the MBE Contracts questions so far and at least 6 of them were questions related to auctions where you had to know the rules of offers and acceptance in regards to when the auctioneer bangs the gavel, if the auction is a reserve auction or not, if the auctions are being done in lots, etc. Every time I answered I basically said, "How the fuck was I supposed to know that?" I'm just curious if these problems are just me and everyone is already familiar with these rules or not.

[Underoath]

CA bar checking in.

I wasn't going to go to crazy with the bar materials but that 39% pass rate in Feb. has me a little concerned so I'm playing it safe and started a bit early. About to wrap up Contracts tomorrow and start Real property.

Biggest frustration so far is that the MBE practice questions have a ton of auction related questions on there, but no coverage of auctions in either the lectures or outlines. We never covered auctions in my 1L Contracts class so those practice questions are the first time I'm seeing the relevant rules.

auctions is on page 12 of outline but still minimal info unless that's all we need

[MarcZero]

CA bar checking in.

I wasn't going to go to crazy with the bar materials but that 39% pass rate in Feb. has me a little concerned so I'm playing it safe and started a bit early. About to wrap up Contracts tomorrow and start Real property.

Biggest frustration so far is that the MBE practice questions have a ton of auction related questions on there, but no coverage of auctions in either the lectures or outlines. We never covered auctions in my 1L Contracts class so those practice questions are the first time I'm seeing the relevant rules.

auctions is on page 12 of outline but still minimal info unless that's all we need

Ahhhhhh. That is where it is. I can say that literally every rule in that small section was tested on my MBE questions so far that I've had. I must have glossed over it when I "read" that outline. I've been concentrating more on the lectures and attack outlines provided instead of the long one. I hope then that the questions are random and I just got unlucky enough to get all of the auction questions in the first couple of sessions. I'd be uneasy if such a heavily tested topic (relatively speaking) was all over the questions and Themis didn't mention it either in the lectures or attack outline.

[Underoath]

CA bar checking in.

I wasn't going to go to crazy with the bar materials but that 39% pass rate in Feb. has me a little concerned so I'm playing it safe and started a bit early. About to wrap up Contracts tomorrow and start Real property.

Biggest frustration so far is that the MBE practice questions have a ton of auction related questions on there, but no coverage of auctions in either the lectures or outlines. We never covered auctions in my 1L Contracts class so those practice questions are the first time I'm seeing the relevant rules.

auctions is on page 12 of outline but still minimal info unless that's all we need

Ahhhhhh. That is where it is. I can say that literally every rule in that small section was tested on my MBE questions so far that I've had. I must have glossed over it when I "read" that outline. I've been concentrating more on the lectures and attack outlines provided instead of the long one. I hope then that the questions are random and I just got unlucky enough to get all of the auction questions in the first couple of sessions. I'd be uneasy if such a heavily tested topic (relatively speaking) was all over the questions and Themis didn't mention it either in the lectures or attack outline.

I'm focusing on the long outline and condensing that to memorize as my study aid. Will report back in to let you know which MBE questions I get, which probably will be when you are LONG on real property and onto the next subject haha

Hey...have you memorized your study aid though as best you can or are you just moving on to real property? When will you come back to memorizing contracts

[MarcZero]

I'm focusing on the long outline and condensing that to memorize as my study aid. Will report back in to let you know which MBE questions I get, which probably will be when you are LONG on real property and onto the next subject haha

Hey...have you memorized your study aid though as best you can or are you just moving on to real property? When will you come back to memorizing contracts

For me, I'm not trying to get everything 100% memorized as soon as I hit the subject. I know that even though I start property tomorrow, there are still Contracts essays and MBE questions mixed in going forward. I'm not as good at writing, so I'm concentrating on learning the wording on the essays for BLL. My process for doing that right now involves hand-writing flashcards of the major topics I'm not 100% familiar with from the attack outline, then as I go through the practice MBE questions, if I get one wrong, I copy the "rule" that I didn't know from that question into another document and later make flashcards from those too. Then over time I'll get more and more memorized. (My last MBE session was over 10% higher than the previous one for example.) It seems that I assumed a decently tested topic would be in either the lectures or attack outline. I guess I'll try making my flashcards from the long outlines then. I'll try that process for real property and see how that goes.

I'm afraid I'll burn myself out trying to get 100% of contracts in my head before going to the next subject. I plan to just keep slowly adding more to the mix over time, and to make sure I concentrate on how to state the BLL on the major topics for the essays. I'm a beast when it comes to multiple choice questions, but the essays make me nervous.