BarBri Handouts + Critical Pass = DETAIL OVERLOAD? Forum

[Halp]

Is it a mistake to be annotating and reviewing the critical pass flashcards, in addition to BarBri?

I follow BarBri religiously, but have also in addition been marking up the Critical Pass cards to ensure they have everything from the filled in lecture handouts, including state distinctions. I am NOT so foolish as to try to cram the whole CMR on there or anything...just all the lecture handout material/notes. (Yes, I know we're told not to try to memorize yet, but I'm trying to a) get my flashcards in order so they are ready for last minute prep in July; b) expose my brain to the material by reviewing the cards/marking them up; c) frontload juuust a bit of the memorization.)

But after reviewing the Crim law/Pro set of flashcards, I feel *overwhelmed* with details, like all these details on the cards are hopeless to try to memorize. I feel like I'm actually pushing a bit of information OUT of my head due to a firehose effect. Am I messing myself up doing this? Or will it pay off later somehow? Should I stop and just focus on lecture handouts and practice problems/AMPs? (I know to review the CMR before lectures, but I go nuts after too long staring at the pages, so I don't think just pounding the CMR will work for me...)

Sorry if this post is overly neurotic...I just could use some pointers here.

[SFSpartan]

Bar prep is very much a "do whatever works for you" process. That said, I personally found it helpful to use the CP cards without marking them up - they served as a useful way to check my knowledge. I'd also suggest "memorizing" chunks of subjects rather than trying to swallow them whole.

[SilvermanBarPrep]

It's not overkill unless it is preventing you from doing other things that would help you to pass the exam. In other words, I've never heard anyone complain after passing that they knew too much law that wasn't required!

But keep in mind that essay writing for a bar exam is as much about skill as it is about knowledge. Nobody would get very good at Chess (for example) by simply memorizing the rules of the game.

Understand the skill of legal analysis either by writing essays that your bar prep company can grade, or simply by reading the essays that have been released and paying close attention to the way that the model answers analyzed the questions!

Skill+Knowledge=Pass.

Sean (Silverman Bar Prep)

Mod edit: I very much appreciate you posting here to help people out but you can't post your blog link in this forum.

[law9871]

Anyone recommend a reliable source for MBE practice questions once we learn the lectures?

[jtom195]

Is it a mistake to be annotating and reviewing the critical pass flashcards, in addition to BarBri?

I follow BarBri religiously, but have also in addition been marking up the Critical Pass cards to ensure they have everything from the filled in lecture handouts, including state distinctions. I am NOT so foolish as to try to cram the whole CMR on there or anything...just all the lecture handout material/notes. (Yes, I know we're told not to try to memorize yet, but I'm trying to a) get my flashcards in order so they are ready for last minute prep in July; b) expose my brain to the material by reviewing the cards/marking them up; c) frontload juuust a bit of the memorization.)

But after reviewing the Crim law/Pro set of flashcards, I feel *overwhelmed* with details, like all these details on the cards are hopeless to try to memorize. I feel like I'm actually pushing a bit of information OUT of my head due to a firehose effect. Am I messing myself up doing this? Or will it pay off later somehow? Should I stop and just focus on lecture handouts and practice problems/AMPs? (I know to review the CMR before lectures, but I go nuts after too long staring at the pages, so I don't think just pounding the CMR will work for me...)

Sorry if this post is overly neurotic...I just could use some pointers here.

I've run into the same problem with BarBri. There is so much information, trying to learn and memorize every detail seems like certain suicide. Thus, I've been looking for supplemental products to help me condense the important information down into more manageable parts. I have a friend using Critical Pass; while the cards are really high-quality, they are pretty lengthy and don't seem to actually condense the information down. Its like a giant outline in flashcard format. If you want the most all-encompassing supplement materials out there, Critical Pass is a really good option. However, for me, Studicata seems to put an emphasis on condensing and breaking information down by offering a 3-tier system. Each level in their system condenses the information down more and more like a funnel down to their subject summary pages. I would definitely look into them if you need attack outlines to help summarize your BarBri course, as trying to focus on every detail in the BarBri outlines is basically impossible. Only downside to Studicata is that their flashcards are in digital format. I really like to be able to physically hold the cards and write notes on them like you mentioned above. They do include printable flashcards, but these have to be printed out and cut accordingly. This is a hassle, but doable. Overall, I think the Studicata attack outlines, flashcards, and summary pages (about the same price as the Critical Pass flashcards) are definitely worth looking into if you are looking to break down BarBri's outlines into more manageable materials.

I have found some discount codes online that appear to still be working. PM if you are interested, I'm happy to share.

Good luck!