Bomb the Simulated Written Essay; Literally Convulsing in a Panic Attack Forum

[placidstate]

Hi,

I did the Barbri simulated written essay today, a week late I know, but I literally bomb the essay whereas I've been doing pretty well on the Barbri's practice exams (open notes). Freaking out, thinking about dropping out. HELP...

[kmanskey]

Don't drop, you are so close. Start doing CLOSED BOOK practice essays under timed conditions. Do the best you can within the time limit. After, review the sample answer. For each issue/concept you did not catch or state correctly, write it on a sticky note and place it on a wall. At some point during the day, go through those sticky notes and look them up in your outline book. Write it out a couple of times and try to memorize/conceptually understand it.

[SilvermanBarPrep]

Don't let this test cause you to drop out. Learn from these mistakes and then do your best when it actually counts! Barbri scores low--always has, always will.

Sean (Silverman Bar Exam Tutoring)

[goodkarma56]

OP, as the others above have advised, definitely do not drop out. The BARBRI graded essays/MPTs are graded very rigorously by whomever they hire to do the grading of those submissions.

FWIW, I sat for and passed the February 2019 Texas Bar Exam and I prepped with BARBRI's online self-study program (PSP). I studiously followed the PSP and, IIRC, there were a total of five graded homework assignments during the course. My memory is a bit hazy, as yours will become post-exam, but I think there were three graded essays and two graded MPTs during the February prep course. Anyhow, I distinctly remember getting blasted by the grader on all but one of those submissions. Hell, I even did one "open book" and parroted the BARBRI model answer and the grader still ripped that particular submission to shreds, LOL!

Anyhow, after enduring all of that irritation, guess what? I passed the exam. Just take the feedback in stride, keep practicing essays (and studying for everything else, i.e., the MBE) and you'll most likely pass the exam too.

[Moabit]

Freaking out, thinking about dropping out. HELP...

What??? As a client, I would like to have an attorney who is tough enough not to freak out from a marketing ploy of a business whose livelihood hangs on instilling anxiety in its customers. Remember that the bar exam is a minimum competency exam; as long as you are putting down enough hours towards studying, you will be fine.

[placidstate]

Thanks so much for the response, and so sorry for the dramatic topic title (I wrote this after self-grading the essays and was in a pretty bad state/sense of hopelessness). After some tough love from family/friends and TLS advice, I managed to convince myself to push through and see it until the end (regardless of whether I fail or not). Thanks again, I really appreciate the response