How To Prep For The Bar Exam Early While Avoiding Burnout

It’s never too early to begin bar prep

But you also need to recognize that studying for the bar is a long and grueling process. So if you’re considering early preparation, it’s important that you pace yourself. The following are some tips on how to get a head start without going overboard.

Use your free time now to hammer away all the small logistical things in order to ensure your bar prep goes smoothly.

Later, when you are in the thick of studying, you won’t have a lot of time, energy, or mental capacity to do other things, even if it’s something simple like paying bills or going to the dentist.

On top of all the adulting, use this time to buy and organize all your bar prep materials.

As you begin reviewing courses, you’ll notice how quickly your understanding of the law comes back to you from your previous courses. However, it will probably be difficult for you to grasp all the material and answer practice questions for the courses you didn’t take in law school.

During this early prep stage, memorize the terms and issues from these courses. Breeze through substantive outlines and really dig into attack outlines for bar classes you haven’t taken.

If you’ve just finished law school or are in your last semester, take a moment to reflect on the ride and enjoy this moment. You're on your way to completing a major hurdle and you deserve to revel in that a bit. It’s very tempting to deep dive into bar prep, but it’s important to spend time with friends and family before you're really needing to be studying for the bar exam. You can use this time to thank them for their support, as well as tell them what they can expect in the months ahead.

Preparing for the bar exam is a long and arduous road. So take a moment to breathe and have a little fun in this early stage. You might forget what fun feels like soon.