Among the things you cannot recover once it is gone is time! It may seem obvious but you do not get to make up time. Stick to your schedule. Don’t let yourself fall behind.
Clear the Decks and Make a Study Plan!
- Make a study plan. A strong plan will make a huge difference in your preparation. Purchase a planner, print blank calendar pages, or use an online calendar. Microsoft Word also offers a number of options. Add the classes from your summer bar review schedule and any essential items or events that you are unable to delegate or eliminate over the summer. Include time to review previous material, go over material that will be in your next bar review session, and do practice questions. Oh...and do more practice questions. Use the sample schedule given to you by your bar review course or NYLS's Bar Success Team as a starting point in mapping these times out. Here is a sample of a first month and second month study plan, with different variants for people who live further from the school and/or who are working.
- Plan to take breaks and have rewards. Bar review is a marathon, not a sprint. You need to study over a long period of time, so plan for a bit of recovery from all the work you are doing. Otherwise, you risk anxiety, burnout, or even worse, unproductive study time. Think of a few ways to take a break from your hours of study but make them beneficial breaks. Have dinner with friends, see a movie or exercise. But limit the time you spend on breaks and include the breaks in your bar review calendar.
- Study in the environment that works best for you. Studying in the Library or in a classroom is usually better than studying at home. You want to minimize distractions so that it is easier to stay focused. Study groups may be beneficial for some, for others they are a distraction and can create unnecessary anxiety. Your study environment is important. You know where and with whom you study best.
