So I’m entirely new to the streaming/video outlet. I thought it might be a good idea to share my own Bar Exam prep experience, where I share tips and tricks along the way to learn the [insane amount of] content necessary to ace the Texas Bar Exam.
I’m hoping for a #OneAndDone experience and think it’s important to share what a portion of this process looks like. So many people think graduating law school means we can now all go out and practice. That’s entirely untrue. We graduate and then bust ass for several weeks re-learning everything we already learned in law school + all the other things we didn’t learn.Yeah. Super fun stuff, y’all.
In Texas, you cannot represent a client without first passing the Bar exam. Need more info on the test itself? Here you go! The Texas Bar is three days worth of grueling essays, multiple choice questions, short answer responses with a limited character limit, and the multistate performance test (more on that in a later video). Many of us graduate law school and then spend 8-10 weeks rigorously studying for the three day exam (which is only given twice a year). There’s a helluvalot riding on us passing, because we can’t get salaried attorney positions (or earn that full-time paycheck) unless we ace the Bar.
It’s imperative to use your study time wisely and to spend your downtime actually relaxing. It’s a difficult task, to shut off that part of your brain, but it is possible with practice. My downtime will now involve study tip videos. If there’s a topic you’re struggling with, or maybe a Bar Exam or law-school related question you need answered, shoot me an email cerebellumchef@gmail.com and I’ll be sure to respond ASAP.
Week One of Bar exam prep is in the books. I’m proud to report that [thanks in LARGE part to a certain red-headed friend of mine], I finished the week ahead of the curve. I also managed to spend a bit of time with family, enjoyed making Sunday lattes (more on that later) with the hubs, and provided some much-needed pets for my furry besties.
First Latte! Happiest Girl. Very Thankful For This Gift.
This week allowed me time to think about my desk placement and whether I should move my study space to my husband’s home office [which also doubles as his gaming space]. I know some of you are thinking “NO!” but his office has much better natural lighting, is larger than my current study locale, and since he really only uses the space in the evenings, it will give me a chance to work [mostly] distraction-free. On the days he does work from home, he can keep me accountable for study time and also offer me the chance for breaks…you know, the ones all of us law students notoriously forget to take once we get “in the zone.”
With week one down, and all the friendly advice my peers and I exchanged on plans regarding studying, I thought it might be nice to share my own favorite study spaces in Dallas. Since I fall on the Paris Gellar side of study zones and the need to have 1) accessible outlets, 2) good, clean bathrooms, 3) great coffee and water options, 4) a friendly, inviting atmosphere, and 5) decent wi-fi speed; my list is pretty specific to these needs.
With all that in mind, here are my favorite places to study in Dallas. Check a few of these spots out! Pick a spot that suits your study style. Stay motivated and keep working diligently. The Bar exam is less than 9 weeks away!
I’m a HUGE fan of WRC. The original location on Hwy 12 has two stories, which means you can study up high and avoid the hustle and bustle of people ordering or walking in and out of the cafe. The staff is incredibly friendly and the location is not super loud. An added bonus? The brownies here are pretty much my favorite dessert in Dallas! Order one, thank me later. My go-to order is a medium iced White Rocker, half sweet.
This is an extremely minimalistic study space. This teeny house of a place has parking up front on the street. Their coffee is not my favorite, but I very much enjoy their laid back vibe. There’s a variety of seating types from counter top and tables to wing back chairs. Once I’m in the zone, it’s easy to ignore the no-frills space. Plus, because of its small size, this location is not usually packed.
Another Dallas FAVE! This spot also has a second story, which is tucked away above and behind the kitchen. You can also study on the patio, which is dog friendly! This shop is bright, open, and carries a full menu of eating and drinking options. I recommend the Cardamom Rose Latte and the Bananas Foster smoothie. The prices a re bit steep, but many of the items are worth it! Avoid the avocado toast though. 1 slice of toast for $9? NOPE!
Ok, it’s Texas Toast but still…on the expensive side.
This coffee shop is along Greenville Ave, so parking is a bit scarce. If you’re willing to park on a side street, or walk a little ways, then you’ll be just fine. The coffee and outlets are most certainly worth the trip. The ambiance of this shop is a bit on the darker side, the music isn’t too loud, and there are laptop stations! I enjoy the Mocha and the Mudslinger, as well as the breakfast sammies. YUM!
You can’t really pass up Half Price books when weighing study options. All the books, a great cafe, and plenty of great lighting make a fantastic combination for a productive study experience. Take a study break, grab yourself a Vanilla Latte and go look at all the hand-crafted sculptures. Kiki over at KikiDidIt Designs makes some phenomenal art. She even crafted this gorgeous creation for our wedding (which now sits atop one of my bookshelves)!
The original location Biscuit Bar is in Plano, but the new SMU location is super close to our home and I couldn’t wait to try it. They officially opened on the 24th and I knew this HAD to be our Sunday Brunch spot this week.
My grandparents were in town for my law school graduation and my cousin’s high school graduation (tons to celebrate in our family, woot!). Their midday flight meant we had the chance to stop by early and snag a large table. Look how happy they are – adorable, right?!
This place is super tiny, probably seating about 70 total. There’s two 10-top tables inside and another two outside. This location has a pretty neat garage door they open to allow easier access to the dog-friendly patio. Perfect for wonderfully cool summer mornings like today.
This place has an excellent vibe. I chuckled at their neon signs [“Mind Your Own Biscuits and Life Will Be Gravy” and “Taters Gonna Tate”] and enjoyed their open view kitchen and countertops. Sadly, the coffee was not impressive. It certainly wasn’t the worst coffee I’ve had (I’m looking at you, Henry’s Majestic), but it was just so-so. This banana pudding though completely elevated the coffee. My grandma said “life’s short, let’s eat dessert first!” Can’t say I disagree with her logic.
We ordered several different options from the menu. The biscuits are a relatively hefty size and I don’t think you can go wrong choosing any of them. As you can see, my Grandma loved her order!
You have to order tater tots separately. Womp, Womp. But you know what? They’re ENTIRELY WORTH THE EXTRA CHARGE! Trust me. Do it. We ordered the Taco Tots, which my cousin devoured. Everyone else at the table preferred the Bacon & Cheese breakfast tots. The beau ordered the monster biscuit you see up there. It’s called “The Rough Night” and it’s southern fried chicken, burger patty, ham, turkey, pulled pork, bacon, tots, cheddar, house made sausage gravy. I’m pretty sure I gained five pounds just reading the menu description.
I ordered the F.A.B.B. biscuit and was really disappointed. The arugula in my biscuit was wilted and spoiled which was incredibly disappointing. Since I’m not one to send food back, I just kindly left it on the table and nibbled from a variety of the other great order choices on the table.
Peep that sad arugula. YUCK.
I think my favorite thing about this place is their Bloody Marys. The cocktails were not priced properly (ringing up at $2-$3 higher than the menu price), but they were still worth it. The Bloody Mary was just the right mix of spicy and tomato-ey. I’m a complete FAN!
I’m already planning our next visit. I’ve got to try the hot chocolate biscuit! I’ve also been inspired to prep and post my own biscuit recipe. I’ve got a new KitchenAid stand mixer (thanks broski and sis-in-law) to break in!
