Today was beyond stressful. I spent more time than I care to admit trying to print my notecards because I’d like to flip through them and give my eyes a break from the digital screens I’ve subjected them to these past 10 weeks. But, that plan went to hell when I tried not one, but three different printers, and failed to actually print a useful (double-sided) page.

Instead of taking home this epic array of multi-colored, indexed, and carefully crafted notecards, today was a lesson in futility. Because, what else can I possibly expect this close to the actual Bar Exam? This entire excursion proved fruitless. Rather than flip out or cry, I decided to simply deal with this ish. I changed the format of my notecards and opted to use them digitally, viewed from my iPad, while working through essay questions and quick-outlining. After this hellish summer, I flat out refuse to fall apart now. Neither should you.

Keep your focus, that same drive and perseverance that dragged you through law school will pull you through this exam. I know you’re tired. I am too, friend. But keep going. We’re almost there. Take a break if you need to; that brain needs some rest. I’m not going to tell you to veg-out and watch a show, because this is crunch time. Your breaks shouldn’t be incredibly lengthy, but they need to be valuable. Really take the time to decompress for the short period you’ve stepped away. It’s hard, but do your best to stop thinking about partnerships and fiduciary duties, the fraction that a child takes from their parent’s separate property if the parent died intestate, and all the countless other nuggets you’ve been reviewing.

Take your pups for a walk, or spend a few minutes giving them tummy rubs, they love you and those few minutes with them will re-vive your spirit. I promise.

Re-focus and get yourself back to the grind.
You’re going to give this exam everything you’ve got.