Well folks. Day one is complete. I don’t feel like hurling, so I’m going to mark this down as a win. Check-in went relatively smooth, except for the palpable stress levels among the students and the Board staff. There were a few students trying to quiz each other while checking in and someone kindly said “there will be none of that here.” I couldn’t help but smile and silently thank them.
The exam room was freezing! I was so happy I opted to bring my Alpha Phi sweater. There was enough outlet space to plug in my laptop and I was directed to sit near one of my law school classmates (solidarity, yo!). This convention center is giant and, the frustrating bit is we aren’t allowed to have even a casual “hello” or small chat at any point in time. So, here I am wanting to give as much emotional support as I can to my friends, who I saw a couple of times when walking in or out of the restroom, and I couldn’t even give them more than half a smile. I mentally high-fived them and sent all the best vibes I could muster.
Despite the fact that I’ve worked on multiple MPT exams and Procedure & Evidence questions in less than the allowed time frame, I still managed to run right up against the clock. I went back to double-check my P&E answers, mostly because I had a fleeting moment of sheer panic at the thought of accidentally inputting the answer for the wrong question number. It seems moronic, and much akin to a straight-up first world problem, but my heart stopped racing when I browsed through them to ensure each statement rested safely within the confines of its proper question slot.
Thankfully, it didn’t.
The morning started off early, with a Belgian waffle and a vanilla latte because – let me tell you – if I was going down, it wasn’t going to be because I was hungry and uncaffeinated. I’ll be damned. Typically, I don’t eat a big breakfast on an exam day. I was nervous and excited and I just didn’t want to press my luck. I mean…did anyone know how far away the bathrooms would be?
Yes, these are things I think about. Don’t you?
As soon as I finished the exam today, I was feeling good. But then all the things I could have done better, or should have included, hit me like a ton of bricks. It’s a law student sickness. I am sure you suffer from it, too.
Not one to wallow, I allowed myself 3 minutes to think on it, internalize, and then…I let that shit GO! There’s two days left and there is no time to fall apart. Please, don’t torture yourself. Today is done. Tomorrow is going to be better and Thursday will be the best day yet! #TexasEssays
Why so effing chipper? Well, being a gloomy-Gus doesn’t really help matters here. I’d rather be in a good mood, ready to tackle the day, than pissy about something that didn’t work out. Or worse – angry at myself for failing to do something in the last section of the exam because, my dear, there simply isn’t a damn thing you can do to change that. Keep moving FORWARD!
I can state, unequivocally, that I am so elated to have attended a law school that focused on bar readiness and application of the law. The drills and constant progress checks made so much sense today. I forgot a civil procedure question – in the middle of typing my answer – and I closed my eyes and [swear to you] heard Professor Tamer scolding me about missing it on a quiz.
Seriously, clutch.
Prepping for Day One is a bit odd, because the style is part quick-fire (the P&E) and part extended logic (for which you cannot actually use much of your attained law school knowledge, as it’s a closed-universe task). I’ve got to tip my hat to the Board of Law Examiners for easing us into the fray.
After the three hours today, I came back to the hotel to eat lunch and nap. I needed to re-charge the batteries. Unfortunately, I ended up having a nap-nightmare involving rogue vegetables, a kind police officer, and a street race while in a vehicle with the brake lines cut. So, I guess that gives you an idea of where my headspace is; make of it what you will.
I’ll be spending the next couple of hours reading through sample essays and decided I wasn’t going to subject my brain to any more practice problems for the MBE (I think 1500+ is just going to have to do). My biggest complaint today lies with the fact that this hotel room is not conducive to studying. However, I managed to make friends with the spa staff and found myself a great little hidey-hole to increase my own productivity.
Here’s hoping your Bar Exam experience is a good one!
