Being Overly Consumed By The Bar Exam Process

Because the bar exam is such an important and difficult test - and with all likelihood the hardest written exam of your lifetime - it becomes a behemoth in your mind. It quickly becomes what you think about almost every waking hour, and quite a few of your non-waking hours as well. It can feel like you are in a bar exam bubble where you eat it, drink it, and sleep it. This creates a serious imbalance and can severely distort your ability to approach the bar exam and the remaining parts of your life with a healthy perspective.

If you're studying for the bar exam, you're stressed. No matter how perfect your study schedule is and how disciplined you are about making progress, you are still going to be under a high level of stress because of the mere fact the bar exam is such a big deal. I don't need to explain to you how this works - everyone who's done it just knows.

But that said, there is a truly unhealthy level of bar exam stress that you can easily fall into. Many, many bar students do this and it really isn't their fault. The exam just tends to get overwhelming if not kept in check. And that is what you must do. You must make a concerted effort to protect any semblance of balance that you have left in your life. This is important because you truly will perform better during study hours and the exam itself if you keep your stress level as low as possible.

There have been many studies done on the effects of stress. I don't even feel the need to cite any here because by now it is just a commonly understood scientific fact. Stress has a negative effect on performance. It causes our brains to be more sluggish, it diminishes comprehension, it decreases memorization, and it increases test anxiety.

Stress is the enemy, and to combat it you have to take preventative measures. Here are a number of practical things you can do to alleviate some stress, gain more energy and rest, become more effective with your study program, and gain an overall better sense of wellbeing during this challenging time.

1. When you are going to study, get right to. Quit the procrastination and just get down to business. At the end of your study day, you will have such a great sense of accomplishment because you were effective with your study time. This will make you feel satisfied with yourself and proud of your effort for that day. This sense of having done a good job will allow you to enjoy any "treats" or relaxation you plan for yourself - such as time at the gym, watching a movie, etc. Furthermore, if you have done your best each and every day, this cuts down on test anxiety because you know deep down that you did your best to prepare. You won't be haunted with gnawing thoughts and regrets.
2. Keep a healthy lifestyle. This means food & exercise. Don't go overboard and try to implement a raw diet all of a sudden, or hire a personal trainer so you can get a beach body. Just avoid the big no-no's - sugar, caffeine, overly processed or fast food. Get at least some form of exercise every day, even if it's only walking. Your brain is part of your physical body and as such it is directly affected by your overall physical health. Give it a simple multi-vitamin at the very least.
3. Get adequate rest. It is amazing to me how poor the average American's sleeping habits are. Here are the basic tenets of bedroom law if you want to get good sleep. (1) go to bed and get up at the same time every day (2) no TV in the bedroom - this includes on your laptop or smart phone (3) don't fall asleep on the sofa watching TV then go to your bed in the middle of the night - fall asleep in your bed (4) don't take work or your laptop to bed with you - no studying, bills, etc while you are in bed. The bed is for sleeping and sex. (5) for some of you, it is going to be important that you give yourself enough decompression time at the end of the day before you go to bed. In other words, you are not able to study or do work 5 minutes before you go to bed. You will need to relax by reading, watching TV, or doing something else to wind down your brain.
4. Keep some semblance of a social life. If you stay home to study on Christmas day instead of being your family, it is going to backfire. You are going to feel neglected and resentful that you can't participate in the important holiday with your loved ones. Don't miss your sister's wedding. Go to that guy's night that's only once a month. You NEED to have relationships and activities outside of the bar exam. Those few hours are not going to cause you to fail the exam. Rather, they are going to re-energize you to study better the following day. Of course you are going to have to cut back a lot - but don't cut it all out. Keep a balance that will help you still feel connected to important relationships in your life so that they can nourish you during this stressful time.