Bar Exams

The Day Before The Bar Exam Dos and Don'ts

The bar exam is exactly one week from tomorrow.

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I say this with equal parts joy and terror: the bar exam is exactly one week from tomorrow. One of the questions I get asked most frequently is “what should I do the day before the bar exam?” My go to answer is “absolutely nothing.” For some inexplicable reason, my students seem dissatisfied with that response. So, I consulted with my friends. What did I learn? People have some really strong opinions on this topic. What else did I Iearn? It is my article, so I get to present you with the ones I think are the most effective! Here is what I put together:

Do make your list and check it twice. Your “really important things to bring with me to the bar exam” list, that is. Every jurisdiction is different as to what is allowed or prohibited. Be sure to double-check what you are allowed to have with you. Some common items to bring include:

  • Any admission documents you need (ticket, ID, etc.)
  • Laptop and charger
  • Pens and pencils (my friend suggested you bring 1 million of them, I’ll let you use your discretion here)
  • Earplugs (even if you don’t normally use them, if you are allowed to bring them with you, I highly recommend you do so. You never know.)
  • An analog watch
  • Any medication you may need
  • Snacks
  • A comfy outfit (might I be so bold as to suggest layers? The last thing you want is to be uncomfortable with the temperature)
  • Feminine care products, if applicable
  • If you are checking into a hotel later that day, call and confirm your accommodations.

Equally as important, is knowing what not to bring in with you.  They will make you throw away, or put in your car most prohibited items. However, if they even smell a cell phone on you, you will automatically fail. It can create some logistical difficulties but figure out where you will be leaving your phone during the exam. If it is at all possible to just leave it home — that is probably your best bet. Also, don’t be surprised if you discover other, seemingly random, requirements such as a prohibition on open toed shoes

Again, what is an absolute no-go in one jurisdiction is a-ok in another so please, please, please confirm with your jurisdiction.

Do relax. You don’t need me to tell you that you are stressed out. You have been studying for months with little to no down time. Finally, you have a day to breath and not think about whether neighbor did in fact have an easement. You have to try to enjoy it. Need some suggestions? Binge watch Netflix, get a massage and/or a manicure and pedicure, go for a walk, have lunch with a friend, go to the movies, or go to the gym (unless you’ve never gone to the gym before in your life. Now isn’t the time to try it out. You don’t want to be so sore that you can’t even pick up a pencil for MBE day!)

Do set multiple alarms. The worst reason I can possibly imagine to fail the bar exam is to sleep through it. If you historically struggle with alarm clocks, set as many as you possibly can or have a family member or friend call you to make sure you are awake. Or maybe just sleep in your seat at the testing location? Just kidding. That will probably get you arrested.

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Do plan your celebration. You may have already done this one. So, if you already have some post bar plans, great! Confirm them or work out the details. If you haven’t yet, now is the time to think of something fun to do. It doesn’t have to be big or expensive. It should be something that you can really look forward to over the next few days. It will give you something to focus on in moments where your brain may want to wander to anxious thoughts.

Do pump yourself up. For the bar exam, as with most things in life, you have the opportunity to be your own biggest cheerleader or your own worst enemy. It is important that you accept where you are in this process and acknowledge all that you’ve done to get there. Give yourself an epic pep talk so that you can walk into the test with no regrets.  While you are at it, visualize getting your pass letter!

Don’t study. Your brain is like an over soaked sponge. You need to give it a break in order to allow for full absorption. When I said earlier that I usually tell my students that they should do “absolutely nothing” the day before the bar exam, not studying is what I am referring to. If you don’t know it by Monday morning, you aren’t going to. At this point, the only thing studying will do is freak you out. That being said, there are some people who feel very strongly that they have to “do something” the day before the bar exam. If you are one of those people, hear me loud and clear, NO PRACTICE QUESTIONS! Passively reading through the law for an hour or two is one thing, but practice questions are completely off limits.

Don’t be afraid of a little superstition. The bar exam can bring out the weird in people. My friend Steve, who is an extremely smart and rational person, told me that he ate salmon for dinner the night before the test because he read somewhere that it is brain food. I wore the same black yoga pants and grey long sleeve t-shirt for 3 days straight (don’t worry I showered and changed the “essentials” in between). We both passed. Do I think it was because we engaged in these little rituals? No. But, I don’t think they hurt us either. At this point, you are done studying and everything that remains feels totally out of your control. Do what makes you feel good and brings you comfort, even if it is a little silly.

Don’t let the stress bring out the worst in you. Your tension may be running high. Try not to take that out on your friends, family, the doorman, bank teller, and waitress…you get the point. The last thing you need right now is to get into a huge, pointless fight with someone.

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Don’t talk about the test. Don’t talk about it on Monday. Don’t talk about it on Tuesday or Wednesday during lunch or after the exam is over. Don’t talk about it Thursday through infinity. There are very few things I’m 100% confident about in this world. One of them is that no good can come from discussing the bar exam at this point. All it can do is bring on unnecessary stress.

While all of this is great advice, if I do so say myself, the most important thing that you can do is be self aware. Everyone’s “day before the bar exam” plan will be different, and that is fine. You need to do what is best for you. To quote one of the most inspiring people I know, Professor Vanessa Merton, “all you can do is the best you can do.” Good luck and Godspeed.

Kerriann Stout is a millennial law school professor and founder of Vinco (a bar exam coaching company) who is generationally trapped between her students and colleagues. Kerriann has helped hundreds of students survive law school and the bar exam with less stress and more confidence. She lives, works, and writes in the northeast. You can reach her by email at info@vincoprep.com.

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