Law Schools

5 Ways Studying For The Bar Exam Is Like Gambling

With hard work, dedication, practice, time, effort, and a little bit of luck, you'll be able to pass the bar exam.

By  
on

I guess I should preface this by saying that I don’t know very much about gambling. I’ve only been to a casino once, and I played penny slot machines the entire time (thanks for the tip, grandma). But, I have a basic understanding of the concept, and I am armed with two dictionary.com definitions of gambling: “playing games of chance for money, bet” and “take risky action in the hope of a desired result.” Let’s explore five ways these definitions are highly applicable to preparing to take the bar exam.

1. High Risk High Reward

In high-stakes gambling situations, there is often a lot of money on the line. That means that the person gambling has a lot to lose, but also a lot to gain. This creates a high-pressure, high-stress situation. When it comes to the bar exam, there is also a lot to lose, such as time, money, and, you know, pride. Failing the bar exam means paying all the expenses of taking it again, delaying the start of your career (aka the ability to make money), or causing you to lose your job, and a very public and painful embarrassment. On the other hand, the reward is pretty high as well. Pass the bar exam and you finalllllllly get to call yourself a lawyer and start making some real money. Not to mention one killer celebratory night out.

2. Calculated Decision Making

Every time a student asks me whether they should review/study some extremely random and obscure law and I tell them no or not really, I get a horrified look in response. I get it. I know, as do they, that thing COULD be on the bar exam. However, the truth is you can’t possibly learn everything or be prepared for every single situation when it comes to the bar exam. The same is true in gambling, right? You don’t know exactly what cards the other player is holding.

So, you prepare the best you can. You rely on research, advice, experience, and your own gut to make decisions about how to best spend your time. Be careful with the research part though. More than once, I’ve seen students become so obsessed with the statistics about how frequently certain things are tested that it actually ends up hurting them.

3. Different Styles For Success

Sponsored

Everyone’s path to winning in gambling and the bar exam looks a little different. Every person practices and trains in slightly different ways. For the bar exam, this means that people approach practice questions differently, study in different locations or at different times of the day, and use different resources (like bar exam courses). And that is totally fine. The important lesson here is that there is more than one way to pass the bar exam. So, don’t let yourself be too swayed by what someone else is doing.

A more comical way that different styles show up on the bar exam is in the form of weird little rituals and habits. Maybe there is a lucky watch or a specific breakfast they have to eat on test day or maybe they insist on wearing the same outfit both days of exam. That last one is kind of weird…I don’t know who would do that… #guilty

4. You Increase Your Chance of Passing By Getting Expert Advice

No one just shows up to the World Poker Championship without a coach. At least, I don’t think they do. Google informs me that poker coaches are a common thing for the pros! Similarly, for the bar exam, you shouldn’t prepare for it without a guide. Now, this doesn’t have to be a paid coach or a tutor (although, it could be). A bar exam guide could also be a mentor, professor, or friend who has “been there, done that.” Whoever it is, just make sure you trust their opinion and that they’ve actually achieved the goal you are attempting to reach.

5. You’ve Gotta Have Faith

Sponsored

Listen, a hope and a prayer won’t kill you when you it comes to gambling or the bar exam. You ensure that you will pass with hard work, dedication, practice, time, effort, and a little bit of luck. As scary as it is to admit, you can’t be 100% sure that what you are doing will work. And that is where you need faith to take the wheel. Have faith in the system you’re using, in the advice that you’ve received, and most importantly faith in yourself and your ability to be successful.

Before we wrap this thing up, a few words of caution. This charming analogy only extends so far, and there are some risks that all but ensure failure, such as cramming, winging it, only studying MBE topics, etc. Don’t forget to use your common sense in all of this, and remember — if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. I hope all your bets pay off on test day!

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.

Topics

, , , ,