Three Bar Exam Productivity Tips to Dominate the Bar Exam

Three Bar Exam Productivity Tips to Dominate the Bar Exam

It can be easy to get distracted when you are studying for the bar exam. Here, we list three of our favorite bar exam productivity tips to help you dominate the bar exam!

Three Bar Exam Productivity Tips to Dominate the Bar Exam

1. Time yourself.

This first tip is one of my favorites. It motivates students to eliminate distractions when they study. It is really simple: Use the timer on your phone to track your studying. When you start studying, press “start” and when you pause for any reason at all — to get a snack, to grab a cup of coffee, to run to the restroom, to talk to a friend — pause the timer. Re-start the timer when you resume studying. (Want to track how long you are spending on different tasks or subjects? Check out toggl.com. This is a tool I use frequently when I work and it is similar to the timer idea, except it is more specific!)

Timing yourself will help you stay productive because you can accurately see exactly how long you are studying. This will inspire you to study more — and to actually study during your study time!

2. Mix it up.

When we look at many students’ daily study schedules, we see things like “memorize constitutional law” on Monday then “answer constitutional law MBE questions” all day Tuesday. While the intentions are good, in reality our brains get bored if we try to do the same thing all day!

To keep things interesting (and to keep yourself focused) mix up what you do each day. For example, maybe spend 1.5 hours memorizing constitutional law. Then spend the next 1 hour answering multiple choice questions. And spend another hour on essay questions. Then go back to reviewing your constitutional law outline.  By completing a variety of tasks, you will keep yourself interested and engaged.

You can also mix up the subjects you spend time on. Rather then spending all day on constitutional law, try spending half the day on constitutional law and half the day on torts, for example. This way, you will keep yourself motivated to keep going and you will find it easier to concentrate when you study.

3. Take breaks.

We know that this is sometimes the hardest thing for students to do! But breaks will truly help you be productive. If you take breaks throughout the day, you will increase your focus. You will increase your ability to learn new information and retain information you have learned. You will keep yourself motivated. And you will increase your chances of passing the bar exam!

While your anxiety may be telling you that you have to study 14 hours a day, remember that even if you did sit down in a library for 14 hours, your “studying” would not be productive. The human brain cannot focus that long!

So to maximize your productivity, incorporate breaks into your schedule. We recommend you do the following:

• First incorporate short breaks throughout the day (e.g. a 10 minute break every hour or 1.5 hours). These short breaks will provide short respites for your brain to relax! You can eat a healthy snack, go on a quick walk, or do anything non-bar related on your break.
• Second, incorporate a break every evening. This could be dinner with your parents or friends, a long bath, or a workout at the gym. This break will keep you more motivated throughout the day and it can serve as a reward for your hard work!
• Third, plan a break once a week. This should be a longer break. I used to take every Sunday off. Maybe you don’t want to take a full day off, but at least plan a half day or a full evening off. This will help you refocus and it will truly reenergize you!
• Lastly, plan a big break for when you are done studying–e.g. a post bar exam vacation. This will help keep you sane during bar prep, not to mention motivated!

Read more about the benefits of breaks and how to incorporate breaks into bar prep here.

We hope you enjoyed our three bar exam productivity tips! If you have any questions or any tips of your own, contact us here!

• Looking to Pass the Bar Exam?

  Free Resources:

  • 🌟Bar Exam Free Resource Center: Access our most popular free guides, webinars, and resources to set you on the path to success.
  • Free Bar Exam Guides: Expert advice on the MBE, the MEE, passing strategies, and overcoming failure.
  • Free Webinars: Get insight from top bar exam experts to ace your preparation.

  Paid Resources:

  • 🏆One-Sheets: Our most popular product! Master the Bar Exam with these five-star rated essentials.
  • Bar Exam Outlines: Our comprehensive and condensed bar exam outlines present key information in an organized, easy-to-digest layout.
  • Exclusive Mastery Classes: Dive deep into highly tested areas of the MBE, MEE, MPT, and CA bar exams in these live, one-time events.
  • Specialized Private Tutoring: With years of experience under our belt, our experts provide personalized guidance to ensure you excel.
  • Bar Exam Courses: On Demand and Premium options tailored to your needs.
  • Bar Exam Crash Course + Mini Outlines: A great review of the topics you need to know!

  🔥 NEW! Check out our Repeat Taker Bar Exam Course and our new premier Guarantee Pass Program!