How To Study For The California Bar Exam From Home

How To Study For The California Bar Exam From Home

You may find yourself having to study in less-than-ideal conditions due to the current COVID-19 situation.  In this post, we provide tips for studying for the California Bar Exam from home during the coronavirus!

How To Study For The California Bar Exam From Home

1. Make a study schedule.

In addition to a long-term schedule detailing when you will review each subject, make a daily study schedule, setting aside blocks of time each day that you will study.  When you are at home 24/7, it is easy to procrastinate and plan on studying “later,” but eventually all of that work you put off will catch up with you and become overwhelming!  Set aside blocks of time each day that you will exclusively spend studying.  Let other people in the house know that you need to be left alone to study during those times.

A study schedule will also help you stay focused.  It is very easy to get distracted by TV, cleaning, family members, etc. while you are at home.  Setting aside time for studying and time for recreational activities can help you avoid these distractions when you should be studying!

Keep in mind that your study schedule should be reasonable!  If you find that you are unable to stay focused for long periods of time, set aside shorter periods of time to study with breaks or time for other activities in between each study block.  You may have to adjust your schedule due to the unexpected changes involved with working from home!

Check out more tips on How to Make a California Bar Exam Study Schedule!

2. Create a workspace.

A designated workspace can help you stay focused during your designated study periods.  Set up an office in a spare room, or even just a small table in a corner of a quiet room where you can isolate yourself from other distractions and focus on studying!  If you are unable to create an isolated space, consider noise-canceling headphones or earplugs while you are studying to block out other distractions!  Be sure to tell your family or roommates to try to leave you alone when you are in your designated study area!

Some people are creatures of habit and prefer to study in the same place every day, while others need a change of scenery.  If you find yourself in the latter category but are unable to go to a library or coffee shop during the COVID-19 quarantine, consider creating a “coffee shop” somewhere else in your house.  Set up a small table next to a window and move to that new location for the day!  If you live in an area where the weather permits, set up a study area on a patio or in the backyard to re-create a coffee shop patio for your study space!

3. Create goals and reward yourself.

Not being able to go out after a long week of studying can make the days start to feel monotonous and boring.  Think of ways to reward yourself for achieving your daily or weekly goals.  Watch a movie.  Read a book for fun.  Set up a video chat with your friends or family members.  Don’t forget to relax and build social activities into your schedule so that you don’t get burned out while studying!

4. Utilize online services to stay connected!

It is easy to start to feel disconnected from the outside world while working from home every single day.  Stay in touch with others who are in similar situations to learn what they are doing to study, how they are coping with isolation, and to get ideas for improving your performance!

For instance, JD Advising’s blog is updated daily with tips and tricks for the bar exam, even information that is specific to the California Bar Exam!  You can also join other groups via social media channels where other California Bar Exam examinees share their thoughts, concerns, and experiences preparing for the bar exam.  Knowing that you are not alone in this endeavor is often very comforting!

You can also connect with someone who can provide personalized guidance!  JD Advising offers California Bar Exam essay feedback as well as private tutoring for the California Bar Exam!  The tutor or essay grader that you work with will be able to provide tips and guidance for navigating the California Bar Exam!  And the best part is that you can do this remotely!  JD Advising’s tutors meet students online and essay feedback is provided via email exchange!

• Looking to Pass the California Bar Exam?

  Our July 2023 Bar Exam sale includes many of our most popular products and services!

  Free or discounted resources

  • A five-star bar exam course (for as low as $1399.99!) that provides you with the best instruction, outlines, and questions. Preview our course for free here!
  • Free popular bar exam guides (a CA bar exam essay guide, a guide on how to pass the bar exam, and a guide to hiring a bar exam tutor) written by bar exam experts!
  • Our new Free Bar Exam Resource Center, which includes our most popular free guides, posts, webinars, and more!
  • A free Early Bar Prep Course for law students

  Other resources

  Our most POPULAR and highly rated bar exam resources are:

  • Our On Demand Bar Exam Course 
  • Our NEW California Essay Exam Mastery Class, which covers the highly tested and difficult California bar exam issues!
  • California and Baby Bar Exam Private Tutoring by bar exam experts
  • CA One-Sheets and Baby Bar One-Sheets—rated five stars! Our customers love these supplements!
  • Real MBE questions—the best practice questions available!

  You can read more about our California Bar Exam services here.