Approaching Running While Studying for the Bar Exam
Approaching Running While Studying for the Bar Exam
As a former Division I cross-country and track athlete, running has always been a huge priority in my life and daily routine. Throughout my undergraduate studies, I trained daily as part of my “job” as a member of the track team. As my focus shifted into law school, running continued to serve as a source of exercise-induced therapy and a reminder of who I was outside of law school. In this article, I discuss how you can approach running while studying for the bar exam.
Setting aside the time, each day, to move my body and breathe fresh air kept me sane while navigating the rigors of law school. Then came the bar exam. Hours upon hours of studying, holed up for days on end. Since I graduated a semester early from law school, I took the Illinois Bar Exam in February. Long, dark, winter days coupled with what felt like never-ending bar preparation crept close to taking a toll on my mental health. I quickly realized that even during the relatively short crunch of bar preparations, staying active and keeping up with my running was vital to my happiness and wellness.
A few years later, my life looks very different in some ways, and much the same in others. Now, my days are filled with work as a full-time attorney, adjunct professor of legal studies, and mom of two toddlers. Some might think running takes a back seat to the many hats I wear – but on the contrary, running takes an even higher priority in my life. Despite my heavy workload, I prioritize running and training each and every day.
I am often asked: “How do you do it all?” I am here to break it down. How can you be successful on the bar exam and still prioritize exercise or training for a big event.