By now, most July 2025 bar preppers have begun their deep dive into their bar study courses. Bar prepping likely feels unlike anything you've done or faced before. Suddenly, you are expected to absorb large volumes of material, master the art of writing essays in extreme time pressure, and endure hours of multiple-choice questions. The transition can be jarring. What can you do to ease the transition, find your way, and power through?
1. Acknowledge the Shock to Your System
The bar study experience is not like law school. It’s designed to train you for an exam, not to engage you in intellectual exploration. You’re going to feel overwhelmed at times—that’s normal. Many students feel like they’re “behind” from Day One. You’re not. You’re just adjusting.
Accept that it will feel uncomfortable at first. The pace is fast. The volume is intense. The expectations are high. But this discomfort means you're growing.
2. Treat It Like a Full-Time Job (if you can!)
Bar prep isn’t just another course—it’s your current profession. You need a structured schedule that includes time for:
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Watching lectures
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Doing practice questions (both essays and MBE)
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Reviewing and revisiting old material
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Taking breaks and managing your mental health
Most students spend 8 hours a day on bar prep. That doesn’t mean sitting at a desk until midnight—it means working efficiently, with focus and rest built in.
3. Start Practicing (Even If You Don’t Feel Ready)
It’s tempting to wait until you “know the law” before doing practice questions, particularly essays. Don’t wait. Start writing essays and tackling multiple-choice questions early—even if it’s messy. The bar exam tests your ability to apply the law under pressure, not just recite it.
Mistakes made now are your best learning tools. You can’t get better at bar essays or MBE questions unless you actually do them. Then review the answers. Learn from the patterns.
4. Adjust Your Expectations About Learning
Bar prep isn’t about mastering every detail—it’s about learning enough to spot issues, apply rules, and move on. You're not aiming for perfection. You’re aiming to build a solid foundation in the highly-tested subjects and to be functional under pressure.
Focus on high-frequency rules, use spaced repetition to improve recall, and avoid getting stuck in the weeds. Your goal is steady, consistent improvement—not instant mastery.
5. Protect Your Energy and Mindset
Burnout is real. Build in small routines that protect your well-being:
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Take 10-minute walks between study blocks
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Eat well and hydrate
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Sleep, even if your to-do list feels endless
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Talk to friends or family
You’re not alone in this process. Every successful bar taker has had days where they questioned everything. Ride those waves. Don’t let a bad day become a bad week.
6. Use Your Course Strategically
If you’re in a commercial bar prep program, use the tools wisely. Don’t passively watch videos or hoard outlines and flashcards. Engage:
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Pause to take notes
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Rewrite or reframe rules in your own words
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Complete the assigned practice—even if you’re behind
Your course is a guide. But the real work is in how you show up for the process.
Final Thoughts: Trust the Process (and Yourself)
Bar study courses are intense by design. But they’re also time-tested and built to work, if you work them. This is a season of hustle, but it's also a season of discomfort and growth. Trust that with each passing day, you’re getting sharper, stronger, and more prepared—even if it doesn’t always feel that way.
You’ve made it through law school. You’ve done hard things. This is just one more. Keep showing up—and keep going.
(Erica Sylvia)
