Starting late v. Missing a week Forum

[varcom24]

Hey everyone,

Looking for some advice. I need to take a trip this summer before the bar. It's going to be about a week. There are reasons why I can't put it off until after the bar exam, so it will either be last week of May into first week of June, or second week of June.

Does anyone have any advice as to which option would be less detrimental to bar prep? If it is going to completely screw me either way I can cancel the trip. That's not ideal, however, so I'm really hoping it wouldn't be an issue if I can keep it to just one week and then focus for the remainder of my time. I'm registered for Barbri.

Let me know if you have any advice! Thanks

[sopranorleone]

I started studying for the CA bar in mid-May, and took a two-week vacation in June. I studied a bit during the vacation, but mostly took that time off. I passed. I say go on the trip!

[varcom24]

I started studying for the CA bar in mid-May, and took a two-week vacation in June. I studied a bit during the vacation, but mostly took that time off. I passed. I say go on the trip!

Thanks for the input! I'm also taking CA so good to hear (I know that's one of the state's people are most afraid of, so I've been a little hesitant even with their switch to a 2-day exam).

[SmokeytheBear]

Hey everyone,

Looking for some advice. I need to take a trip this summer before the bar. It's going to be about a week. There are reasons why I can't put it off until after the bar exam, so it will either be last week of May into first week of June, or second week of June.

Does anyone have any advice as to which option would be less detrimental to bar prep? If it is going to completely screw me either way I can cancel the trip. That's not ideal, however, so I'm really hoping it wouldn't be an issue if I can keep it to just one week and then focus for the remainder of my time. I'm registered for Barbri.

Let me know if you have any advice! Thanks

If you have to take the trip, take it as early as possible.

Bar prep really isn't something that should be taken too lightly--especially for the California bar, which is basically a crap shoot. You can adjust the odds as much as you want (e.g. first time taker, what law school you went to, class rank), but there is still that chance that you might fail. You don't want to look back after failing and wonder if you had had that one extra week of studying.

[mimim8]

I'm pretty much on your same position. I am taking the CA bar in july and I have a two week work trip coming up next friday that I am NOT looking forward to. I'm also taking Barbri so in my panic, I just started with the assignments a little earlier than what the paced program said- about a week before. I'm trying to cover as much as possible before I leave- that will at least help avoid guilt tripping myself the whole 2 weeks. I intend to study a bit while away... but because it is a work trip, it'll most likely have to be secondary and study around my engagements.

This is also not my first bar exam as I am licensed in other jurisdictions, so I'm doing this because I know how I get/what works for me. So go on your trip... but I wouldn't "disconnect" if I were you. Unless you're like me... you don't want to be taking more bar exams in your future. lol

Good luck!
M

[Neve]

I vote for take the trip as soon as possible. First week of bar class will be slower in pace than the end or middle of the course.

[rcharter1978]

Start Barbri late, don't miss a week in the middle of prep.

You'll probably be fine taking the first week off, some people start their prep later but by the middle of the study period you'll have a groove and a schedule going and you're not going to want to interrupt that.