Feel like I am not learning anything from bar prep? Forum

[Lawworld19]

I am completing the assignments and getting more acquainted with the information, but I feel like I am not learning it well enough to answer many MBE questions/essays. I am 16.8% done with Themis. Is this normal? I feel like they give you no time to "learn the information". I am starting early because I am working full time.

[iplaw4me2]

It will feel like that all the way until the final two weeks. Guaranteed. You need to see the material multiple times over a period of weeks before it starts to sink in. Then in the final two weeks things start to click as you ramp up your focus and find that, shockingly, you actually remember a few things and might actually pass this thing if you stay focused until the end.

[whelmer]

I did Themis while working full time as well (but started only two months before the exam) and felt the same way you do. I tried to follow the structure at first, but grew tired of it by around 25% (around three weeks into studying) and began jumping around to different subjects on my own. Three to four weeks before the exam I decided that I hated the video lectures and started doing my own thing. I figured that since the MBE constitutes half of the available exam points and MBE subjects account for half or more of the MEE content, I should focus mostly on the MBE. I read through the outlines and did the associated practice questions, but I really turned the corner after I bought some index cards and used them to write down the rule on every MBE question I got wrong or was not quite sure about. I ended up making around 150 index cards, if I had to guess, and reviewed them every now and then--having a beer after a day of studying, sitting on the couch with a movie on in the background, etc. The act of writing the rule, coupled with reviewing it from time to time, really hammered the material into my brain, I think.

I didn't only do index cards and MBE, though. I still read the MEE subject outlines, and watched some of the lectures for them too. I also did some essay questions, but closer to the exam I just started opening the essay questions to do issue-spotting. I only did three MPTs. My rationale was that I know how to write, so as long as I am confident about getting enough down within the exam's time constraints, there was no need to practice writing. I ended up "finishing" 50% of the Themis content. I use quotes because I checked off some assignments after only issue-spotting essays, skimming final outlines, etc. The MBE practice questions were the most helpful. I don't remember exactly, but think I did somewhere around 60% of them.

TL;DR: maybe normal to feel like it's not sinking in at first. Stick with it. Don't be afraid to depart from the structure if you are confident in your own learning style and think a different approach might work better.

[pech71]

After each MBE question, type out the rule from the answer and format it into the elements. Do this for the next 3 months over and over. Highlight the rules you got wrong and review them before you go to bed.

If you just answer questions and don't learn the rules you will make same mistakes again and again.