We're Off to Slay A Dragon in Book Two: The Fifteenth Year of the Third Millennium of the Common Era

I started this entry at the beginning of February. I set for myself goals and requirements. If I had to significantly modify this entry before posting… then I knew I failed to accomplish that which I should have. But posting this at all means that I have worked very hard. I watched 150 hours of Instructional Video on the law. I answered almost 2000 MBE multiple choice questions in the last two months. That is the equivalent of taking the MBE portion of the exam TEN TIMES. Not to mention my diagnostic exam, my midterm exam, my numerous graded essays, and any other item submitted for review. Posting this means that I have done a crapton of work!

It is only fair to admit that I did not complete 100% of everything. There are study materials I wanted to create and items on the Kaplan website I never finished. But, still… I worked my ass off and completed (rough estimate) 90% of what I had intended to complete during this Bar Study time. When I took the bar exam last year? I did maybe 40% of the bat class and only 60% of all the studying I had wanted to. So… it all comes down to what I accomplish in the bar exam. If I don’t at least do better this time compared to last time? Well, as soul-shattering as it would be to fail the exam entirely; I cannot begin to conceive of a word to describe the despair I would feel if I did not at least score higher this time than last. All I need to do is beat a 115. That means, if I don’t care about failing, I can miss 84 questions and still do better. But I must be brutally honest. If I score below a 115? I may lose myself entirely. Because… I have worked far too hard and sacrificed too much to have done worse this time compared to last time!

I am genuinely worried about that. I am more worried about doing worse than I am about not passing. My entire life, no matter how hard I tried, I always scored “middling.” Either try my ass off or don’t try at all, I was a B student or a “B” class person. I didn’t try super hard last time, I tried my ass off this time. If I do worse on the exam? That may be all the push I need. Because if working my ass off yields the same bullshit results as not trying at all? Why would I keep being me? Why wouldn’t I give up on trying to be a hard working nice guy? I would likely just… embrace my rage, follow through on my lust, and just let the worst parts of my play! Of course, that would be bad and regretful and the last thing I need is more regrets.

I suppose, to summarize how I view this impending exam, I am trying to approach it much in the same way that I approached Competitive Swimming in High School. I may never be the best in the state, the district, or even my own school. But if I am not growing, improving, and doing better than I did before.... that is truly failure.

Below I have outlined what I will be up to as I attempt to slay this Bar Exam Dragon… the schedule laid before me from the 23rd to the 25th. But also, I want to share something else. I have given a face to this Dragon, one I found appropriate. The Dragon of the Winter Bar Exam:

(Disclaimer: I found this image via Google and am in no way the creator, distributor, or potential copyright holder.)

Monday, February 23rd
This is an administrative day and is usually quick. Likely, I’ll study a lot in the morning before going into Downtown for the 1:00 pm cattle call. At this “event” we are literally processed. We are given numbers, our photographs are compared to our physical presences, our three forms of signed ID are compared to our photographs and our physical presences, we are finger printed twice, given our seat assignments and taken through a What To Expect lecture. It sounds like a lot but it doesn’t last more than 3 or 4 hours. Of course, after that? MORE studying!

Tuesday, February 24th
Day full of essays. If it is anything like last time, the morning will be the Multistate Performance Test (MPT). This is a grouping of essay exams where the Examiners will provide you with a stack of fictional laws and cases; provide you with a legal problem; and the task is to sort through all of the law presented to write a cohesive essay solving the legal problem and providing sound legal advice. The MPT will go from about 8 to Noon. Short break for a price-gougingly expensive (tiny) lunch. Then back at 1 pm for the Multistate Essay Exam (MEE). This is a grouping of essay exams where the test taker receives nothing but the problem. We must identify the issue the client is actually asking about (whether it is the issue they are expressly asking about or not), and then provide an essay answer including the proper law in a format called IRAC. Identify the Issue; declare the Rule that will govern the issue; Apply the rule to the specific facts presented in the problem; Conclude as to how the case will resolve itself. We usually have to do between 4 and 5 of these essays and that portion of the exam takes from 1 to 4 pm. As should obviously be expected, I plan to study after this part of the exam is concluded.

Wednesday, February 25th
Day full of multiple choice. If I am remembering last time properly, all day is multiple choice bubble sheets. The morning session is 100 questions; the afternoon session is 100 questions. Therefore, mathematics being easy here, 200 multiple choice questions total. After the exam… I cannot guarantee it; but I think I’ll drive back home afterwards. Just come straight back to the O and either drink, veg, something. Just start counting the days down to April 15th- score day. Hoping that I’ll get to count the days down to April 23rd- Iowa Bar Induction Day.

Even if only for my ease of finding… there are two SUPER nerdy things that I’ve always done before exams. Or maybe ONE nerdy thing expressed in two ways. There are two Klingon Battle Songs that hype me up properly.
Hear! Sons of Kahless: a traditional Klingon song sung by warriors on their way to battle.

Then… perhaps presumptively, I also sing YIjah, Qey’ ‘oH (Klingon Victory Song). In this clip, the entire song is not shared as it is a Klingon Child, enthused by his newfound culture, attempting to encourage Klingon/Romulan hybrid children to embrace their Klingon heritage. I think. If someone knows better- very awesome!!

Of course… to try to buy back some Cool Factor… here is another song that is more hip that also fairly depicts how I’ll be feeling:

Last updated February 20, 2015