By Brian Malcom

Many of our readers are sitting down for the first day of the Bar Exam today.  Good luck. I remember the experience well . . .  

I remember not leaving my house much for the month of July.  I remember many nights of half-sleep, while my mind raced with worry and study plans for the next day.  I remember very poor eating habits and finding relief through exercise.  I remember staring at my dog and wondering if he would ever have anything this stressful in his life.  Then, I remember knowing I was going insane, because I was staring at my dog and wondering if I could switch bodies with him.   I remember thinking: It's not too late to go to dental school.  I do not remember the drive back after the last exam session.  That is a blur.  What I remember the most, though, is learning that I passed.   

In that regard, aside from the usual kidney stone analogy, I genuinely think the bar exam may be the closest I get to childbirth.  It was challenging.  My eating habits changed.  I definitely had cravings.  I did not want to be seen much in public.  I was moody.  The process seemed to last forever.  The three-day test was one of the most painful and laborious exercises I can imagine.  But, when it was all over, I felt a deep sense of satisfaction and wanted nothing more than to go to sleep for 24 hours straight.  Now that I have my results, I am glad I did it.  

One thought kept me sane, focused and confident: I do not have to know it all, but I do have to know most of it.  Let's face it, there is a lot of material to go through when you are preparing to take the bar exam.  While one certainly could go through all the materials provided by a certain bar exam test preparation company (as if we don't all know who I am talking about, since they seemingly have a monopoly on the industry), most do not.  It is too late to offer studying advice, since most are sitting for the bar today.  So, I say this not as a how-to guide for preparing for the bar.  I say this as a comfort in the event that you were in the 99% of bar examinees that did not thoroughly review the entirety of the test preparation materials. 

Here are a few things that helped me get through the three-day exam process:

• Breathe.  For the love of Pete, breathe.
• Exercise right after the last exam period of the day.  This helps your mind rest, your body work, ease your stress and really helps you fall asleep at night.
• Sleep.  You can undo a lot of good studying from the month or so prior to the exam by staying up all night during the exam period and not being sharp/fresh for the exam itself.
• Eat Well.  Eat healthy and filling foods, but nothing "dangerous".  Do not eat foods that will make you sick or might make you sick (i.e. - oysters or bad Chinese food).
• Do not sit around for hours with your friends and relive the day's exam period through the "what did you put for ___________" questions.  It is ok to talk about a few that bothered you, but do not waste your time or increase your stress by indulging in such a masochistic exercise during the exam days.
• Socialize.  Talk about something OTHER THAN the bar exam for a few minutes each day.  Remind yourself that you are human. 
• Be quiet in your hotel.  This will help create a calm atmosphere.  Plus, others might be cramming (which I don't recommend, but everyone's different).  Your neighbors will appreciate the show of respect.  On the flip-side, they will never forget you if you are the guy/girl that wakes them up in the middle of the night during the bar exam screaming, "I'm the king of the world" on the hotel balcony. 
• Drive safely home.  Your mind will be putty and you will be exhausted.  Please be safe driving home from the bar.  It would be a shame to waste all that effort studying for the bar, only to receive your admission posthumously.