As the bar approaches, we have started looking for additional MBE questions for practice. When looking at reviews of Emmanuel’s or Adaptibar the outcome lately seems to be the same: the 2014-2015 MBE has switched up the game and become a lot harder. Since I took (and passed) the July 2014 MBE, I know that the questions differed in form from those we rehearsed with in barbri but not so significantly that I would deem those practice questions useless..
So who has a suggestion on additional questions? Let’s hear them.
Preparation is Key
For those of you considering a trip of this magnitude, I suggest you plan, plan, plan! Preparation is key! We are still in the throes of preparing for our trip, while we simultaneously prepare for the Texas bar exam (our second bar exam in 18 months). We seem to be gluttons for punishment. Although, planning a trip is a wonderful way to de-stress when we should be studying. Here is an evolving list of helpful websites that we visited and sites that we used to book!
Planes, Trains and Automobiles:
Packing Tips and Tricks:
When I Need Inspiration
We are 42 days away from the Texas bar.. The stress is building. A close friend sent a text yesterday asking what days the bar exam is NEXT MONTH. I told her not to phrase it that way or she will be responsible for my panic attack. We have downloaded exam soft, downloaded our exam options, uploaded our mocks, it is becoming all too real. What is keeping us going you ask? Europe. I stop my notecard and pull up a few photos of Italy, France, or Spain, and I remember that while the bar exam is 42 days away, that means that Europe is 47 days away! The terror turns to excitement and back to studying we go. Later this week I will let you in on some of the details of our itinerary and ask for travel tips!
When I can’t stand the professor teaching this 9 hour series
Trying to Keep Up With This Schedule
Texas Bar Exam
UPDATE! I am taking the Texas Bar Exam in February 2016. Due to unforeseen circumstances, Michael and I have packed up and moved back to Texas. We have just started our (hopefully last ever) bar prep course and we are trudging along slowly. Since I have more free time now then I’ve had in the last year, I want to pick up blogging again.. (I know, we’ve all heard that before) but you’ll see.. to be fair its just going to be me whining about studying with memes that amuse me. Enjoy.
…One Year Later
A inquisitive defense attorney recently reminded me that I have a blog..severely neglected, but a blog nonetheless. It has been almost two years since I’ve been active! First and foremost, I am alive and well. I graduated from law school! Passed the Oklahoma bar! And I am now an assistant district attorney for Oklahoma County. For obvious reasons, I cannot talk about work, however I can talk about life (maybe? we shall see?)
One year out of law school, I am very happy! There are a few odd changes: I can’t remember the last time I briefed a case or the last time I spent hours on research.. Life is too fast paced for that. I miss access to LexisNexis and fear using WestLaw due to charging.. I miss the library and seeing friends daily.. I miss free time, the ability to arrange my schedule around my work outs (my physical body is also displeased about this..more on that later.) I miss Starbucks at 10am and studying all day.. It’s odd the things you take for granted. So for those of you in your final year reading this, savor these moments.. you won’t get them back.
This is week I start a countdown to health, I know it is not New Years yet but it’s time for me to buckle down. I bought new suits for a trial this week, not because I don’t own suit, I do, just not suits that fit.. My goal is to lose 10 lbs in the next two weeks, and then again and again until I am back down to my goal weight, so get ready for recipes!
Anyway, for now this is it, I’ll be back with a progress report!
5 Smart[ass] Answers to 5 Dumb[ass] Questions About Veganism
December to January
I know its has been a few months since I was active, and I am sorry! But no worries, I am back. My life has been a whirlwind over the last few months with law school finals, holidays, visits with friends, and starting back to my LAST semester of law school. Thats right, I graduate in MAY! Okay so lets play catch up!
I spent most of late November and early December studying, and it paid off! Grades came back last week, and it was my best semester of law school so far, we haven’t received ranks, CALIs, or deans/faculty list yet but I feel like I will be pleased with the results! They should come out tomorrow! Stay tuned.
The holidays were wonderful! I took a last minute trip to Arlington for Thanksgiving, after my family had planned to drive to Oklahoma and make dinner here. We loaded the dogs up in the cars and headed south. My original plan was to leave Moose with my parents for a few weeks while I took finals, however he was not pleased with that idea. Moose was anxious and sad the second we left, so my sister brought him back a day later, and he spent finals curled up on the couch he is not supposed to lay on. For Christmas, my mother got Moose and Petey new dog beds! So now no dogs on the furniture is actually enforced, however sometimes I come home and the couch is warm even though Moose is laying on his bed and pretends he has been there all afternoon.
After the holidays, I caught a flight to Austin/San Antonio to see friends for 10 days. I got to see my Big, my roommates, old friends, and best friends. I spent New Years Eve watching Josh Abbott at Cowboys San Antonio with all of my best friends from college. It was magical! It had been a long time since we were all in the same place 🙂
Now school has started again. I am only taking 11 hours in my last semester because I took 5 hours over the summers! And out of those 11 hours, only 9 of them are actual classes. It has been wonderful, except that my 9 hours are actually difficult classes (Secured Transactions, Corporations, and Federal Jurisdiction). 3L-itis is at an all-time high. I have to force myself to read for class. I didn’t have to force myself to read the Hunger Games Trilogy though… I finished that in less than a week. I decided to start reading real books to try and fix my skimming problem (e.g. skipping words, sentences, and even paragraphs while reading law books). However, I forgot how much I enjoy reading. I used to read 3-4 books a week (for fun) in elementary, junior, and high school. I love to read. Now, I’ve awaken the monster and now my problem is not skimming law books but preferring to read the new series I started, Divergent, over my corporations book. Must. Be. Stronger. #DauntlessOrErudite
Michael and I have spent the last 3-6 months looking around for a place to live after we graduate, and we had it narrowed down to a few places including the Sieber, the Park Harvey, and some properties owned by midtownr.com. Hopefully we will have this figured out within the next few weeks!
Well that is the end of the update, so until next time!
Four More Weeks in Cast
My office visit on Monday was wonderful! My ligaments have healed exponentially! Over the last five weeks, I have spent time writing, one-hand typing, and learning to use forks and spoons (no knives allowed-need to keep all my fingers) with my left hand. Over the last two weeks, I was instructed to remove my cast twice a day, for ten minutes, to “exercise” my ligaments. I say “exercise” because the only movement I was allowed to make was touching my thumb to my pinky. Dr. Rayan was very clear, twenty-three hours and forty minutes in cast, twenty minutes exercising. As it turns out, he was right, my ligaments are at 80-90% healed, and I get to keep my hand out of cast at home to start the physical therapy process! Every time I take the cast off I just want to bend my wrist. Keeping it in a cast has made it very very stiff. I am afraid that even when I get the cast off, it will be longer than expected until I’m back on my mat due to the stiffness in my wrist and hand. Unfortunately, four more weeks means during finals.. but the law school has been wonderful in figuring out accommodations for my test taking issues. Two weeks from now my rehab includes typing, so I will be able to blog again! Until then, enjoy these photos of my life in a cast!
Sweets by Lamb 