…And One to Go

Dear MBE,

We are officially broken up.

I’m sick of your mind games and the way you treat me. I work and work and work my fingers to the bone and still it’s never good enough for you.

Well, I don’t need you in my life anymore. So here is your Statute of Frauds back. I put all your Recording Statutes in a box (to the left, to the left). I was going to keep the First Amendment you gave me that day at Starbucks, but it brings up too many bad memories.

Please don’t ever talk to me again.

Love,
Cella



Actually, today was not the worst thing ever. It was not so awesome that I even want to entertain the idea of doing it again, but I sit here with at least a fond hope that I am still passing the bar.

I finished both the morning and the afternoon sessions in about an hour each. I went over my answers and counted all the As, Bs, Cs and Ds because I couldn’t get that thing out of my head that the BarBri lady said about them all showing up equally (i.e., each answer is correct 25 times out of 100). I’m not saying this as advice because it will probably screw with your head much more than it will ever help. Because I was way short on 1 letter, but of course I didn’t know which answers were wrong. So you start thinking “Well, if I change my answer to this question- because I might be totally wrong seeing as I know jack squat about veto power, if that’s even what the question is asking me- then I’m closer to 25 Bs but now I’m short a D. And I could change the answer to that question, but that will ruin my balance of As.” And on and on and on.

So I just turned it in and went to lunch, which was at the fine dining establishment known as My Car. Or, My Sister’s Car Since I’m Borrowing It. So I ate from my cooler of apples and peanut butter and hummus and pita and looked at my notes from practice questions until I realized that really, I know what I’m gonna know and I’m not learning anything new. Partly cuz I can’t focus, partly because I don’t care so much anymore, who knows.

Back from lunch, they didn’t open the doors at 12:45 as they had promised so we’re all stuffed into the un-air-conditioned hallway in the heat. And I am sorry, Texas Tech T-Shirt Guy, but Man Sandals (“Mandals”) + Heat = Nasty Sweaty Boy Foot Stink. Also, you wore jorts. Both days. …I’m just saying.

And I’m also just saying that some girl wore a “I Own Blackacre” shirt. To the Bar Exam. I assume on purpose. I also assume that everyone who wore a t-shirt with their law school emblazoned upon it also did that on purpose. Especially those from schools not within the vicinity because my guess is that you are staying in a hotel like I am, and that you packed, like I did, three shirts. But you appear to have different criteria for shirt selection that I. Or, alternatively, you own three shirts.

And one girl wore her Shitty Law School Law Review shirt. And then I died of barfness.

One Day Down

Even though today was a half-day it was still brutal. First of all, I’m taking it on my computer. There’s only two locations in the state that allow computers, so we’re in this massive Exhibition Hall. I kinda feel they probably show tractors or something in it when we’re not taking bar exams in there. My tablemates and I estimated about 400 people (we couldn’t see all the way to the other side).

A couple people at the table next to me showed up literally at 7:58 for the 8 am test. I don’t know what you thought you were stuffing into your brain in those last five minutes, but I doubt it was more valuable than the peace of mind of having your computer turned on and the exam software up and running by the time the test started.

One person at my table didn’t show up at all.

Then there was the epic FAIL of everyone trying to save their tests to the jump drives provided to us. This took roughly 20 minutes, all the while we’re bouncing in our seats doing the peepee dance because they wouldn’t let us leave for what the Proctor kept calling our “Comfort Break.”

She made “comfort” sound like “soft blanket, nice hug” type of comfort but I’m pretty sure the Bar Examiners meant “physical relief from the need to pee” type comfort.

Upon return from our Comfort Break, we were chastised by the Proctor again. This time, she was “very disappointed” that we had chosen “not to pay attention the first time” and apparently some people tried to go outside for a cigarette. And because of our atrocious behavior, these “Comfort Breaks may have to be discontinued in the future.”

I finished the Procedure and Evidence part in a little over an hour. I sat there for a minute or two, but I really didn’t have anything else to say. If I didn’t know it, I didn’t know it. If I did, I said everything I could about it. A couple things were totally out of the blue, and some stuff I was sure would be on there wasn’t. So even though I had 30 minutes left, I turned it in and went home. I was hungry, anyway.

It'll Only Hurt for a Minute

Good luck to everyone taking the bar tomorrow! I'm safely holed away in my hotel room, after a stressful weekend of not having my admissions ticket (have it now!), almost getting on the wrong plane (didn't!), getting here and settling in (...am?).

I've only stayed in a hotel by myself twice before (callback interview and all-attorney firm weekend), but never for three nights. It's weird, sort of lonely but also kinda freeing.

Not much more to say than that. I've studied and now I'm tired. I'm ready to go take the test, which is not the same thing as knowing enough, but what can you do? I was so stressed this weekend that I had to take my anxiety meds (see above about having no admissions ticket, etc), but now I'm just ready to get into bed, look over my notes and get some sleep.

The good thing is that tomorrow is just a half day, comprised of the two parts of the test that matter least. One, I'm not worried about at all. The other, I don't know enough about. My strategy is to do well enough in the other three sections that the procedure and evidence section isn't much more than a place to pick up some extra points.

But, I ramble. The Tylenol PM is kicking in (taken just in case the anxiety attacks come back, so I will sleep through them). Good luck again to everyone. My friends, I know you are stressed but I also know you are smart. You will pass. I will pass. We will all move on.