Saturday, June 30

Mock Bar Exam

OK so yesterday was the first day of my official let's hunker down and really get serious about this bar thing that I have at the end of July. So yesterday we could take an all day mock exam and we were in the World Trade Center a little too close for comfort really but I decided despite the fact that I don't feel like I have really motivated and started studying for this thing that this would be a good exercise so I went and I took it and I am mixed on my results. I wasn't expecting to get the average that they tell you that you should be able to get since I haven't spent a lot of time outside of the BarBri classes studying. I was good for the first week and a half and since then I have slacked off but I was a little disappointed with how I did. I am trying to use the results as a motivator that if I live in this building like I have done so many times in the past when cramming for finals that I will be able to learn what I need to know and that I will pass this.

Now for the real reason for the post. Up until now I have had people telling me how impressed they are that I am still out and being social well the time has come when that is going to have to stop. I am sorry if I don't see you for a month or don't really get to talk to you too much I promise it's nothing personal. I am just trying to get over this one last hurdle that is standing between me and what I really want to do for the rest of my life. I hope you understand and you know that once this is behind me I am going to come out like gangbusters and I can't wait to see what life is like without work and school. So for the next month you are probably all going to be wondering what happened to Jackie. Is she still alive. The answer is a whole hearted yes I am just not going to be a very fun person to talk to and just pushing towards the finish line of this whole process. Not to worry once August is here you are going to see a whole new me and I hope that you like her because she is going to have a lot of free time on her hands. ;-)

Thursday, June 7

Bar Studying has Begun

Ok so I started my Bar classes last week and they are Monday thru Friday from 6-10 and they tell you that you need to do all kinds of work and that you are going to have to be studying for 5-6 hours a day when you are not in class. Well for the month of June that is pretty tough for me since I am going to be working all day still. I am taking the entire month of July off to study for the bar. I get to use all my vacation time to sit in a library and take practice questions and cram as much knowledge as possible into my head.

This past weekend was my first fill day of studying and I got up early and got to the library and all set up by 10:00 feeling good and ready to settle in and stay until around 9 and get everything done I need to. Funny thing happened I did everything that BarBri told me I was supposed to do after class last week and over the weekend and it was only 7:30 when I was done. I know I am just starting the process and that the more we cover the more overwhelmed I am going to feel but right now all I can think is. OK it's annoying but it's doable.

Last night I was not going to go to karaoke. Syl is in town for her brother Peter's graduation from Harvard and we are going out to dinner tonight and then she is staying at my place. I am very excited to see her. I figured that going out two nights in a row might be too much and I do need to remember that I am in study mode right now. My friend Julie who is a Suffolk Law Alum and passed the bar on her first try yelled at me that I should totally go to karaoke last night. I realize that part of this is she is amazed that I can go out and not get home until 2:30 in the morning and wake up the next day and go to work and function as though I got the usual 8 hours that everyone else enjoys. I got out of class at 9:30 last night and I have to drive right by the bar on my way to my apartment so I decide I am going to pop in but I am not going to stay until close. Famous last words for me. I walk in and Deb and Andrew where there and we were all catching up and having fun and around 10:30 when I was like I am going to sing one more song and then head out. Lynlee walks in the door and shortly there after Canadian Andrew shows up. Now I know I am totally here until close and you know what I am OK with that. I got to blow off some steam last night and I had a really good time with my friends. I think Julie is right I need to try to keep things in perspective. This test is just a test and if I put the time in I should be able to pass it and that is all I need to do is pass it.

Can you all do me a favor in a month when the test is two weeks away and I am FLIPPING OUT can you remind everything I just said. I'm sure that I will need to hear it then and I can only imagine what kind of shape I am going to be when it's crunch time and this keeps getting closer. Well that is the latest on my life.