Where Steven Comes to Waste Time

Apparently there are more people reading blogs than I thought. Unfortunately, they're not always the right people.

Apparently, anything you say can be used against you.

Steven was not studying at 8:29 PM | Permalink | Comments

In this weekend's news, I was sick and did absolutely nothing.

It was a combination of dizzy spells, headaches, and fatigue. It got to the point where I was too scared to leave the house.

Now that the next Bar Exam is five months away, I want to do something else for at least a month. The question is what do I do?

The practical side of me tells me to find a job. Right now I have no desire to work at a law firm. I want to do something fun, even if it pays less. Unfortunately, with massive student loan payments approaching, this option may be my only option.

The visionary side of me tells me to stick with my goals and prepare for the CPA examination or at least work at an accounting firm to gain some experience. This is fine too, I suppose. But this may have to wait for another week until my sickness wears off, whatever it may be.

The unconventional side of me tells me to do something new. Learn a new language. Study a new discipline. Well....maybe.

Finally, the "I dont give a crap" side of me tells me to rent a new Playstation game. Now THAT'S an idea!

Steven was not studying at 10:19 PM | Permalink | Comments

I called several of my friends and told them the bad news.

In case any of you are wondering, I spent the last few days reviewing the California State Bar rules and regulations about medical emergencies and it appears that there is nothing I can do except take it again in July. However, I can ask for accomodations in order to suit my needs.

I haven't decided what I will do but chances are I will study for the exam again.

I'll be back. Promise.

Steven was not studying at 5:38 PM | Permalink | Comments

Its official. I have failed the examination.

How do I know? I didn't show up today and I won't show up tomorrow.

I was very sick on Tuesday. I was so sick that I almost passed out and I could have caused a serious disturbance. I felt that the risk was not worth it and decided to wait it out.

I don't regret the decision.

Steven was not studying at 11:55 AM | Permalink | Comments

Barring a miracle off in the distance, I think its very unlikely that I will pass.

I was feeling extremely sick today and I was unable to finish the second half of the test.

I'll talk more about it later, but today really lowered my chances.

Steven was not studying at 7:14 PM | Permalink | Comments

Well, the test is tomorrow.

I will be praying for the best, particularly since I am sick today.

I wish the best of luck to my friends JRC, RS, AM, B, SK, K, BJW, AT, and to all of the bar bloggers (I've read them all. I just never commented because I thought I'd be adding "fuel to the fire" if you know what I mean) especially the "anonymous" blogger with the Bart Simpson screen saver.

Pass or fail, I will paste it here. After all, in the bigger scheme of things, its only a bar exam.

Thanks to all of the well-wishers and I'll see you Thursday night!

Steven was not studying at 2:04 PM | Permalink | Comments

This is it. The moment of truth. After this weekend, I am finished studying.

I have memorized enough and taken enough tests.

I have decided to not post any more until the big days. I have decided not to use the internet at all until the bar exam is over. I will not watch TV nor will I play Tekken. The world is now closed.

I want to thank everyone who took the time to send me a comment or an email during the last few months. I hope we can talk again soon.

Steven was not studying at 6:47 PM | Permalink | Comments

What a great way to get started in the profession.

Steven was not studying at 3:13 PM | Permalink | Comments

Steven was not studying at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments

For me, I can only describe this experience through an analogy.

Get a large sponge.

Put it into a bucket of soapy water and try to squeeze in as much water into the sponge as you can.

Take the sponge out of the bucket and walk to your car dripping as little water as possible. Did I mention your car was parked two blocks away?

When you get to your car, you must use the sponge to wash your car with no trips back to your house to get more water.

Steven was not studying at 10:48 PM | Permalink | Comments

Please read this fact pattern.

Discuss any causes of action Southwest and Mr. Drake can assert against Ms. Thompson and any remedies they are entitled to.

Steven was not studying at 9:35 AM | Permalink | Comments

IF YOU ARE EASILY SWAYED BY BAD NEWS, DONT READ THIS

With the bar exam around the corner, I thought it may help to disseminate the bad news for anyone taking it. I don't mean to cause unnecessary worry, but I think now is a good time to think about the consequences of failing so that they can be dealt with before the big day.

First, because most of the examinees are repeaters, it is a "credible rumor" (it's the best way I can put it) that the February Bar Exam will have a lower grading curve. This means that if you fail, you will have to study harder for July. For repeaters, if you got a close score (1400-1439) in July and if you put in the same quality next week, it is very likely that YOU WILL PASS in May. But whether you are a first timer or repeater, BE PREPARED because it's not going to get any easier.

Second, if this is your second time taking the test, you may have student loan issues. For many students, their grace period has either run out, or will run out. Since most people can ask for a forbearance or deferral, this may not be a big deal, but it is a pain in the butt to deal with, especially at an inconvenient time like this.

Third, based on the California State Bar's statisitics, repeaters have anywhere from a 10-50% chance of passing on the next try. While these numbers are not good, they don't take into account past scores, and personal experiences. So if you feel that you adequately prepared, then this statistic may not apply to you.

Fourth, the big news in 2007: more subjects in the exam. I don't remember the details about this one and Im not going to try to remember now. While this may make the exam harder, think about it this way: at least you will know at least one (or two) of the essay questions. I strongly hope that the State Bar will include some of these topics before 2007 as PT questions so that we can get our feet wet.

Finally, and I think most importantly, it is really depressing knowing that you didn't make it. And it is even worse knowing that you didn't make it again. I'm not a psychologist so I don't have any advice on dealing with this. But no doubt this is the biggest bummer.

Once again, I hope that everyone taking the exam has at least considered the possibility of not passing and have made contingency plans to deal with this.

One of my friends suggested that you work a full time job between March and May and save all of your earnings. If you fail, you will use that money to enroll in the best bar review program you can afford. If you pass, you will use that money to take a vacation in Europe.

Steven was not studying at 2:54 PM | Permalink | Comments

Some of you have been asking about the pic I posted a few days ago.

Here's another pic I found thanks to Google.
























This was printed in a Canadian newspaper called The Province.

I'm wondering if this will be broadcast on the late night shows.

Steven was not studying at 5:17 PM | Permalink | Comments

Bar takers, this is it. Your REAL last weekend. If any of you plan to take a day off, this is the last chance to do it.

Apparently, I've been noticing that many people are nervous. Whether you are taking the bar for the first time or you're repeating, the feeling is natural. I feel it too.

As I stated before, don't worry about the numbers. It will make you more nervous and you will forget the things that you learned. After reviewing my last three practice MBEs, I accepted the fact that I will receive somewhere between 125-135. BTW, Im not doing them anymore. I'll do a few questions on the blue PMBR book.

As for the PT, screw it. Im not going to do any. Ive done enough research and writing in law school and in my clerking days. I'm going to anticipate a 65 average (which seems to be the going number for February exams.)

I'm tired. I'm going to sleep watching Trainspotting, one of the greatest movies ever.

Steven was not studying at 10:26 PM | Permalink | Comments

For those studying the bar, I have an essay question for you. Please read this fact pattern.

Netflix delays shipment to frequent customers.

Now here's the question. Can a Netflix customer bring another class action lawsuit against Netflix in federal court due to Netflix's practices?

Steven was not studying at 8:17 PM | Permalink | Comments

A law student is suing the "Vagina Monologues" for discrimination.

Too bad there isn't a cause of action for broadcasting stupid shows.

Steven was not studying at 6:31 PM | Permalink | Comments

Look closely at this newspaper's version of the Olympic mascots Neve and Gliz.

Steven was not studying at 8:16 PM | Permalink | Comments

I got a 128 again! This is weird...Not to mention crazy.

The practice MBE I took did not have percentile scores. So I had to use two others. Like they matter. One placed my raw score at the 52nd percentile. The other placed my raw score at the 73rd percentile. Because of this, I cant tell if I improved or not based on my last score.

I'm debating whether I should take another practice MBE between now and the exam. These are a real pain in the butt. It takes six hours to take the exam and it takes at least six to review the answers. I can take the easy way out and review the problems I got wrong, but for me, there are too many answers where I may have guessed the correct answer.

Gotta go.

Steven was not studying at 6:34 PM | Permalink | Comments

I haven't had too much interest in studying at all. To be honest, I don't know if I can remember much more than I do now. I haven't been interested in doing much at all, including blogging.

I try to promise myself that if I can put in twelve honest hours each day for the next 10 days, then I can relax a bit in the days before the exam. But Im not doing it. Something's kicking in...boredom, ADD, or whatever.

But I think the worst part is that I'm starting to suffer physically. I've been sneezing a little more than usual in the last few days and Ive been more tired.

I'll close the day's thought with this: If you have anything on your mind that is bothering you, resolve it now, if possible. A late bill, a fight with someone close, or if you just have to finish Final Fantasy X-2 for the 103rd time, do it now. You need a clear mind for the next ten days. A mind that is set to absorb information.

Im not depressed. Im just tired. Tired of promising to study 12 hours and end up studying only four. Tired of spending two days studying a complex subject and forgetting it a week later. Tired of realizing that if I pass the bar, I have the CPA exam to look forward to.

Stay up.

Steven was not studying at 9:20 PM | Permalink | Comments

First things first: apparently the Super Bowl was filled with questionable calls. Some people think that the MVP award should have been given to the refs.

Anyway, I ran into an old friend last night and he introduced me to one of his friends. It turns out that he will be going to Iraq by the end of the month. He's only 19 years old. We had a long talk and as cheesy as this sounds, I thanked him for protecting our freedom.

The point is, for me and for people like me, the Bar exam is extremely important and I'm sure we all have the jitters now that the big days are coming soon. But before negative thoughts start to creep in, keep in mind that there are other people who would gladly trade places with us. With those words in mind...

Im doing somthing different today. Im learning a subject and as I am reading over it, I am writing a "ghost" essay, making up a hypothetical and any obstacles. It was a strange experience at first, but as I got used to it, I liked it. Tomorrow, I'll try this again with some different subjects.

Steven was not studying at 8:42 PM | Permalink | Comments

Im skipping the game today. The exam's more important and I couldn't care less who wins.

I may check the 4th if the numbers are good though.

Steven was not studying at 9:03 AM | Permalink | Comments

It turned out that the real score was a 125.

After reviewing the MBE questions, I noticed that I made different types of mistakes.

Dumbass mistake - The name says it all. I knew the law that applies to the fact pattern. But I got it wrong because I was careless. I didn't make a lot of these mistakes, but each one hurts big-time because it was so unnecessary.

"I don't know" mistake - This was the most common mistake I made. Its simple. I just didn't know the law that applies. Most of the time, it was because of a majority/minority rule distinction, or because of some minor exception to the exception to the exception of a general rule. I suppose these are the best mistakes to make because I can learn from them.

Mistake due to the problem's complexity - This involves a fact pattern with a weird, complex chain of events (usually to determine causation), multiple assignments of contract or property rights or double hearsay. Even if one is writing this down or visualizing the event, it is easy to forget what is going on. I think these are "time drainer trap" problems. On test day, I would defer these problems unless I was extremely proficient in the subject. Next time, I'll try drawing pictures or drawing graphs to help me understand these better.

Mistake due to ambiguity of the answers - This is one of those problems where you have to choose one of two good answers. The problem is that both appear to be equally good.
My conservative opinion is that in most cases, it is because one has not seen enough fact pattern to recognize when the law applies. Then there are some times when the questions are just too poorly written or just went too far.

"I don't care" mistake - Like the "I don't know" mistake, I didn't know the law that applies. But I also didn't care whether I knew it or not. Mostly because I'm pretty sure that the subject is highly unlikely to show up on the essay or PT portion of the exam. When I run into one of these, I choose the one that "sounds" right. Sometimes its the correct answer. Sometimes it's not.

Steven was not studying at 4:46 PM | Permalink | Comments

I came to realize that reviewing MBE answers is as tiring as taking the actual test. I got burned out last night and went home early. I think I corrected about 50 before calling it a night.

Today, I will review all 400 answers, and then do a few PTs.

Steven was not studying at 7:07 AM | Permalink | Comments

I just finished the practive MBE and I got the same score: 128.

A few notes on the practice test though: I had to leave for about an hour halfway through the PM session to have lunch with a friend.

Finally, I have taken care of my needs at school and everything worked out.

I got my final final grade back (apparently there was a mixup with the exams.) Based on the numbers I've received so far, I think I have a fair shot at transferring to a different school. Conservatively, I would guess 10-20%.

Be back. I have to review my answers now.

Steven was not studying at 5:47 PM | Permalink | Comments

100 mixed MBE questions, and boy, am I tired. Finished in about 2.5 hours, but I haven't checked the answers yet.

Apparently, Cindy Sheehan was arrested. At this point, I suppose it's not surprising.

Im going to take an hour break and then finish the other 100.

Steven was not studying at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments