Prepping for Bar Prep

Changes I’m Making to My Daily Habits Now for a Smooth Bar Exam Prep Experience

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With the California Bar Exam slowly creeping up in July and law school commencement plans already being made, I realized bar prep is right around the corner. For those of you who aren’t familiar with “bar prep” (studying for the bar exam), law students typically study through a bar prep course such as Themis, Barbri, or Kaplan. I’m doing Themis! Bar prep is from the day after graduation until the bar exam, mid-May to the end of July. During that time, you are a bit cut off from the outside world. Studying takes up your 9 to 5 or even longer, usually 6-7 days a week. Many birthdays and other social events and holidays get missed because of bar prep, and you absolutely have to be your most productive and focused self. This is the most important exam of your career after all!

Because bar prep is such a stressful and crucial time, I realized I should start making some small changes to my daily habits now in order to ease into the transition from graduation to exam prep. Currently, I spend a lot of time on social media (is being addicted to scrolling TikTok medically diagnosable?) and haven’t been the best about sleeping habits or staying active. Here are a few things I’ve done recently to begin transitioning into a more productive and focused student:

Sleep Habits

I’m starting to wake up earlier by a few minutes each day and going to bed earlier. A follower recommended the Huberman Lab podcast to me, and I just listened to his sleep related episodes. He recommends getting a lot of natural light outside soon after you wake up, so I am going to try to schedule in a morning walk or just get out to some fresh air.

Because I struggle with physically getting myself out of bed after waking up, I started placing my phone farther on my nightstand so that I can’t reach it and using my google home to set alarms so that I physically have to say “stop”. I also place a glass of ice water on my nightstand to drink when I wake up. I use a glass or a mason jar because you have to physically sit up to drink from the open top, as opposed to a bottle with a straw. Sounds silly, but every small thing adds up and helps!

Phone and Social Media

Some of the biggest changes i’ve made regarding my phone in the last week are setting Do Not Disturb mode on my phone to occur every night from 9PM to 7AM, putting my phone down at least 15 minutes before I go to bed (instead of laying in the dark on my phone until the very last second), and trying my absolute hardest to not sit on my social media apps for too long during the day. At some point i’m sure i’ll need to set screen time limits on each app and physically put my phone in a drawer in order to focus.

Alcohol, Diet, and Exercise

I recently had a few weekends of bad hangovers and realized I cannot afford to be hungover while I’m studying for the Bar. Some exam takers like to do a “dry July” in the weeks leading up the exam, and I plan to do exactly that and cut out alcohol completely. Between now and dry July, I’ll probably only have a drink on special occasions. I’m also trying to eat healthier (and just eat more consistently in general) because I am TERRIBLE at eating regular meals when I get stressed out or overwhelmed. I’m trying a few meal subscription boxes currently (i’ve done Home Chef before and liked it) and will probably be using one during bar prep since the last thing I want to worry about or spend mental energy on is grocery shopping and what food to cook. They are all a bit expensive, but I’m willing to pay the price if it means easier meals and a consistent diet during exam prep.

Something i’ve been trying to do for a while now is maintain an active lifestyle. A lot of Bar exam takers say they kept going to their morning yoga class or evening gym session while studying, so I plan on trying to get in a quick workout, a run, or at least a short walk to move my body every day. Daily things like working out, gym classes, or even a morning coffee run are going to be crucial because they break up the monotony of bar prep and give you something to look forward to.

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If you have any other good bar prep strategies for staying sane and productive, I’d love to hear them! Feel free to reach out with comments, suggestions, or questions to my instagram earthtojul.