Strategies Archives | Page 4 of 17 | Make This Your Last Time

July 5, 2025July 5, 2026 - No Comments

How to Know If You’re Actually Learning the Law or Just Memorizing the Words

Many bar exam candidates spend weeks or months watching lectures and reviewing outlines, only to freeze when they sit down to answer practice questions.

You’ve read the material over and over. You’ve highlighted your notes. You can nod along when your bar prep course explains a concept. But when exam day arrives, you’ve suddenly got amnesia, and the rules you thought you knew suddenly feel slippery.

The problem is that you’ve been memorizing words on a page instead of learning what they mean. There’s a vast difference between the two. True understanding means you can recall the rules (not just recognize them in an outline), and adapt them to new fact patterns (until they become repetitive) under pressure.

Becoming familiar with the issues and rules feels productive in the moment but is unreliable when you need it most. Understanding this distinction is the first step toward transforming your bar prep mastery.

June 15, 2025June 20, 2026 - No Comments

Most Bar Exam Takers Waste Time on Low-Yield Study Activities (Fix This Immediately)

You’re putting in the hours. You’re showing up every day. Your study log looks impressive.

But you still can’t answer questions correctly, let alone remember what you thought you studied. Sound familiar?

That’s because you’re spending precious hours on activities that barely move the needle toward passing. If you’ve been studying for weeks or months and still feel woefully underprepared, you’re probably caught in the trap of activities that don’t actually help you learn. Shit that Barbri and Themis encourage because they want you to look at their professors with fancy beards.

Understanding what actually works versus what just feels productive can be the difference between passing and retaking. Here are some steps that move the needle:

Cut passive habits that create the illusion of progress
Audit your study time to find your personal low-yield habits
Spend most of your time on active practice under timed conditions
Use your prep course as a supplement, not a syllabus you’re obligated to complete
Track your learning and skills, not hours, to break the habit of staying stuck in a low-yield pattern

May 9, 2025May 8, 2025 - No Comments

Lessons from Passing the UBE (Utah Bar Exam) with a 314

“N” passed the February 2025 Utah Bar Exam (UBE), scoring a whopping 314 on her first attempt.

💬 “Just got my results yesterday! I passed the UBE with a score of 314!!!”

Epic!

For context, most UBE jurisdictions require a score 266 or 270 to pass, and scores over 300 are rare. So N really outdid herself.

Of course, I had to ask how she pulled it off so I can share it with you.

January 31, 2025January 29, 2025 - No Comments

Pass the Bar by Being Aware of Your Strengths and Weaknesses

Tristan passed the 2024 July California Bar Exam on his first attempt.

He credits his success to self-awareness of his strengths, weaknesses, and what would work for him.

He was a glass cannon (super good at the MBE) and not confident about passing, but he was composed and calculated about the whole process.

Let’s see what Tristan went through in his first and only successful attempt.

January 17, 2025January 14, 2025 - 1 Comment

From Severe Anxiety to Trusting His Instincts to Pass the CA Bar Exam on His 1st Try

Andrew passed the 2024 July Bar Exam on his first try despite the initial anxiety and pressure.

💬 “Severe testing anxiety. Remember throwing up after the first practice bar exam at school because of poor results.”

Whatever doubts you have, it’s going to be worth it if you can overcome them.

💬 “Just wanted to share that I passed in California! Your materials were a massive help in the final weeks of studying and I’m honestly so grateful for your help. My hands are still shaking, it’s been such a rough week and I had a lot of doubts but I’m so glad that this is over.”

Let’s see how he transformed from feeling inadequate and pressured to succeed — to learning to trust his gut and actually succeeding.

(And what Burger King can teach you about bar prep)