Many bar takers are obsessed with the idea of memorization for the bar exam.
Understandably, a lot of students naturally panic and have concerns about it. I think it comes from a place of insecurity. There’s a LOT to remember after all.
Panic mutates into paralysis.
They think, “As long as I memorize this perfectly, I will be set for the bar exam.”
They end up holding a bag of theoretical knowledge they don’t know how or when to use, neglect the performance test in the process, and end up with a score that’s not terrible but not great either. After all, they still memorized everything enough to stumble through.
This is a common thought process, especially for those starting out. This may seem to be a safe approach, but it’s actually reckless.
Maybe that’s why people are excited about the possibility of open-book bar exams in some states. I eagerly await their realization that it’s not just about having access to information—but whether they can use it properly. Removing the memorization requirement doesn’t really change the exam. In fact, it will probably hurt if you’re wasting time looking things up.
It’s not that I’m ragging on memorization. You should memorize to succeed on the bar exam—but not at the expense of learning how to wield the information. Memorizing is simply table stakes. Everyone’s doing it. It’s a minimum requirement. Just a cost of entry.
So you do want to start memorizing as early as you can.
But I want to point out what bar takers miss when they get tunnel vision around memorization. Don’t miss the forest for the trees:
Continue reading “Busting 4 Myths of Memorizing for the Bar Exam”
