When I was a finance undergrad at BYU, I had a method for taking exams in the testing center: Stop by the vending machine to pick up a package of Snackwell's creme sandwich cookies, sharpen my #2 pencils just before entering the testing center, sit down and then tell myself a joke. Really. I always told myself a joke to relieve the stress that I felt before starting a test. It was always the same joke too - "What do a Texas tornado and a Tennessee divorce have in common? ... Somebody's gonna lose a trailer!" (Paul is reading over my shoulder right now and just started busting up laughing and told me that I am such a nerd.) Well anyway, for the Bar Exam, we aren't allowed to bring in food, and we use computers instead of #2 pencils, but I can still tell myself a joke I guess. Although I don't think I will really need it because the watch I am taking with me to let me know how I am doing on time is pretty freakin' hilarious. Only non-programmable analog watches are permitted (and the face has to be smaller than 4 inches), and since I haven't had a functioning watch for years, I decided to buy the cheapest watch I could find at Target. $6.00 later and HELLO KITTY!
I am
this close to being a lawyer and I have the dignity of a 5-year-old.
Anyway, we are heading into the home-stretch folks - this is our last week to study, then next Sunday we fly to the Bay Area. The bar exam goes all day Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Who knows if I will blog between now and then.
All I can say is that I am so grateful for Sundays because Paul and I don't study on Sundays. Instead, we went to church, then came home and had friends over for dinner and games. We played Mastermind, Blokus, and Rock Band, and it was so fun to get our minds off the bar for a little bit. One of them just finished law school with me, and her husband is just starting law school this fall at the Y. I'm sitting here now reflecting on our conversation and feeling slightly flabbergasted when I look back at the last three years of my life and see myself in his position as a 1L. Time really does fly, doesn't it?
Good luck! I love the watch and so does my daughter Grace!
ReplyDeleteThe dignity of a five-year-old. I like that, it sets you apart. Tell Paul that he's not laughing at your joke because you're a nerd, it's because that's his favorite joke.
ReplyDeleteOn a serious note, good luck! I can't believe I'll have a lawyer friend. I mean I guess we have lawyer friends but you're the only one I knew before they were a lawyer.
I never had a routine for test-taking, but when I took the AP Biology test in high school, for which the top score is a 5, I arranged my numerous writing utensils in the shape of 5s across the top of my table in the library. Good luck to you both next week.
ReplyDeleteYou're going to do awesome! Let know if you two need anything while you are in the Bay Area! Dinner, dessert, ANYTHING that you don't want to think about! :)
ReplyDeleteI need to see this in person. I just can't imagine Hello Kitty on your wrist.
ReplyDeleteI would hate to be in that young 1L's shoes.
ReplyDeleteYoung Nathaniel? Ha - once you have a kid, you are officially old. At least, I will make that claim until kids come our way.
ReplyDeleteHey I'm glad you don't study on Sunday, either. It's probably going to make all the difference! Seriously, I had this awesome Bishop at the time I decided to take the LSAT and go to law school. He is an eye doctor and he told me that the only exam he failed his entire life was his very last one for his career and it was the only time he studied on a Sunday. It was devastating. I'm sure you rocked it!
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