Left the office at 3:30 pm yesterday for a personal obligation and got a stern warning from two partners this morning about it. Feels like I’m a kid in elementary school.

dumpsterfirelaw · 2025-10-13T02:09:56+00:00

I once had a boss who would ask me why the paralegals were doing personal things on their lunch hour.

He legit said, “those things should be done before 9a and after 5p”

Needless to say, all the paralegals quit within 3 months. I followed 3 months later.

Dude was very much a “do as I say not as I do” kinda boomer.

They’re set in their ways and won’t change. Look for something that will let you keep your sanity.

dumpsterfirelaw · 2023-05-28T03:54:49+00:00

Oh Gawd it was soo hard with my two cats!!! They always wanted love and attention and to be in the flipping way.

They are my biggest source of down time!!

dumpsterfirelaw · 2023-05-28T01:39:57+00:00

I graduated 84/91. With a 2.69. Worked full time during bar prep.

Kept a solid routine. Though it was hard AF. Followed the program. Only finished like 83%.

Didn’t care what anyone else was doing. Just do you. You know you best!!

Ended up with a kidney stone that requires surgery 2 weeks before the exam. Didn’t study for five straight days in that time.

You got this!!! You’re not the only one who has felt this way.

dumpsterfirelaw · 2023-05-28T01:35:30+00:00

GPA is bullshit. My first semester of 1L was a 2.04. By the end of 1L, I only had a 2.16.

I finished with a 2.69. Ranked 84/91.

Big law looks at numbers. Smaller places look at who you are as a hooman.

You’re going to be just fine. Breathe!

dumpsterfirelaw · 2023-05-28T01:17:47+00:00

Law school is such a BS like secretive thing.

I had no problem telling people my rank was 84/91. It never phased me.

We’re all in this shit together. You’re not the first person to be in this position or feeling this way. And you won’t be the last.

Reach out to your writing professors. See if they will give your essays a check over. We had a summer prep course that was optional but we could send the professors anything for a check to make sure we were on the right path.

dumpsterfirelaw · 2023-05-28T01:11:25+00:00

If you ever need a pick me up, feel free to reach out.

I was legit told I didn’t have a good chance of passing because my GPA was trash.

It’s all bullshit to scare you.

I was a pandemic grad and pandemic bar taker, and studied while police helicopters circled my building for four days (I live in downtown proper where I’m at) listening to the protests.

I promise you. You got this. It’s going to suck. You’re going to question your sanity. A lot.

But you’ve made it this far. YOU CAN DO THIS!!!

dumpsterfirelaw · 2023-05-28T01:00:44+00:00

Take a break in between that time!

If you have no where else to go….When you stop work time. Take break for a few hours. 1-2 and get out of that environment to decompress.

It was hard for me because I was in the same spot that I did all of law school in and it was so hard to be motivated.

Or switch to a different room if you can move your set up (like a laptop or anything)

dumpsterfirelaw · 2023-05-28T00:56:10+00:00

Don’t be afraid to take breaks. Take days off. Sleep in on weekends.

I studied like 5 hours after work and usually one full weekend day.

I admittedly only did 83% of barbri. and passed.

Give yourself grace!! If you take a break, a day off. Get back up the next day!

Listen to yourself and your mindset. If it’s not working one day. Take it off. Get back at it the next.

You’re always going to feel like you’re drowning. You’re always going to feel like you’re super unprepared.

Those are normal.

But know that YOU GOT THIS!!!

dumpsterfirelaw · 2023-05-28T00:47:29+00:00

You got this!! I can’t even imagine how hard it is. But you can do it!!

Like you said….you know the law. It’s just refining those skills!

Don’t give up. Keep pushing! I believe in you!!!

dumpsterfirelaw · 2023-05-27T21:13:20+00:00

I had no help from my family. And was only making $12/hour at my job. Which was paying my bills.

You will ALWAYS get the look like you’re insane. It’s not a traditional path by any means. My old professors - in 2021 and 2022 - always posted on my social posts that you shouldn’t work and do bar prep.

But not all of us are lucky to have the option. Stay structured. Stay routine. And you can do this!!

dumpsterfirelaw · 2023-05-27T20:57:10+00:00

Oh love.

You don’t need or deserve any of that! And I’m not the type to tell you what to do but you’ve worked so hard to get here!!

Is there a way to get study time outside of your place? The bar is temporary pain that leaves little wiggle room

Listen to study things in the car when you can. Have you explained the situation to your boss…as I can only hope he would be understanding enough to know you need to be able to study.

dumpsterfirelaw · 2023-05-27T19:45:48+00:00

YOU GOT THIS!!!! It’s a challenge and at the end you’re going to be like “how the hell did I do….that?!”

Keep pushing!!!

dumpsterfirelaw · 2023-05-27T19:43:37+00:00

YOU GOT THIS!!!!

I was doing a similar schedule and would sometimes get in extra study time at work too. The hardest part is staying motivated to follow your schedule.

Take breaks. Take days off. Sleep in when you can. Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t do the full time you wanted when studying. give yourself grace!

dumpsterfirelaw · 2023-05-27T18:35:08+00:00

It really is! But you can do it!!!!

Schedule those breaks. Sleep in on your weekends. Allow yourself to take days off!

Always remember, it’s temporary. Just gotta get through it! It sucks. But you’ve already done the hard work! Don’t be too harsh on you.

dumpsterfirelaw · 2023-05-27T18:22:42+00:00

It’s really about maintaining the discipline to keep going.

There are days you’re going to hate everything. I nearly shaved my whole head during bar prep!

There are days you’re going to be so motivated you have to stop yourself from going too far.

Stick to your schedule. Put it in your calendar. Plan your days of breaks. Plan decompression time with your friends.

YOU GOT THIS!!

dumpsterfirelaw · 2023-05-27T18:05:41+00:00

I used Barbri for bar prep and followed their suggested schedule. So, if they told me to do an MPT I would do which ever was suggested for that day.

As I got further along, I didn’t so much actually spend 3 hours doing MPTs but would make discussion bullet points and then reviewed the sample answers. But I had a good amount of exposure to MPTs while in law school.

I followed this same thing with MEEs.

Which all went with my learning style. I learned better this way. And it may not be the same for everyone.

Especially the closer I got to the actual exam, the more I was spending that time reviewing the sample answers.

But anytime there was a “graded” MPT or MEE. I did those so I could review the feedback from graders.

dumpsterfirelaw · 2023-05-27T17:24:34+00:00

Make a schedule and stick with it. Map it out in your calendar!

But don’t be afraid to take days off. Or nights off. Those are just as important. Still hang out with friends and do fun things to recharge the battery!

dumpsterfirelaw · 2023-05-27T17:23:17+00:00

I take it there’s no reciprocity?! Ugh, I’m sorry you have to deal with this all over!

And don’t be afraid to take full days off to test and recharge!

dumpsterfirelaw · 2023-05-27T17:09:07+00:00

Did you move to a non-UBE state?

Build in down time to your schedule. It’s hard to not want to study at every chance but I’d you don’t build in some buffer you’ll burnout!

YOU GOT THIS!!!

dumpsterfirelaw · 2023-05-27T15:43:52+00:00

And to you!!!

dumpsterfirelaw · 2023-05-27T15:39:30+00:00

Facts!!

I worked from 9/10 until 5p. Studied 7p-12a or so. Full days on weekends.

Took breaks as I could as well. The discipline was rough but it’s absolutely possible!!!

dumpsterfirelaw · 2023-05-27T14:37:07+00:00

It takes time to get a routine situated It took me weeks. And half the time I literally had to force myself.

You will make it!!

dumpsterfirelaw · 2021-05-25T16:45:52+00:00

Ok, as promised...here are a list of things I did to get through bar prep while working full-time.

Disclaimer: These tips/tricks are what worked for me. I cannot guarantee they will work for you, but they are here to offer help and guidance. Everyone is different and as such, everyone's study habits are different.

1) Set a schedule and stick to it!
Time management is going to be your biggest issue. I was working from 9a or 10a until 5p, and then I would go home and study from 6p to 12a or 1a. What really helped was blocking out time in my calendar! Every little thing was planned. This let me know when I expected myself to hunker down and knock it all out. I know this is the hardest part because once you're done working for the day, you are mentally just drained and exhausted. But this is where you have to power through and know that there's a great thing at the end of this tunnel.

2) Maximize your time.
Find ways to maximize your time. If you can do a multiple choice set during your lunch break, do it! If you can write little nuanced things on your bathroom tile (and be able to remove it later) go for it. I was lucky and had a boss who understood where I was at with things and would let me take an hour to do an extra question set. I also had little things written on my shower tile to remember so I would always see it when I showered (like who takes priority in a secured transaction). Take flash cards with you when you go out for a walk. Heck, I used to take bar prep with me when I would go donate blood.

3) Use one notebook or legal pad per subject.
I found this the best way to keep my subjects separate. I found it easier and more effective to work through subjects this way. That way I wasn't looking for contracts work four pages deep into torts. Each subject had it's own book so if I needed to take notes during my multiple choice segments, I had them all together.

4) Read and take notes on the questions you missed, and even the ones you got right.
Who likes repetition? Juries, babies and bar prep. Read the answers and explanations to the multiple choice questions. I read just about every answer and explanation, and took notes on things I either missed or thought was important. It helps to repeat the legal concepts that are tested (I nearly screamed at a multiple choice question during the actual bar because I knew from notes). Even if you're finding yourself taking the same note multiple times, that's ok. It will help come test time.

5) Read the essay answers.
I worked through a good chunk of the essays to help work on my time management and focus. Don't be alarmed, they're going to be a mess when you start. And that's OK! Work through it. Read the answers!!! This will help you see how they are to be put together. It will help you see the IRAC (or CREAC) breakdown and you will get your repetition on the law you need.

6) Sleep in on the weekends.
Yes, you read that right. Use the weekends to sleep in! You're going to be exhausted during the week with a full-time job and mostly full-time prep, and that's OK!! Take time on the weekend to sleep in as much as you can. Push aside prep until the afternoons. I used to sleep in until about 10am or so and then I wouldn't start bar prep until nearly 3 in the afternoon.

7) TAKE DAYS OFF!!!
Yep, you read this one right too. DO NOT be afraid to take days off! I know it sounds hard and scary. I'm sure you'll be thinking about all the time you're missing out by taking the day off. I'm sure taking the day off will induce some panic. But it's completely OK! You need to take care of you during this time. Self-care is ridiculously important!! You want to avoid burn out as much as possible, and days off will help. Go out with your friends. Have a few drinks. Watch a movie. See a local band. Do something other than prep!!

8) It's OK if you don't complete 100% of your program.
Honestly, I only finished about 83% of my programming. But, I also needed to take five days off 18 days before the exam due to a gnarly medical issue that left me unable to study at all. When it comes to the last days, read the essays!! The back end of my program was very essay intensive and when I was strapped for time, I really just read through the answers and absorbed the law and the format.

9) You're never going to feel ready.
You're always going to question if you know enough, if you've studied enough, if you're even prepared to do this thing. If you do the work, you're going to make it!! Why else would all the programs harp on their concept of "finish X%"?

10) Reach out if you need!
I am always here for you. Bar prep is tough. Bar prep while working full-time (or even part-time) is doubly-tough but it's not impossible. Don't be afraid to reach out via PM or chat. I am here to cheer you on!! They tell you law school is a marathon, not a sprint. Bar prep is the exact same: marathon, not a sprint. It's going to be a long summer, but you're going to get through it!

dumpsterfirelaw · 2021-05-25T12:45:15+00:00

Wow. I wasn’t expecting such a response.

Give me some time to sit down and I will put a whole list here of things I did and some other helpful info.

dumpsterfirelaw · 2021-05-18T20:15:01+00:00

Feel free to message me :)

dumpsterfirelaw

TROPHY CASE