1. Set study GOALS up-front, then work backwards to arrive at a schedule.

1. Self-teach/learn all bar exam subject(s) not taken in law school.
2. Review any weak area(s) bound to come up on the bar.
3. Review bar materials cover to cover and intently listen to all the lecture tapes at least once.
4. Dedicate at least 2-3 days for each individual, double-tested subject on the bar:

1. read and review the bar review course materials by subject;
2. listen to the tapes by subject;
3. work through a couple essay questions by subject; then
4. prepare outlines for each subject (5-15 pages each).

5. Dedicate at least 1-2 days for each individual, single-tested subject on the bar:

1. read and review the bar review course materials by subject;
2. listen to the tapes by subject;
3. work through a couple essay questions by subject; then
4. prepare outlines for each subject (2-10 pages each).

6. Plan to work out a FEW THOUSAND MBE QUESTIONS, and a FEW HUNDRED ESSAY QUESTIONS, under SIMULATED BAR EXAM CONDITIONS.
7. ‘Key Goal’ is to prepare in such a way that you will not have to do this again:

AVOID goals and study habits aimed to simply "pass" the exam.

Set goals which MAXIMIZE your resources of (1) time, (2) knowledge, and (3) physical stamina, then slowly, over time, drive these levels higher and higher so that you can function comfortably at your peak during the "real" bar exam.

2. Establish a "realistic" schedule for the next 60-80 days leading up to the bar exam.

1. Break down months into weeks, weeks into days, and days into hour increments.
2. Be realistic in preparing "THE PLAN." Your "Plan" must accommodate other personal responsibilities which cannot be placed on hold while studying for the bar.
3. As part of my PLAN, I designed a one-page grid to help me pace my studying:

1. Across the top margin I listed all of the features of my study program: reading the bar review materials, listening to the tapes, working out a couple essay problems, and preparing my own outlines;
2. Alongside the left margin I listed each bar exam subject, and the specific date I expected to reach each individual subject;
3. As I completed each subject I'd check it off.

4. As part of my PLAN, I also kept a one-page sheet to monitor my practice-test scores:

1. Across the top margin I listed all of the MBE & essay subjects;
2. Alongside the left margin I listed the date of each MBE score;
3. In the center I penciled in the corresponding scores for the percentage of MBE questions answered correctly;

(For the majority of my study, I worked out MBE and essay questions specifically categorized by subject. Later, maybe 3-4 weeks before the exam, I practiced with mixed sets of questions. This way, I was able to identify early, particular areas of the law I had problems with, or particular types of questions I had difficulty with).

4. I would always spend time reviewing the questions answered incorrectly, and I would always skim the ones I answered correctly;
5. On this same sheet, I also kept running tally marks in the top margin corresponding with the  number of essays I had worked out per subject.