The Prep Before Bar Prep

Most commercial bar prep company programs launch in mid-May and although you don’t need to start studying before then, there are a few things you should do now to make the transition a smooth one.

Get your finances in order. Even if your employer provides a stipend (don’t forget to deduct taxes), you don’t want to run out of money before you get your first paycheck. Your fixed expenses like rent or car payment might be the same but it’s the variable expenses that tend to get us in trouble. Go back through your bank account from the past few months- how much did you really spend on take out or quick trips to Target for necessities? If you need to work during bar prep, figure out your expenses so you’re not guessing at how many hours to work.

Get your calendar in order. You might not be able to go on a two-week vacation this summer but you can go to your best friend’s wedding, attend the family reunion, celebrate grandma’s 75th birthday. No commercial bar prep program expects you to study 7 days a week. They provide a generic schedule and build in flexibility with the expectation that people will adjust it to fit their individual circumstances. Look over the commercial bar prep schedule to see where you can change it and where you can’t.

Get your mindset in order. The bar exam was created as a gate-keeping device keep POC and women out of the profession. It has become a hazing ritual and claims that it is necessary to protect the public have not been substantiated. Bar prep is not fun and it is not easy. But you get to decide how you want to expend your energy- complaining, angry, resentful? This is not to say you should be grateful that you *get* to take it. Toxic positivity is just as bad as too much negativity. Expressing our feelings helps regulate our stress response and allows us to set boundaries and create balance. Just as you shouldn’t be happy all of the time, neither should you always be angry. It is worth the effort to be conscious of yourself and how you show up each day.

-KSK