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Falling Behind on Bar Prep? 3 Tips to Catch Up

By George Khoury, Esq. on May 21, 2018 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Bar prep is not easy. It feels about the same as studying for every single final exam you had in law school, except with the added caveat that you're about to take them all at the same time.

Simply put, there's no time to waste. Unfortunately, the schedules that most bar prep courses create are unforgiving when it comes to the pace of the course. A sick day or two can really set you back, and if you can't catch up, you could find yourself struggling for the rest of the course. But, it doesn't have to go down like that. If you've missed a couple days, or have just fallen behind, below you can read three tips on how to catch up.

1. Keep Calm and Study On

When the realization that you are behind in your bar prep sets in, it is only natural to panic, at least a little, especially on the first day. And that's okay. A little panic is good for you. It'll instill that sense of urgency in your mind. Remember, if you pass, you won't ever have to take the bar again. But it is incredibly important to not let that panic turn to fear, anxiety, and paralysis. Just skip what you missed and keep on forging ahead on your study and lecture schedule, knowing full well that you will go back to the parts you missed.

2. Get Ahead on the Weekend

Hopefully your study schedule doesn't include grueling study sessions every weekend, because you'll need to do a couple of those in order to catch up. While you may be tempted to put in a few late nights during the week in order to keep your weekends free (except for those couple hours you spend reviewing each Saturday and Sunday), if you fall behind, you don't have that luxury. Although getting some stress relief/release is important, passing the exam is more important, and upsetting your sleep schedule just isn't advisable. The peace of mind you get studying the subjects you missed should be more than enough stress relief.

3. Speed Up Video Playback

Thanks to most bar prep courses embracing modern technology, most allow you to re-watch lectures online. Some even have an option to speed up the video playback. If so, speed it up to 1.5x, and you can knock out a 60-minute lecture in 40 minutes.

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