Is Fear Of Failing The Bar Exam Keeping You From Passing?

Bar exam takers - Have you thought about whether you are in fearing mode or thriving mode?

The bar exam is tough but it’s especially difficult when the primary feeling you experience during your studies is anxiety over possibly failing.

For many bar exam takers, the fear of failing the bar exam becomes real starting in their third year of law school. Maybe you see your law school’s or state’s grim passage rates. Maybe you have law school friends you consider to be smart, driven individuals who are struggling to pass the bar exam despite several attempts.

And you start to wonder…how will I ever get a passing score?

Many JD grads embark on their bar exam journey in what I call fearing mode. Fearing mode is when the bar exam feels like a big, bad animal you can’t overcome.

It’s when you are playing to not lose instead of playing to win.

Fearing mode is the opposite of thriving mode.

The problem is that not only do you embark on your bar exam journey in fearing mode, but you also never tackle it head-on. Your response to fearing mode is to push through and sweep it under the rug. Your response to it is to try to not fail the bar exam by grinding more (AKA studying 12 hours a day, 7 days a week).

You think to yourself…”The more hours I study every day, the less likely I am to fail the bar exam. I don’t have time to take care of myself. I must study.”

It’s an easy trap to fall into because it seems logical. The more I study, the better I will do. And in many cases, it’s what you see everyone around you doing and the messaging you receive from your law school.

As someone who failed the bar exam the first time, I’ve been there, so I totally get it!

The problem is that trying to pass the bar exam by killing yourself in the process doesn’t work. As I said, I learned the hard way and I’ve seen too many bar exam takers try it also and get burned.

When you overwork as a response to the fear of failing the bar exam, it backfires in the end. When you are tired and miserable from putting in long hours day in and day out, it’s difficult to think clearly, absorb information, learn, and focus.

You are less productive with the time you have.

You procrastinate more, allow doubt to creep in, compare yourself to others, and get easily overwhelmed by the magnitude of the situation.

What nobody tells you when you are studying for the bar exam is that there are things you can do to get out of fearing mode and into a thriving mode to increase your likelihood of success on the bar exam.

You can be INTENTIONAL about getting yourself out of fearing mode since it doesn’t happen by accident. And it takes time and effort but it's time and effort well spent.

The more you take care of yourself, the easier it will be to get a passing score. It’s counterintuitive which is exactly why I didn’t do it the first time and why bar exam takers nationwide don’t either.

What I know from my own experience and from what I’ve seen as a bar exam coach is that your likelihood of success on the bar exam is directly related to how good you are at getting yourself out of fearing mode.

In case you don’t know how to get into the thriving mode, here’s how I did it. I encourage you to find what works for you.

• I requested time off from work to study full-time.
• I put my social life on hold.
• I limited my distractions.
• I incorporated yoga and meditation into my study schedule.
• I exercised while listening to music.
• I moved closer to my sister so I could feel loved and supported during the process.
• I ate healthy meals and drank lots of water.
• I went to bed early to be well-rested and productive day after day.

As you can see, getting into thriving mode takes time, effort, courage, and determination. It takes effort to adopt better habits and not give in to immediate gratification. It takes time to take care of yourself. And it takes courage to put your needs first above everyone else’s.

But I hope you can see how studying for the bar exam in this environment is easier and less overwhelming. And how your likelihood of success will increase in thriving mode.

Many bar exam takers don’t do these things because it’s easier to go on complaining about how much bar prep sucks, how little time they have to study, and how hard the bar exam is.

But not you. You can’t unread this post!

Now you know to be INTENTIONAL about getting yourself out of fearing mode and into thriving mode because it doesn’t happen by accident.

The choice is yours!

Whether this is your first or third time taking the bar exam, will you DECIDE to study for the bar exam in fearing mode?

Or will you DECIDE to be intentional about getting yourself into thriving mode?

Decide right now to not let fear have you in a chokehold during your bar exam journey.

What will it be?

?? P.S. Want to learn how to boost your written score by 40+ points so that you can pass the bar exam?

Register for the free Training I’m hosting on April 19th using the link in my profile.

#barexam #passthebarexam #lawstudent #jdgrad

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???? I'm Yohanna Romero Baca, Bar Exam Coach, creator of the Elevate Your IRAC Workshop, and MEE/MPT Expert.

?? I passed three bar exams after failing once. Now, I'm teaching you how to boost your written score so that you can pass the bar exam and become the attorney you’ve dreamed of becoming.

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