Friday, November 12, 2004

Here Comes the Bar

In 12 hours, I will be sitting in a nearby hotel in front of a test booklet with all the rules of legal ethics swimming in my head. It will be very exciting. (Actually, it's more like "in 10 hours", but who's counting.)

Hopefully this will be the only time I need to take the MPRE. *please please please* I hope I've put in enough work and studying to get myself at least the 85 (of 150) that I need.

I was supposed to take another practice test tonight, but I got so tired, so I'm going to attempt it in the morning. Hopefully I do well, because if I do not, I do not want to get into a panic before the exam. I just need to have faith that I remember the ethical rules, and deep down, I really am an ethical person!

I can do this!

Wish me luck. :) Lots and lots of good luck vibes would be great. :)

Taking the MPRE will officially mark the start of bar time. Not bar time as in "let's go have a drink", but bar time as in working on getting admitted to the bar. The MPRE is step one. It's about 2 hours, while the first day of the real bar exam is about 8. But hey, I guess they're easing us into it.

They're just as strict, it seems, about what we're allowed to bring to the exam. No purses, no backpacks, no food and drink, no cell phones, and blah blah blah. You're supposed to go the whole exam without water?? Thank goodness it's a short exam and I live nearby! Especially with the cell phone rule. I understand that one, but if I were traveling a long distance to the exam, I would want to bring my phone as a safety precaution. Luckily I'm nearby.

The real bar exam has even stricter regulations. I understand the reasons for them, but it's still so crazy. I think they only allow you to carry things in a gallon-size clear plastic bag so that everyone else can see everything you're carrying. For ladies, this includes feminine hygiene products. You're not allowed to bring a water bottle of more than 20 ounces. And of course, no cell phones and blah blah blah. At least you're allowed water (but is 20 ounces for 8 hours normal??), but ugh, the restrictions to me sound worse than the exam. I know that's strange and perverse, but there it is. I think they also have rules on when you can't go to the bathroom during the bar exam. Which makes me wonder: what if you start feeling really sick and it's an emergency and you have to throw up or you have diarrhea or something and it's during the bathroom-restricted time? What happens then? Would they really rather you puke all over the room and your exam than let you go to the bathroom? Enough worrying. I have until July to figure all this stuff out, and to figure out what the rules really are.

I think I've babbled enough. I really need to get myself to sleep if I'm going to wake up in 6.5 hours to get ready for the MPRE. Here we go!

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