Now that I am officially underemployed and soon to be unemployed I need to retool my budget to reflect this new reality.  I am sharing my apartment with my sublessee–by renting out my bedroom for $450 my rent goes from $750 to $300.  When I imagine the amount of money that I am saving the living room couch becomes super comfortable.  My grocery allotment is very low because I am so much food all over the house and in the freezer I really think it would last me a very long time.

I admit I am saving all this money with an ulterior motive–I want to spend Christmas abroad.  I want the trip to come entirely from my savings.

The New Budget

Rent: $300 (instead of $750)

Utilities: $25

Food: Eating Out $20  (instead of $30+)

Food: Groceries $10 (instead of $30+)

Gas: $75

Health Insurance: $62.33  (instead of $0)

Laundry: $5

which leaves a paltry $2.66 for entertainment for a total of $500.00

I am also cutting internet (saves $25/per month). 

Anticipated Savings for Christmas Abroad

Savings Per Month: $505 X 4 months = $2,020

$450 Rent  X 4 months = $1,8000

$25 Internet X 4 months = $1,00

$20 from Groceries X 4 months = $80

$10 from Eating Out X 4 months = $40

That is currently below budget.

I am back from my “blogcation”!

Job

What the heck am I doing?

I am working for the site that I interned for this past spring.  My boss called me up while I was studying for the bar and offered me a 90-day position because they needed some assistance while they are implementing a case management system.  I am in no way qualified for this technical position except that I am familiar with the department’s work flow.  One-third of the way through and thankfully I have yet to actually do what I was hired to do and am dealing with a lot of cases because a senior person in the office took an unexpected early retirement.   I am learning a whole lot and for the most part is content with the work. 

How much dough am I making?

When we first spoke and I asked about compensation I was told it wasn’t set yet but would be in the $28-$36 range.  When we later spoke to solidify things the boss offered me $25 per hour stating the they didn’t know how the budget would be then and that was what they could offer me.  I responded that $25 was way outside the range and asked for a $3 increase to $28 so the figure will at least fit the parameters first quoted me.  I didn’t hear anything about whether it was $25 or $28 until I started and found out it will be $28.  I also requested flexibility with my hours.  I have been going in everyday for the most part but I am planning to work one day from home.  Also, some days I will work six hours and then another day I will work 11 hours.   I need this flexibility because I am taking classes…science classes. Yuck! Which brings us to why I am spending more than what I am earning. 

So, let’s do the math real quick.  

• $28/per hour X 35 hours/per week = $980 and after takes we are looking at $734 /per week
• $734 X 4 pay periods for August = approximately $3k.

August 2010 = $2.936    (budget breaker – tuition)

September 2010 = $2.936     (budget breaker – ticket for Christmas abroad; trip to visit friend)

October 2010 = $3,690  (no budget breaker expected)

My first month in the “real world” and I am going to be spending more than I am earning.  The real culprit is, once again, education to the tune of $2,700-ish for two science classes.  I ended up renting the lecture texts and buying the lab manuals.  I haven’t bought a parking permit and I am trying to do without it for now.

Ok.  Day 1 of the bar exam is down.  60% of my final score will depend on how I did today. 

We left the hotel at 5:30 in the morning  (toll $8.00) and found parking near the test center and went to McDonald’s for breakfast ($6.00) and I did some final review there.  I was surprisingly not that nervous because we had visited the site the previous day and I felt ready.  Okay, more like I was so sick of studying that I was eager to take it and get over the exam.  Lunch was a subway sub and drink split with sibling ($6.00) and there was a toll coming back ($1.80).

First Essay I was really expecting the first exam to cover contracts/sales because the state has tested contracts/sales in the past 30 years with the exception of one year and the question is usually the first question.  I turn the exam to the first essay and I see “robbery/manslaughter in the first degree/defense of intoxication” and I go ”What?  No contracts/sales! Man, I studied that thing like crazy.”  I was a little jumpy and I think I did okay on the first essay because I was expecting to see contracts/sales first.  Decent

Second Essay Aaah finally, contracts/sales.  I felt relieved and took and breather.  I felt like I did well in this section.  And then there was a commercial paper subissue.  I was not expecting the commercial paper subissue but I knew the elements of a negotiable instrument and a basic definition of a holder in due course and I think I did well. Good

Third Essay I thought I was going to have a heart attack when I flipped to my final essay to find that it was corporations!   What the F—!  I would have never in a million years expected corporations onthe exam.  The state in the Feb 2010 tested on corporations–as in there was a full corporation’s essay only 6 months ago and they decided to repeat corporations.   Yea, being surprised is not a bad thing but I was totally clueless about proxy agreements which was the main call of the question.  Proxy agreements is just not a tested area of corporations because usually its something a little more interesting and relevant like piercing the corporate veil or the doctrine of ultra vires.  I tried to deflect the blow this essay would have on my score by giving a lot of general rule of law regarding corpo-freaking-ations!  But, who am I kidding…it wasn’t really relevant. I also made up some rule of law regarding proxy agreements because that is what you do when your mind is a big blank with aboslutely nothing on it concerning the subject tested.   Poor

Fourth Essay Not too surpris ed to find domestic relations/foreign divorce decree/custodial parent moving out of state/maintenance….but this wasn’t a strong area for me.  My strong area for domestic relations was equitable distribution of property so another not so steller performance.  Okay

Fifth Essay Finally, I had wills–improper will execution/rights of after born children/inheriting partnership rights.   Thank the good lord.  It was about time I got  a subject that I knew something about.  I had some difficulty with the partnership question but that was only a small subissue so I think this essay came through for me.  Good. 

State essays constitute 40% of my entire score. So, the issue presented is whether  2 good scores + 1 decent score + 1 poor score + 1 okay score = passing?  Of course, it would depend on how I did on the other sections. 

State Multiple Choice 10% of score   I went through these somewhat quickly but I think I may have gotten 50% correct. 

Performance Test (MPT) 10% of score ummm….okay.

On a side note, I would like to kill my bar review instructor although he is a very nice man he was completely and utterly mistaken about the appearance of several subjects.  He said commercial paper, corporations and partnership would not be tested on the exam.  Well, you were utterly wrong instructor.  Next time, you should keep your mouth shut with your predictions.  Leave the predicting business to Ms. Cleo and her friends!

Aaah my last day in the library!  I am tired.  Very tired.  I went to bed yesterday at 10 and got up at 7.  Even after sleeping for 9 hours I am tired.  I am soo tired.  I can just lay down right now and go to sleep.  I am sweating profusely and my breathing is kind of quick.  My friend called me an hour ago and asked if I was having a nervous break down because I sound kind of funny.  No, I am a little nervous but I wouldn’t say I am having a nervous breakdown. I can’t concentrate at all on what I am doing and I am walking around the library because I can’t sit still.  I finally picked up a book and read a chapter of Prostitution in Australia.  Not what I expected I would be reading in the final days to the bar exam.  But, it featured the personal narrative of a female prostitute, a  male prostitute and a brothel owner.  Very interesting.  I am doing a final “lazy review” of the subjects one by one.  I am leaving the library now and going to mass–Bum, my parent, was super serious about me going to confession and mass beforehand.  And then its home, packing and going to bed.  Sibling will be arriving home tonight and then sibling and I will head out.  Yes, my sibling will be coming with me.  I am glad it won’t be just me.  I don’t want to get lost driving or have something go terribly wrong and I am all by myself.

I am tired.  Very tired.  So tired.  I feel like my brain is under a fog.  I am trying to memorize things and it is just not sticking.  Memorizing was much easier in the beginning of the week but now things are just not sticking!  My only consolation is that I started out with the most tested subjects so the hard part is behind me.   But, I am tired.  Sooo tired.  I am not staying up burning the midnight oil so I don’t have a rational reason for being tired.  But I am tired. Very tired.  My brain is tired.  It keeps wandering.  I just want this to be over.  I can’t take it anymore.  I have been taking a break from doing MBE’s but I need to get back to doing them.

My Kaplan PMBR Final Review 200 question Exam 56% correct.  Very low.  But, I purchased one of the official released exams and got 73% out of the 100 correct so I am not worrying too much about it.  But, I need to go back to doing MBE’s or my skills will get weak.

I am heading out of town Sunday morning.  Monday I will visit the test center and fix my route for test day. Day 1 of the exam is Tuesday, day 2 Wednesday, day 3 Thursday.  I will come back to DC on Thursday night.  I will relax and take it slow on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and then I start working on Monday at 9:00 a.m.  

Studying for the bar is like a marathon.  You have to pace yourself at first but towards the end you’ve got to give it all you got.  

Studying Capacity  I would say I am between 8/10 and 8.5/10 in terms of giving it all I got. 

Emotional Capacity I feel a little worried about not passing but that comes and goes and for the most part I remain super happy.  About what?  I don’t know.  Maybe its the thought of finishing.  I tell my brain to calm down and get serious….Do you hear me? Calm the f— down!  Ther is nothing to be celebrating!  Not yet.  If you start celebrating even before you know 1/2 of the subjects tested then you will fail and you will be sad and despressed when come November all your friends will pass and you will fail the bar.  You hear me?  FAIL!  But, what can I do?  My brain thinks its going to pass.  I wish it wouldn’t because we have so much more work to do.  I could really use a little bit more stress to help me focus and continue to study.  Research has proven that optimists tend to succeed in every field–except the law.  Hear that brain, research is against you buddy! No optimism from now on.  We are going to be pessimistic.   

Study Schedule:  I get up at 4:45 a.m., brush my teeth and sit down to do MBE questions for 2  to 3 hours.   I am at the library by 8 or 9 depending on Bum’s (my parent) work schedule and then I stay in the library until between 7 and 8.  I take a 30 minute lunch break and I take short breaks.   I really need to start staying later and get more things on my to do list done. 

Memorization I need to memorize and continually review so that I dont’ forget what I am memorizing.  Right now I am forgetting some things I memorized earlier. 

 MBE Multiple Choice Questions I am doing 30 to 40 per day but I need to increase that number because I have to do 100 of those questions in one sitting.  I also need to take at least 2 full length MBE exams.   The score on my first full length 200 question MBE was 54% correct and I noticed that I missed a lot because I simply got tired towards the end so I need to do more to build up endurance.   I have a Kaplan PMBR final review course for MBE questions this coming Sunday through Monday and hopefully that will push my score higher. 

State # 2  Strong Chance of Failure I repeat: there is a strong chance that I will fail state #2.   Brain of course is in la la land going Oh, that’s okay!  We totally got state #1!  The conventional wisdow I heard while in law school was that state #2 was easy because it tests on fewer subjects than state #1 and its only  an extra day so you should totally do it.  Yes, they test on fewer subjects but man, you have to know those 6 MBE subjects super well.  Also, the essay writing style is completely different.  State #1 asks you very specific questions whereas state #2 wants you to give them everything including the kitchen sink about a topic.  As you can see, the preparation method for these two different types of testing is different.  So, we will see.  I have stepped up my prep for state #2 as of last.  Okay, what I really mean is I started preparing.  But, my priority remains state #1 and state #2 is going tobe a wild toss and if it lands it lands. 

Model Performance Test  I must become “in sync” with the MPT.  Right now, I am floundering and going how the heck am I supposed to competently analyze these cases, statutes and whatever else they throw in in 90 minutes.  But, I can do it.  I just need to do enough of them to get thatflow.  It is only 10% but I want as much of that 10% as I can get. 

Build up arm muscle Must build up my arm muscle.   I am writing my exam instead of typing so that means I can’t be so tired I can barely write a line by the end of the exam.

Wills, Agency, Partnership, Conflict of Laws  Hey state #1 subjects.  Let me introduce myself: I am Jane and I am taking the bar in two weeks.  I don’t know you guys at alll right now  but I will know you by this time next week.

(1)  MBE Multistate Multiple Choice Questions

 Real Property – Percentage correct 56.25%   – Toal questions 30

I missed a whole lot of future interest questions.  I got through law school without knowing future interest so I am just gonna have to get through the bar not knowing it. 

Contracts – Percentage correct 62.5%   - Toal questions 40

Torts – Percentage correct 70.27%   – Toal questions 37

Constitutional Law – Percentage correct 70%   - Toal questions 30

Evidence – Percentage correct  73%  - Toal questions 30

(2) Full State Bar Exam  Took 1 full state #1 bar exam: (5 essays, 50 state multiple choice q’s & model performance test)

(3)  ESSAYS

 State #1

 CORPORATIONS

BOARD AUTHORIZATION – Feb 2004 

DIRECTOR DUTY OF LOYALTY – July 2004

DIRECTOR DUTY OF CARE – July 2004,

LOAN TO INTERESTED DIRECTOR – July 2000

PRE-INCORPORATION CONTRACT – Feb 2004

PREEMPTIVE RIGHTS – July 1999,

DISSOLUTION –  July 1999

  Read the rest of this entry »

• Contracts: questions correct 20/35 =  57%
• Evidence: questions correct 26/54 = 57%
• Torts: questions correct 37/66 = 56%
• Criminal Law: questions correct 20/30 = 66%
• Constitutional Law: questions correct 6/10 = 60%
• Property: 8/10 = 80%

Essays –

(1) Civil Procedure

(2) Contracts

MODIFICATIONS – July 1998

BREACH-ANTICIPATORY REPUDIATION -  Feb 2001

SUBSTANTIAL PERFORMANCE – July 1998

IMPRACTICABILITY – July 1998

FRAUDULENT INDUCEMENT – Feb 2000 

UNCONSCIONABILITY – Feb 2001 

UNILATERAL MISTAKE – Feb 2001

RESCISSION – Feb 2001 

GENERAL RELEASE – Feb 2000 

REWARD/UNILATERAL CONTRACT – July 1998 

DISCLAIMER ON NEGLIGENCE – July 1998

TERMINATION CLAUSE – Feb 2000

AGENT – Feb 2003

PAROL EVIDENCE – Feb 2003

Another week has galloped by and I am trying to keep my head above water.  Here is how I fared on my goals.

Goals for Week 5

- Two MPT’s   I completed two MPT exams!

-One full State #1 Bar Exam  Didn’t get to it

-One full MBE Exam  Success!  I completed one whole MBE exam which took a good 6 hrs. 

 -10 Essays   Um, not there yet.  I completed 7 essays. 

- At least 25 MBE’s in each subject  (100 in torts and close to 50 in contracts)  Oh how ambitious was I!  Completed 10-15 in each subject. Contracts and torts needs to be completed.

MBE Scores

My MBE scores aren’t steadily climbing up as fast as I was hoping for but at least I am no longer getting in the low 20% and 30% for any subject.

Evidence 14/27 = 52%

Real Property 11/15 = 73%

Crim Law 8/15 = 53%

Torts 9/15 = 60%

Contracts 5/10 = 50%

Con Law 6/10= 60%

Full MBE Exam 54% correct out of 200 questions

 Total MBE Questions: 292

Goals for Week 6

On Friday, June 4 after 9:00 p.m.  for the first time the possibility of not passing the bar exam presented to myself as a real possibility.  The vast amount of material that we need to have a handle on plus all the multistate versus state specific distinctions can be infuriating. 

I was feeling really anxious and stressed out.  I immediately grabbed my phone and called my bar mentor’s one by one at 9:30 p.m. on Friday.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t get in touch with any of them.  I finally dialed my friend who is studying for the Cali bar having taken almost none of the bar exam subjects in law school and I reached her as she was getting ready to go out with her friends.   It was calming to talk to her because she didn’t even know what the heck an MPT is and doesn’t really care that she doesn’t know what it is right now.  

Sure, the Cali bar is hard.  Sure, my friend hasn’t taken 90% of the subjects that they test on.  Sure, she is going out on a Friday night instead of studying.  And sure, she doesn’t really know what the heck the MPT which is 10% of the bar exam is.  Right now, if I have to pick which one of us will pass I would pick her.