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it will not be a quite, serene setting. If you are prepared for this in advance, the shock of the realization won't affect you on test day.

As with any exam before, during, or after law school, avoid the post mortem. Don't hang out to debate the exam with the other people taking it. It will only stress you out. People will misremember questions and their answers, and so will you. You probably did just fine, but will think you totally bombed. And that will not put you in the frame of mind to attack the next day. Take the test, go home or to your hotel room, relax, eat, rehydrate, study a little bit for the next day, and relax some more. Don't spend important energy analyzing what you've already finished. Focus on making sure you are in the right frame of mind and on what you need to do to get through the next day.

The same advice goes for after the exam. Get out of there. Feel the sense of relief from finishing the ordeal. Don't hang out and get depressed talking with people about a test you probably passed anyway. Remember, a lot of people think they bombed the test. You probably will too. And, you probably did not. There's nothing you can do now, but wait. So, go take care of yourself and your family. Recharge your batteries and get ready to begin your new career.

My last tip is to take the bar exam in other states soon after you take your first one. If you think you might want to practice in another state, take the bar exam in that state in the first couple years of your practice. The test-taking and multistate knowledge will still be fresh and the strain of taking the test will be lessened. Also realize that being admitted into multiple jurisdictions is a good resume builder, particularly if you can get into a state that has reciprocation with other states. After taking a couple tests, you can be admitted into 3 or 4 states. On the other hand, you might want to focus on depth in your state rather than breadth among states. In other words, there are other bar exams to take in your state, such as being admitted into the various districts of the federal district court. With your recent mastery of the federal rules of civil procedure, you shouldn't have any problem passing those exams soon after you passed the big bar exam.

I hope you've found this article useful. Good luck in your new career!

Learn more about this author, Joseph Hazelbaker.
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