Sorry

I know, I know, I’ve been remiss in posting. It’s been a really busy month and I haven’t had the chance to sit down and write out everything on how I studied for the bar. It doesn’t help that Blogger.com is blocked on my work computer so I can’t access my blog until I get home at night, at which time I’m usually not in the mood to use the computer. But never fear, those posts are forthcoming!

I’m starting to gear up for the February 2008 bar. I hate the idea of having to take yet another bar exam after I’ve already (and finally!) passed one, but I hate the idea of moving again even more. We love our new home state and want to stay here as long as we can, so I have to take the bar exam here if I want to snag an attorney job here. Lucky me.

I haven’t been sworn in yet because I couldn’t travel to Colorado for the ceremony. It’s kind of funny how I was so obsessively focused on that one goal of passing the bar, and now that I’ve achieved that goal I feel lost, like I don’t know what I’m supposed to do now. I don’t even have a clue about my CLE requirements. I’m waiting for Colorado to mail me a packet with the paperwork I need to complete my swearing-in. I just want to get this process over with so I can officially be an attorney. I still feel like a fraud when I try to refer to myself as an attorney, and I suspect that won’t change even after I’ve been sworn in.

My scores

My scores finally arrived in the mail today. Here goes:

MBE – 139
(129 in July 2006, 119 in February 2007)

Essays/PT – 156
(141 in July 2006, 151 in February 2007)

I raised my old score by 25 points for a total score of 295, 19 points above the passing score of 276. I’m glad to learn that I passed by a good margin, and didn’t scrape by with only 1 point above the passing score or something.

Now I can write a post about my MBE study strategy although 139 isn’t exactly earthshattering, especially if one of my readers got a 152 on the MBE and still failed the Colorado Bar Exam (unbelievable, by the way). It’ll be a long post, so it may take me awhile.

What a day

Wow, so many comments from so many people congratulating me on passing the bar! I had no idea that so many people were reading my blog regularly, and I am so touched at how many people are genuinely happy for me, especially the ones that didn’t pass but extended their congratulations to me anyway. Thank you!

I hadn’t told anyone at work that I was waiting for bar results (why tempt fate?), but I told my boss and he actually had an office party for me this afternoon! He ended up sending an e-mail to everyone in my workplace and they all congratulated me! I got bombarded by e-mails all day, and my dad and stepmom even sent huge flowers for me at the office!

I’m still stunned that I finally passed the Colorado bar, especially after checking the posted statistics on the CO bar website. Only 28% of all repeaters passed the CO bar this time around – 36 people to be exact. That really sucks that the repeater pass rate is so low. I know I had to really struggle to keep the historically low pass rates for repeaters from psyching me out.

I’m sorry to hear that at least 2 of my readers didn’t pass the CO bar exam. I’ve been asked about my study strategies for the July 2007 bar which I’m more than willing to share, but I do want to wait for my scores to arrive in the mail first. I have no idea what finally pushed me over the edge – the essays or the MBE? I’m really curious to find out my scores! They came on Saturday last time but we are going out of town this weekend so I probably won’t get it until Sunday or Monday. I’ll definitely post my scores on here though.

Anyway, once I know my scores, I’ll know more about which study strategies worked for me. However, a large chunk of my strategy actually came from my readers who were kind enough to contribute advice in the early days of my July 2007 prep, and you should be able to find some of the advice by reading the older posts for now. I couldn’t have passed the bar if it hadn’t been for my readers and commenters, so thank you!!!!!

I’ll be watching for the New York, New Jersey, and California bar results!!

Third time’s the charm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I PASSED!!!!!!! I PASSED!!!!!!! I PASSED!!!!!!! I PASSED!!!!!!!
I PASSED!!!!!!! I PASSED!!!!!!! I PASSED!!!!!!! I PASSED!!!!!!!
I PASSED!!!!!!! I PASSED!!!!!!! I PASSED!!!!!!! I PASSED!!!!!!!
I PASSED!!!!!!! I PASSED!!!!!!! I PASSED!!!!!!! I PASSED!!!!!!!
I PASSED!!!!!!! I PASSED!!!!!!! I PASSED!!!!!!! I PASSED!!!!!!!
I PASSED!!!!!!! I PASSED!!!!!!! I PASSED!!!!!!! I PASSED!!!!!!!
I PASSED!!!!!!! I PASSED!!!!!!! I PASSED!!!!!!! I PASSED!!!!!!!
I PASSED!!!!!!! I PASSED!!!!!!! I PASSED!!!!!!! I PASSED!!!!!!!

And so did Cyber Janitor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hopefully the rest of my readers did!!!!

God, I can’t believe how hard I’m crying… I need to go call Sarge… I can’t believe I finally did it, after so long and so much heartbreak and tears… I FINALLY PASSED…. it’s so unreal to see my name on the results list…

The Moment of Truth

Ohgodohgodohgod they posted the July 2007 results! My heart has come to a complete stop. I’m absolutely terrified to look, but it’s like a bandaid, I just need to rip it off and get it over with.

Ok, here goes…. ohgod.

You know what?

I wonder if the bar examiners are busy googling all the Colorado bar blogs they can find before posting results. I can see them sitting there reading my blog and cackling evilly. “No, no, let’s wait yet another hour… let’s watch FBE’s slow descent into madness… heh heh.”

I’m all alone now :(

Well, Sarge waited as long as he could but eventually had to head out to go to work. I begged him to call in sick, anything, but I know I was just asking that out of fear. He’s a contractor so he doesn’t get paid if he misses work, so… He’s going to be late for work today though because he stayed home well past his depature time for my sake.

So now I’m all alone to find out bar results. This is weird for me. I was at work the last 2 times I found out bar results, and that wasn’t a good place. I still have another hour and half until I have to be at work today. But now I kind of want to go to work now just to get my mind off this, because I AM LOSING MY MIND.

OK

Ok so I’ve resorted to yelling at my laptop. My finger is about to fall off from pressing the “refresh” key so much. I tried the URL where July 2007 results might be posted, using the February 2007 results and nothing’s there yet, but I’ve been refreshing that too.

Perspective

Ok I’m trying to force myself to have some perspective. I am most likely going to have to take the bar exam in my new home state because I like it here so much and my husband wants to stay here. So I need to take the bar exam here anyway, regardless of how CO bar results turn out. So if even if I pass, I’ll still have to take another bar exam. Ditto for if I fail.

Ah, screw it. I’m totally flipping out.

I’m back and still no results

Ok I’m back and showered. Still no results posted yet. My heart is thumping out of my chest in anticipation. I only ate a yogurt cup and nothing else because I know whatever I ate would make an encore appearance.

I’m trying to prepare myself for failure, to prepare myself to be able to say “Oh well, it’s just a test… whatever” if I don’t find my name on the pass list. Somehow that just doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen. Ugh, why does Colorado have to post results in the morning and ruin a lot of people’s days especially when they still have to go to work like me.