Life Lessons I Learned After Failing the Bar Exam Twice

I have a confession to make to you guys. Are you ready?

I failed the Virginia Bar Exam twice. Yep. Twice. Both times by 4 points. The first time I went to live Barbri courses but honestly, I've never had to study like that before so I didn't know what I was doing once it came time to study at home. The second time I still didn't know what I was doing but only that time life threw a curveball at me with a sudden layoff and a break-up weeks before the exam so yeah... things didn't turn out well. 

If there is one thing that’s true about me, it’s that I’m one determined woman. I’ll be honest. I was embarrassed about failing the bar exam twice but I’d be damned if I was going to let that embarrassment keep me from trying again. One of my favorite sayings is:

What I had done before hadn’t worked so it was time to change my game plan. 

My new plan was to find out what I did wrong, how to correct those things and create and implement a study plan. First, I used a little-known resource for those who have failed the Virginia bar exam more than once. I made an appointment to speak with an actual Bar Examiner about my past exams. He told me that it was obvious that I knew the information but that I hadn’t written it in the format that the Examiners wanted. He gave me the secret writing sauce and I was off to the races! Next, I found books that would help me master the material and practice the multiple-choice questions. I then set my deadline for the February 2008 bar exam. 

As everyone else rang in the 2008 New Year, I created my study plan. I’d be working full time while studying for the bar exam so I needed a detailed plan/schedule so I wouldn’t waste time figuring out what I had to do every day. I needed something that was plug-and-play. So, I created my plan and then over the next 7 weeks, I worked that plan to the letter. 

When the first day of the bar exam arrived, I was as confident as one could be, which as anyone who has taken a bar exam will tell you, is not very confident at all but I knew I was very prepared. I turned the first page and was ready to go. To this day, I remember my answer to the first question. It was: “1.” That was it. I had no idea what the question was asking. NONE! I remember thinking “Crap! Ok. Ok. Ok. Deep breathes. Do you have any idea what to say? Nope. Ok. Move on.” I moved on to the next question and rocked and rolled from then on out. 

When I got back to my hotel room, I freaked out. I was sure that I’d failed for the third time. However, I had one more day of the exam to go. It was the multiple-choice part of the exam and it was my strength. I forced myself to not let that day’s setback prevent me from doing my best the next day. The day went as planned and then there was the multi-month wait for the exam results. I was hopeful but doubtful. I mean, you’re always told that you could not answer an essay question and still pass but come on! How likely is that to happen? Well, I’m here to tell you as a member of the Virginia State Bar that it’s true! I passed the bar exam on my third try! Woohoo!

All that’s to tell you is that if you have a big goal, like a successful career transition, you need a plan to achieve that goal and you need to work the hell out of that plan! You can’t wing it. You’re not a bird! You need a solid and detailed plan that’s focused on having a career that you truly want. Remember, nothing changes if nothing changes. If you want the same career, then follow the same plan. However, if you want to shake things up and try something new, you need to do something new. In the upcoming weeks, I’ll discuss how to pull together your successful career transition action plan. Warning: Implementing this plan will require you to step outside of your comfort zone but believe me, it’ll be more than worth it.

Your turn: Tell me about a time when you planned your work and worked on your plan. I’d love to hear your stories!