I've been hitting the bar review pretty hard over the last couple of weeks, and I'm beginning to wonder if I really am done with school after all. I'm still studying just about as hard, if not perhaps a little harder. I went to a whole week (six days, not five!) of lectures (videos) from PMBR that were meant to help me prepare for the multistate portion of the bar exam. Now I'm listening to BarBri lectures on CD and reviewing things on their outlines.

First of all, I must say that it's amazing what they don't teach you in law school. There are a lot of things (a LOT of things) that I'm going to be tested on for this bar exam that I have never heard of before. I knew that was going to be the case while I was going to law school, but I guess I never figured that the things I learned in school would be THIS impractical.

But then again, I suppose the things you are tested on in the bar exam also bear no resemblance to the things that you really need to know in order to practice.

After all, if, during your course of business as a lawyer, you're ever stuck as to what the rule is for strict liability on damages caused by wild animals, isn't there somewhere you could look it up?

At any rate, I suppose I still am in school. I'm still "attending class" (though with the CDs, it's on my time schedule--if I'm not tired at 10:30, I can just get an hour of lecture in, while wearing my PJs). I'm making outlines, studying up on new rules, etc.

But it feels different. It's different because I have more control over it. Because although I know I'm going to be tested on this material, it's really supposed to be (even if in reality it's not) a review of things I've already learned. Because my schedule is more or less still my own. Because I don't HAVE to take the bar exam (not that I HAD to go to law school). I dunno. I guess the reasons why this is different are pretty weak. But it does feel different, nevertheless. It feels better.