Bar results are almost here and many students are nervous about it. That’s normal, but now is really time to relax. There are four good reasons you shouldn’t be stressing out (or at least try not to):

  1. You may have actually passed! Don’t stress yourself out by automatically assuming the worst. I know that statistics show that multiple repeaters fare worse than first time takers, or those at ABA accredited law schools pass with higher frequency than those from non-accredited law schools. But any statistics you may look at apply to large groups. You are a sample of one and you may very well have accomplished your goal this time around.
  2. You did the best you could do preparing for this bar. Whatever life’s circumstances, you tried your hardest, you did whatever you could do as you perceived it at the time. All we can ever ask of ourselves is that we do our best and only we know what our best is. I try my hardest to get the best out of my students, but I am proud of each of them for what they did because I know they are individuals each facing different challenges. So, as long as you made a genuine effort, be proud of the work you put in.
  3. Even if results are disappointing this time around, you can still pass. At Personal Bar Prep, we work with students who have taken the bar exam upwards of 10 times and are able to help them pass. I’m not suggesting that you should aspire to take it repeatedly of course, but the fact that you didn’t pass the last time doesn’t mean you can’t pass the next time. It simply means you’re doing something wrong in your preparation. And that can be fixed.
  4. You shouldn’t feel judged by your bar exam results. Your value as a person isn’t dependent on bar exam results. Your friends and family will love you and respect you regardless. All they care about is that you tried to improve yourself, something most people shy away from.  The results you get on one exam will not define you.

So relax.

Time will tell and then you’ll have an opportunity to react. Until then, remember to take a deep breath and relax.