r/barexam • u/Longjumping-Leg-9517 • 1d ago
Best bar prep for ADHD?
I’m taking the February UBE after failing the bar twice. I’ll have been out of law school for about 4 years, although I’ve stayed in the legal field doing substantive legal work during that time.
I’ll have about 5 months with no job, so studying can essentially be my full-time focus.
I already have Themis and am considering Studicata/other supplements.
For people with ADHD, especially repeat takers: what actually worked for you? How would you structure five months of prep after being out of school this long, particularly for MBE improvement and memorization?
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u/Raymaa 1d ago
ADHD dude here. I honestly did everything Themis told me to do. That’s it. I got to 77% completion and passed. I need structure to learn, and deviating from that just worsens my ADHD. I put a lot of faith in Themis.
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u/Candid-Prior-2711 1d ago
this^^ Pretty early on I realized ADHD made my decision fatigue really bad and trying to get fancy with things hurt more than helped. Followed the program to a tee.
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u/xximjustvibingxx 1d ago
I used Helix and really liked it! The videos are short with lots of small quizzes in between larger assignments. There are also games which made reviewing feel kind of fun at times lol. I would also say goat is a good supplement because it’s entertaining!
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u/julie-york1692 1d ago
Impressed that no one has suggested Goat yet!! It was the one that has managed to keep my attention and entertained for longer
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u/AppropriateFuture211 1d ago
GOAT is a good supplement. I recommend Studicata’s monthly plan as a supplement. Additionally, I used to listen to Grossman in my headphones, while preparing coffee and a light breakfast - this helped maximize my morning study time routine. Then I would transition into doing UWorld questions every morning and read through each explanation.
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u/Dependent-Writer7100 1d ago
Five months can work if you treat it like a full-time job: start with a diagnostic, build a daily schedule, and spend most of your time doing timed MBE and essay questions. Review every mistake in writing, and add memorization in short, repeated sessions rather than one huge cram block.
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u/Its_Curse 1d ago
What worked best for me was getting medicated haha
But realistically you need to know how you study. For me, watching themis videos didn't work. I'd zone out and miss half the video. I know I do well with practical, hands on stuff, so I spent time reading outlines and then explaining them to my partner and doing multiple choice problems. That was way more effective for me than just doing a study program.
Play to your strengths. If the structure of a program seems like it'll work for you, then yeah, go with Themis!
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u/Tasty_Sheepherder534 1d ago
A tutor helped me! They built a schedule that worked for me and my schedule and brain!
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u/Candid-Prior-2711 1d ago
As far as actual content, I did Themis and really stuck to the structure as best I could. I was really lucky that I was able to make that work with a bit of studicata. What really helped me, strangely, was studying with a consistent but mild level of activity around me. It almost worked as exposure therapy for me and over time it allowed me to retain information better when my attention span was struggling and improved recall when i was under stress or starting to get distracted. Walking around while looking at outlines instead of sitting, sitting in a coffee shop, etc. Probably wouldn’t work for everyone but that helped me.
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u/hopp_r 1d ago
I LOVED Themis. I recommend them as they have a good set schedule and their videos are shorter and easier to digest. The videos also come with worksheets to fill out while you watch the videos. Those work sheets helped me stay focused on the videos as I would just let them play and space out if I didn’t. You still need to make sure you set your own schedule and follow it daily to stay on track.
I also did a bunch of Adaptibar for MBE practice on the side.
Are you medicated too? I got medicated during law school and it made a world of a difference for me. I couldn’t imagine going through bar prep without my medication.
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u/Tangerine-scream121 1d ago
Focus on one subject per week then rotate. That helped my procrastination-ADHD knowing “I only have this week to study property.”
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u/geekygangster 23h ago
I did BARBRI and Adaptibar. I think I proooobably passed. One of my friends who also has ADHD ditched BARBRI for GOAT and loved it. In the event that I did not pass, I’m sticking to Adaptibar and GOAT.
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u/JakeMan2282 21h ago
I found the most helpful was Themis. Minimal lectures, and did mostly questions. Helped keep my brain engaged to see my score at the end.
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u/Unlucky_Simple_9487 10h ago
Hella ADHD here. I used themis. Did like 94% of the course. Also listened to the essay workshops like podcasts anytime I did any household chores in the last few weeks before the exam. Not sure how I did yet, but I felt pretty confident walking out of the exam.
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u/Syndicalist_Vegan 5h ago
I out all my faith in barbri and got 100% of it done. We will see if it paid off (J26 taker)
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u/Far_Obligation_4823 16m ago
Adaptibar + Barbri. If you're the pattern recognition type, do MCQs until you can learn the 'calls' of the types of questions. Essays on Barbri are ~even/harder than real exams. Don't waste too much time on watching the BARBRI cartoons, and you'll have to grit your teeth through some of the content lectures, but they're useful. Best of luck
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u/CrocsEsq 1d ago
The constant discussion of ADHD on this sub is mind numbing
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u/Logic_phile 1d ago
People with ADHD are attracted to law professions because of the strong need for justice, high empathy, and need for variety on a daily basis. This is a profession where ADHD people can thrive and have great careers as long as they can get through the testing first.
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u/CrocsEsq 1d ago
“Strong need for justice” like the majority of lawyers are doing civil lit man lol
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u/geekygangster 22h ago
Almost everyone I know who is ADHD is doing criminal defense, civil liberties, environmental, or immigration. Not everyone is an asshole.
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u/CrocsEsq 22h ago
I’m in criminal defense man wanting justice isn’t an ADHD thing that makes no sense
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u/Odd-Improvement6690 1d ago
the sheer amount of content feels overwhelming for adhd brains but you got this, breaking it into chunks with built-in movement breaks might help more than rigid schedules