Study period for the bar exam is right around the corner and you’re wondering, “What routine should I stick to? Should I keep working out? Should I drop yoga class? Can I still see my girlfriend the next day?” weekends?”.

This is the best advice I’ve ever received and I pass it on to you:

Whatever routine you were involved in before bar prep should be the same routine you have during bar prep.

That means if three was the number of days you were working before January or May, then it should be the same number you’re working during the bar’s prep time. If you were single before you started preparing, don’t start new love interests during. If watching American Idol or Keeping up with the Kardashians gave you your weekly release, keep it up.

Try not to do anything that drastically changes your focus or energy, whether you’re adding or subtracting activities from your normal schedule. Preparing for the bar exam will require a lot of focus, energy, and nerves, and if you make significant changes to the normal routine you’re used to, it can become a noticeable and unhealthy distraction for you. Considering that the bar is similar to a final preparation of two months, it is best to minimize changes and distractions.

Here is a personal example. During my last year of law school, I simultaneously took several courses at the community college, including singing, acting, and dancing. So when it came time to prep the bar, what do you think I did? I kept taking singing, acting and dancing classes! I’m the type that couldn’t just focus on bar making without other activities on my schedule. I knew this about myself, and I knew I would need these classes as an outlet during bar preparation, just as I needed them during law school. So, I continued with the same routine and did what I had been doing.

I don’t recommend taking a singing and dancing class during your barre prep program (although they can be very good at helping you blow off some steam), unless of course you’ve been doing it before. I also continued my habits of reading other books at Barnes and Nobles, exercising, and playing intramural basketball, all of which were part of my routine.

What I didn’t do was make moving arrangements before the bar. Technically, my lease expired in December, but I made arrangements with my roommate to stay with him for the next two months so I would avoid moving and adjust to new living arrangements and roommates during bar prep time.

Also, I wouldn’t recommend dating new people during bar prep (unless you’ve done it before). Being in new classes at the community college, I naturally met new people. At one point, I realized he was flirting with another acting student, giving me an excuse to do more than just get ready for a bar. Once I realized my phone chat time was replacing the practice test time I should have been doing, you can be sure I put my flirtatious distraction on hold (I lost the girl, but I passed the bar!) !)

For those of you who were working before the bar exam, I would recommend not working or significantly limiting the number of hours you work. It’s not so much about sticking to the same routine, it’s about spending enough time and energy at the barre. Even if you can take a few extra hours off per week, that could make a significant difference. If you can’t take any time off, just make up for lost time with the right focus and discipline. People have worked full time and still passed the bar, and so can you.

So, to the best of your ability, try to keep doing what you’ve been doing.

Good luck on your bar exam!

Get used to reading this: “This name appears on the pass list.”