2014-06-20 - 4:35 p.m.

I sent in my FIRST practice essay to the Ameribar reviewers last night. They have a schedule of study suggested that I was TRYING to follow.

Trouble is that it is TOTALLY unrealistic for me.

The essay was supposed to be due LAST Thu night. I will try to catch up and send in TWO essays by next Thu. (They critique one a week- but I can play catch up.)

I have to prioritize.

I should practice as many essays as I can as those DO seem to be most helpful. Once trying to respond to a question, and then getting it SO WRONG and reviewing the law I think that VERY PAINFUL PROCESS is more inclined to help me RECALL the stuff I messed up.

Basically I have a wicked hard time REMEMBERING any of it.

Applying it DEFINATELY helps in retention I think.
I reviewed the agency and partnership law to see what I missed in my sent in essay.

WHOA I FORGOT and just had to GUESS at a lot!

A lot of law just not at all recalled!

So the study schedule had a 56 day plan set forth. I had 59 days when I got these material so thought GREAT I WILL FOLLOW THIS

It gave only 1-2 days to study agency, and 1-2 days to study Partnership LAW. (First two subject of their suggested review.)

Now I am on the second WEEK of studying those materials. YES I HAVE DONE OTHER THINGS.... YES I took a 100 question MBE and am going through it to have a baseline to identify which areas of law are weakest. (Thing is I expect an even distribution of equal recall and LACK of recall across the board... But still thought good to START with that baseline of that portion. )

YES I also spent time with the Multistate Performance Test materials and did a few of those assignments. THANK GOD THAT IS PART OF WV EXAM!!! THERE IS HOPE FOR ME! That test was not used by Virginia and it GIVES YOU The law and the materials and a problem with a client and then you actually address the problem with everything you need having been given in the question. That alone gives me hope I can pass this exam! IT IS A MEASURE OF ABILITY TO DO THE JOB and NOT A MEMORY TEST! WHAT A GREAT IDEA!!!

Maybe the MPT (Multistate Performance Test) portion will help me tremendously as its inclusion means the state specific written essay portion is worth LESS than it was worth on the VA BAR. For Virginia the essay portion is 60% of the exam. That % differential alone of it being worth less is a huge encouragement to me!

But the thing is- this outline has suggested writing THREE TO FOUR Practice essays A DAY. That is in addition to the lectures AND Study which I laugh at the proposed schedule of. Actually working at this five to six hours a day is NOT NEAR ENOUGH TIME for ANYONE to get through it. We all also have to sleep and cook and clean and eat and bathe....etc... But I suppose some just forgo half that other stuff during this time! I CAN'T DO THAT OR I WON'T BE WELL. I can't obsess too much or I know I can push myself over the edge...
mania is not a fun thing.

So I have to keep consistent sleep schedule and work HARD BUT NOT TOO HARD so as to avoid actually stressing self too much.

I have to maintain that balance.

I think so many get through BAR EXAM STUDY being completely unbalanced as there is SO MUCH MATERIAL it is nearly impossible otherwise to memorize it all.

So my goal is NOT TO MEMORIZE IT ALL
but to MEMORIZE JUST ENOUGH .

My # 1 goal now is to improve my ISSUE SPOTTING.

That has been and continues to be my biggest challenge.

GOOD NEWS is that the pharmacist GAVE ME MY NUVIGIL! YES! I say that as he came up with a coupoun for first tinme Nuvigil users and he applied it- put it through and I got "the first month free"

It worked. I suppose since it has been so long since I actually did have a filled prescription for that and when it was filled it was my OLD insurance company.

I went to pick up the Monafanil and the pharmacist told me my Dr. had called in TWO prescriptions- one for Nuvigil AND ONE FOR MONAFANIL. Now my doc called in both hoping at least one would go through for me!!

The insurance company DENIED BOTH. I mean it is so crazy as they denied the Monafanil when it was due to THEIR LETTER that the Dr. needed to prescribe that APPROVED medication for sleep disorder that they DO ostensibly cover.

But apparently THEIR LETTER and my and HIS calls to them asking for preauthorization for Nuvigil in which they said NO YOU HAVE TO USE THIS medication ARE NOT the same as Pre-Authorization request for Monafanil?

I couldn't believe they denied that and was about to burst into tears at the counter ( OK MORE accurately about to experience the one leak of a tear- as I mentioned before the BURST NEVER HAPPENS even if I FEEL LIKE THAT)-

FELT like about to burst into tears...
and then the pharmacist told me the cost of the MOnafanil without insurance is ALSO obsencenely high (somewhere between five to six hundred dollars for 30 days)- and then he said
"Wait a minute" and came back with the offer to TRY NUVIGIL FREE!

SO HAPPY IT WORKED!

I have a 30 day supply, and the two blister sample packs as my doc had loaded me up with those months ago prior to the last exam. I saved TWO for the last 8 days and actual 2 days of this upcoming exam just in case I didn't get the prescription filled.

So I DID TAKE NUVIGIL again yesterday.

BOY IT WAS A PRODUCTIVE DAY!

I started out walking to my daughter's school, picking up her bike that was left there and then riding it to the garden where I tended to the veggies. (I SEE OKRA!! COOL Now I hope someone LIKES it as we have never eaten that before. But hey- the farmer at the farmer's market had really nice starter Okra plants. )

I then cleaned the heck out of the house. I mean REALLY CLEANED. I had SO MUCH MORE ENERGY without the constant dropping off to sleep. I could hardly believe that it was only 1pm when I was done with :

* MOWING THE BACK YARD
* CLEANING OUT THE BACK YARD UNDER PORCH- I tossed in the van which is useful only for storage ALL THE CRAP that will go out on garbage day for pick up: old broken bikes, pots I thought I would use, starter trays for plants that have turned into clutter obstructing air flow that helps the house not get too damp according to my friend a realtor who told me to clean all the crap out from under there. I listened to her and GOT IT DONE the next day! Old toy box that used to be Katerina and Soren's
moved here from Buffalo fifteen years ago was claimed and is being washed by a neighbor! (Damn its been THAT LONG) I sprayed that with ZEP and one neighbor gave me a srub brush and I did the preliminary cleaning as it has been used for outdoor toys in recent years. I threw out numerous old LITTLE kid balls, and toys etc.. Listed the good stuff on FREECYCLE and am tossing the rest.

* DID ALL THE LAUNDRY (except my bedding)
* PICKED UP LIVING ROOM AND KITCHEN
* VACUMMED LIVING RROM AND BASEMENT

All that, and then ALSO had time to visit with the old lady neighbor who no one likes for just a few moments yesterday. ( SHe yells at the kids to stay away from the pond and at the teens to not be slobs and pick up their trash so I APPRECHIATE HER! They think she is a crazy old batty lady, but she is really very nice with a temper at seeing disrespect of the neighborhood and a harsh delivery of her message. I try to interpret for her and pass on the messages without the anger.... I get the little kids of the neighborhood to go clean up once in a while so she thinks I am like an angel to her as I have relieved her angina over that obsession of hers. Any stray cigarette butt left causes her chest pains... so I pick them up when I see them as I AGREE with her that is just so rude and uncalled for She wanted to see my basement now that it is finished so I took a few moments to show her and visit with her.)
* WROTE A LITTLE BIT
* RESPONDED TO E-MAILS ( "No thank you, I can't do this now as have to dedicate time to study" was sent off to a few folks who invited me to do things :Master Gardeners, Wounded Warriors for Peace Group, SNAP Committee focusing on encouraging gardening and buying fresh food at Farmer's Markets, A community org Board I would love to again visit the meetings of etc....Volunteering DOES give one an enriched social life of involvement in community! The invites were nice and I indicated would be in touch AFTER the exam!)

All that before 1pm yesterday! I ate lunch and then studied non stop and really focused from at least 2 pm (maybe 1:30pm) until 9:30 pm.

I Was going to go for a run around 8pm bus skipped that to FINALLY write and send in the sample essay I had been avoiding.

I was really putting it off KNOWING I didn't yet know the law!

But if felt REALLY GOOD to get over that first hurdle and get that done.

So that is what a day with Nuvigil is like!

AMAZING DIFFERENCE!

I mean it is just remarkable.

When I awoke this AM I had a headache. I figured I was dehydrated and though I would drink water and maybe take a nap so I took my OTHER medicine and decided to take the Nuvigil later after I ate ( as it is an appetite supressant and I was not hungry at all yesterday. I have to schedule to eat as won't otherwise..much...when taking a stimulant of any kind) SO I wanted a NORMAL appetite for breakfast and instead got busy and started cleaning upstairs and FORGOT to take the Nuvigil (and forgot to eat breakfast now that I think of it!)

Boy , today was a typical day WITHOUT that medicine.

Started off strong- got my bedroom cleaned. I took apart my bed and washed all the bedding and the curtains and sprayed the heck out of everything with the enzymatic cleaner that kills any critters visiting.

I then settled in to study after eating a bit....

BUT BOY THE TIME WARP Of dropping off.

DAY OVER.

It is just SO WEIRD.

Sometimes it is many short periods of nodding off.
And sometimes, even after a full 8 hours of sleep nights in a row before-
Its a sleep crash and wake up A Ridiculous AMOUNT OF HOURS (or even a day!) LATER.

At least this wasn't one of those 17 hour sleep spells!

They have happened! Its so weird and scary at times!

So today was NOT as productive.

But tomorrow I will be SURE to remember to just take that medicine!!!!

WHEW THANK GOD I HAVE IT.

There is hope yet I can now get through the study materials sentient!

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