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Lessons...after the NY Bar exam

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The number one thing I learned from this bar exam experience is that there is not enough information available about the "exam experience". Why law schools don't offer pertinent information on what to expect is beyond me... but I thought I'd document the few lessons I learned over the past couple of days. I took the NY Bar in Manhattan, at the Jacob Javits Center. It's a good 20-minute walk from Penn Station, so plan travel accordingly. The two days can be exhausting, even though it's broken up into 4, 3-hour segments of exams. Some random notes to know:
  • There is a coat check. It costs $3 per item. It is horrendously inefficient, so if you can avoid using it, your life will be greatly improved. Note, you can access your bags at no cost (how generous!) during the lunch break, but if you take your bag out, you will have to pay again. Ah, nickel and diming.
  • There is a Starbucks in the Javits Center. One. The line gets long, the prices are jacked up, but it's caffeine, right? There's also a cafe right around the corner from the Center, on 36th and 10th. 
  • Day 1 (laptop/essay/NY day) starts early, at 9 am sharp. Exam-takers are seated in a giant conference room divided up into 25-seat sections. There are bathrooms and water fountains in the North Hall, if you're seated there, so it's easy to take a bio break. 
  • Lunchtime options are slim, so bring your own and avoid long lines at Subway and the other crummy offerings in the Javits Center. 
  • Day 2 (MBE): no pens allowed. Security was very particular about this. We're still using Scantrons (how retro!). I brought 5 very sharp pencils in - though I could have probably used 2-3 more, without a sharpener. 
  • Day 2 coat check was just as bad as Day 1. You can always go outside, grab a beer somewhere, and come back in an hour. They'll probably still be searching for someone else's black jacket.
...So, just some random tidbits that wouldn't hurt to know about on exam day. If you're taking it: good luck! What other surprises hit you on bar exam days 1 or 2?

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