Bridging the Gap: What the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge Can Teach You About Bar Prep

On a recent trip, I found myself lying on my back, looking up as I passed under the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge near New York City. It was a breathtaking perspective—the massive steel structure looming above, connecting two boroughs and standing as a testament to engineering, vision, and perseverance.

As I watched the bridge stretch endlessly overhead, I couldn’t help but think about how it symbolized something every bar taker experiences: the challenge of bridging the gap between law school and bar exam success.

The bar exam isn’t just another test. It’s the culmination of years of legal education—a high-stakes milestone that often feels like the final stretch of a marathon. But like the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, it’s also a path forward. And with the right mindset and preparation, you can cross it.

Here’s how thinking like a bridge builder can help you navigate bar prep.

The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge connects Staten Island and Brooklyn, stretching across the Narrows—the tidal strait that forms the entrance to New York Harbor. When it opened in 1964, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world at 4,260 feet. Named after explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano, the bridge remains a vital link in the city's infrastructure and a marvel of engineering precision.

Its massive towers rise 693 feet above the water, and its design allows for flexibility, durability, and traffic flow on two levels. It wasn’t built overnight—it took vision, resources, and thousands of hours of work. So too does your journey to becoming a licensed attorney.

1. Building a Strong Foundation

Know Your Materials

Start by making sure your foundation is solid. That means knowing what you’re building with. Your bar review course is your blueprint, but you still need to learn how to read it. Don’t treat videos or outlines as passive content—engage with them by taking notes, making flashcards, and applying the material immediately with practice questions.

Go beyond surface-level review. For example, when reviewing a Contracts rule, test whether you can articulate it clearly, apply it to a fact pattern, and distinguish it from a similar rule (like promissory estoppel vs. consideration). That’s when you know it’s becoming part of your structure.

Create Anchors, Not Just Notes

You don’t need a perfect outline or a color-coded flashcard system—but you do need something to ground your learning. Whether it’s a handwritten checklist, a digital app, or even a voice memo you play back on walks, what matters is that you create anchors—personalized tools that help you make sense of and remember key concepts.

These anchors serve as the “support beams” of your bridge. They might take the form of one-pagers for each subject, flowcharts for complex topics like hearsay or personal jurisdiction, or audio summaries you listen to on the go. The format doesn’t matter—what matters is that it works for you and reinforces what you’re actively trying to learn.

2. Trust the Engineering

Stay on Track

Bar review programs are structured for a reason. Each day, week, and milestone builds on the last—even if you don’t immediately see it. Trust that the system is designed to deliver results if you consistently engage with it.

It’s okay to fall a little behind. It happens. But don’t toss the whole plan aside. Adjust. Reprioritize. Skip optional tasks if needed, but keep moving forward. Trust the blueprint, even if it feels repetitive at times. The repetition is what cements mastery.

Small Gaps Are Normal

No bridge is without minor cracks and adjustments. In your bar prep, you’ll have weak spots—maybe Torts defenses confuse you, or you bomb a set of Property questions. Don’t panic. Identify the gap, circle back, and patch it. Mastery is not linear; it's a process of testing, adjusting, and reinforcing.

Gaps also offer valuable feedback. A wrong answer is an opportunity. It points directly to where you need to focus your time. A perfect practice test? That just means you need to challenge yourself further.

3. Prepare for the Span

Set Manageable Milestones

Looking across the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge from end to end is daunting—and so is thinking about the entire bar exam. That’s why breaking it down is essential. Set weekly goals: finish two Constitutional Law essays this week, hit 50 Evidence MBE questions by Friday, or review Civil Procedure flashcards three times.

Celebrate your progress. Did you complete your first full-length MPT? That’s a huge win. Milestones keep your momentum going and remind you that this long journey is made up of small, doable steps.

Maintain Endurance

Endurance isn’t just physical. It's mental and emotional. Bar prep is exhausting, and you’ll need strategies to stay sharp. Sleep is not optional. Neither is exercise. Even a 20-minute walk can reset your brain.

Burnout often looks like boredom or discouragement. If you hit that point, change how you’re studying—switch from reading outlines to working problems, or try teaching a concept to a friend or study group. You’re not lazy—your brain just needs variety to keep going.

4. Mind the Winds

Control What You Can

The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge is built to sway with the wind. Likewise, bar takers need to accept that not everything will go as planned. Your score might drop after a long streak of improvement. Your schedule might get disrupted. A bad day doesn't mean you're failing; it's just part of the process.

Recenter by focusing on the one thing you can always control: your next decision. Will you do one more question set? Will you review one essay instead of three? Will you rest today to perform better tomorrow? Control lives in the next step, not in rehashing what already happened.

Lean Into Support

No bridge is built alone. You shouldn’t prep alone either. Join a group chat. Text a classmate. Ask your professor for feedback. If your motivation is dipping, check in with someone. Bar prep can feel isolating, but it doesn’t have to be.

You might think asking for help shows weakness, but it’s actually the opposite. Knowing when to seek support shows you're serious about success. And often, your classmates are struggling with the exact same thing—but nobody wants to admit it until someone else does first.

5. Reaching the Other Side

Trust Yourself

By the time you get to the bar exam, you’ve put in months of work. Trust that your foundation, your endurance, and your adaptability will carry you across. You won’t know everything. That’s normal. But you’ll know how to manage time, how to eliminate wrong answers, how to structure an essay—and that will be enough.

Before the exam, write a short affirmation: “I’ve done the work. I am prepared. I can do this.” Put it on your phone lock screen. Read it the morning of the exam. When panic hits, return to your training.

And When You Reach the End?

Finishing the bar exam is like stepping off the bridge and onto solid ground. You may feel exhausted, relieved, even uncertain—but you made it. You crossed the span. Whether you felt confident or stumbled through, the exam is behind you, and the next chapter is waiting.

You’re not just a bar taker anymore—you’re a soon-to-be lawyer. You’ve done something difficult and meaningful. Own that.

Final Thought: Look Up

So, when the weight of bar prep feels overwhelming, remember the view from below the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. It didn’t get there overnight. It took planning, persistence, and a team. Just like you.

You are building your own bridge—and step by step, you'll cross it.