Preparing for the bar exam is no easy feat, and a gift is probably the last thing on anyone’s mind while they’re studying. While this is often the case, we’re asking you to consider it. In fact, we have some unique gift ideas that can help stressed students find some much-needed happiness and relief. After all, who doesn’t need some downtime and a gift now and then?
Gifts can ease stress, give students time to recover and lighten their mood. While it seems strange to give someone a test-oriented gift, the morale boost from this gesture can go a long way. Plus, taking some responsibilities off their plate can free up more precious time. If you’re not sure about what to get them, we have you covered with ten bar exam gift ideas.
Our Top 10 Study Gifts for the Bar
Help Them Find a Tutor
First and foremost, we want to start on a helpful note. Studying for the bar exam is challenging, especially when someone is doing it on their own. For this reason, we recommend connecting a bar student with a tutor. There are many tutoring options, like in-person or online tutors. Before choosing in-person or online tutors, we recommend consulting with the student to make sure you find the best fit.
Still, we recommend finding tutors through reputable websites or organizations like BarMax or Varsity Tutors. These organizations make it easy to find tutors from diverse backgrounds and skill levels. In fact, most tutors that work with reputable websites will have passed the bar exam within the top 1%. While the price may vary, most tutors charge a reasonable rate per hour.
Help Them Find a Bar Prep Course
Another helpful tool you can give to a bar student is a bar prep course. Again, we recommend using reputable websites and resources like BarMax, so you know the material is worth the money. Bar prep courses can help students with practice exams, key concepts, and more. Plus, some bar prep courses will have thought-provoking challenges that help students grasp ideas by applying their knowledge.
Bar prep courses also come in many shapes and sizes. Some courses might come with tutoring assistance as part of a package, while others might come with scheduled lectures from experienced lawyers. For these reasons, we recommend asking the bar student what they need most from a preparation course. This way, you can shop based on their particular needs and get the course that has the most impact.
Offer to Help with Errands
Studying for the bar exam takes a lot of time. Dozens of hours will be spent studying, which leaves little time for extracurricular activities. Additionally, students that are studying for the bar might be working full-time; this leaves even less time to get things done.
This makes helping with errands one of the best gifts you can give. Simply ask the person what they need help with. This gift doesn’t cost anything except your time and it’s one of the most impactful options on our list.
Give the Gift of Food and Drink
When money is tight and time is limited, it’s hard to sit down and have a meal. This is why giving the simple gift of food can make an impact on any law student. You can try taking them out for a meal to relieve stress or send a surprise food delivery right to their door. Either way, we’re sure they’ll appreciate it.
Still, law students also need to drink, right? You might consider booze like beer or wine for stress relief, or energy drinks in order to provide fuel for all-night study sessions. Like food, there are many options for drinks you can get for an aspiring lawyer.
Who Doesn’t Love a Spa Day?
Stress is the worst. It can damage the mind, cause drowsiness, and lead to poor performance. Unfortunately, it’s tough to avoid stress when studying for the bar. If you notice that someone is having a hard time with stress, it’s a good idea to give them the gift of a spa day. Spa days are a great way to ease tension, stress, and free the mind.
Spa vary in terms of their price and available amenities, and there are a lot of options to choose from. You can choose full-body massage options that include saunas or opt for simpler spa treatments, like a manicure and pedicure. Both of these options will loosen muscle tension and make them more comfortable.
Get Creative with a Care Package
Most bar students are buried in their books, so they don’t spend a lot of time with friends or family. Therefore, a great way to show them you care is to offer a care package. This is one of the more creative options on our list and we encourage you to have some fun with it.
Care packages are all about their wants, needs, and what you think will make them happy. Feel free to put together a basket of their favorite candy, coffee, snacks, and more. With care packages, the options are limitless.
A Gift Card Goes a Long Way
Sometimes it’s hard to hand people cash. While many people appreciate the gesture, it can feel strange or be misinterpreted as a handout. For this reason, gift cards are a subtle way to give an aspiring lawyer some extra money without being too obvious. We recommend giving gift cards that help with the little things, like a night out at their favorite restaurant.
The best part about gift cards is that there are many options to choose from. While you can take the fun angle, you can also contribute to their studies with a gift card. You can find gift cards for study materials, online courses, and more. Additionally, you can always give the gift of a Visa gift card, which will work just about anywhere.
Their Favorite Subscription
Subscriptions vary in type and price but there are some great options out there. Subscriptions make a great gift because students that prepare for the bar typically don’t have a ton of money or resources yet. A subscription to Netflix, Hulu, or another streaming service can give law students an outlet to relieve stress.
While many people think about streaming services for subscriptions, there are also other types that make a great gift for law students. For example, there are many apps and platforms like Skillshare that allow students to study more materials in ways that aren’t otherwise available. Overall, your options with subscriptions are limitless, because everyone loves free content.
Time for a New Pen or Pencil?
When studying takes hours upon hours each day, you’re bound to run out of materials. Things like pens, notebooks, pencils, and Redbulls become precious commodities. This is what makes study materials one of the best gifts to give a law student.
The good news is that study materials are cheap and easy to come by—unless you’re in the market for a fancy pen or eraser. Still, a trip to Staples shouldn’t cost you a fortune and it’s a gift that leaves a lasting impression. Plus, you can always buy more whenever they run out. If you’re interested in going the extra mile, you can also give them practice exams.
There’s Nothing like a New Computer
This is one of the more expensive gifts on our list, but it can make a huge difference. If you know someone who is using outdated technology to study, this can hold the process up. When a computer is old or slow it takes time to load websites, download materials, and function properly.
Studying for the bar exam is so time-sensitive that these moments of lag and minutes of loading times can add up and slow down the studying process. If you’re looking for an affordable option, we recommend going with a new Chromebook. These laptops are affordable, Google-friendly, and reliable. If you’re looking for a gift that will blow their socks off instead, a desktop computer like the Acer Aspire TC-895 is a great choice.
The Gift That Keeps On Giving
While some of these gifts might be out of the ordinary, any present on our list can make a difference. Plus, some gifts are affordable and will only cost you time. So, if you want to support someone who’s studying for the exam, make sure you give them something that will either cheer them up or make studying easier.