“My motivation and aspiration are the same [whether I’m] … number one or … number five. And my goal is the same – it’s to always be happy playing; it’s to enjoy the game and improve always.” Rafael Nadal – World Class Tennis Player
Can you game your way to passing the Bar Exam? Jane McGonigal thinks so.
Before we get to her though, let’s define our terms. One definition of “game,” according to Webster’s, is “an illegal or shady scheme or maneuver.” And though you might be excused for considering this approach after days and days of tedious Exam preparation, this isn’t what Ms. McGonigal is thinking about.
Instead, in her recently published book Super-Better, she considers the prospect that, by turning them into a video game in seven steps, life’s challenges can be vanquished. I’m not sure I’d take this idea all that far – life is, after all, a protracted and extremely ambiguous undertaking. However, when it comes to the difficult but not impossible job of passing the Bar Exam, these seven steps appeal to me. The fact that, in her book, they’re derived from our increasingly pervasive video game culture, actually strikes me as an advantage to many who might consider trying them.
Here they are:
1. Challenge yourself.
2. Collect and activate power-ups.
3. Find and battle the bad guys.
4. See out and complete quests.
5. Recruit your allies.
6. Adopt a secret identity.
7. Go for an epic win.
Over the next few entries, I’ll be reflecting on how making these steps the building blocks of your Bar Exam study plan.
In the meantime though, fellow gamers, Live Gamefully!
