With Due Respect How to pass, nay, top the bar exams By Artemio V.

Panganiban Philippine Daily In uirer !irst Poste" #$%&'%(( (&)*+)#((, -A.I/A, Philippines 0 /ast 1un"ay, I commente" on the "ismal results o2 the #((3 bar exams. I sai" that it was high time the 1upreme 4ourt, the Philippine presi"ent an" the law schools collaborate" to pro"uce better lawyers. 5We concur,6 choruse" many rea"ers. But the more pressing uery o2 law stu"ents an" re7iewees 2or the #((, test is 54an you gi7e us tips on how to pass the #((, tests6 Ha7ing ta8en the exams eons ago, I 2elt ina"e uate answering the uestion. Besi"es, I place" only sixth. 1o I calle" someone more uali2ie", #((9 topnotcher :oan "e Venecia. In turn, she summone" help 2rom two other numero unos, Arlene -ane;a <#((#= an" -erce"ita >na <#((3=. Inci"entally, Arlene comes 2rom ?1@, :oan 2rom ?P an" -erce"ita 2rom Ateneo "e -anila. Here are their common tips. Belie7e that you "eser7e to ta8e the test. !orget the times you botche" up a recitation or 2aile" an exam. Aou6re past that. Belie7e that you ha7e been allowe" to sit 2or the bar because you ha7e a 2ighting chance to pass it. 4ulti7ate composure with that thought. Aou6ll nee" it. -a8e time 2or serious sel20e7aluation. Ha7e an honest assessment o2 the sub;ects you are goo" at, an" those you 2eel you ha7e an ina"e uate 2oun"ation on. I2 you sincerely belie7e that you "o not ha7e su22icient 8nowle"ge o2 a particular sub;ect, accept it humbly an" 8now that you still ha7e a number o2 months to stu"y 2or it. A";ust the number o2 "ays "e7ote" to each sub;ect accor"ing to the results o2 your sel20assessment. A sche"ule is recommen"e" to ser7e as a gui"e as to how many "ays you can allot 2or e7ery sub;ect. Ha7e a stu"y plan an" be realistic about it. At the start o2 the bar re7iew, set asi"e all the materials you want to co7er, all the boo8s, re7iewers an" notes 2or each sub;ect. -a8e it your gui"e an" pace yoursel2. People without a plan either un"erestimate the wor8loa" or get swampe" with a7ailable materialsB either way, they "on6t 2inish e7erything. 1o too, organiCe your re7iew materials. @ime is o2 the essence "uring the bar re7iew. Aou cannot a22or" to waste time by loo8ing 2or misplace" re7iew materials. -aintain eight separate boxes or "rawers 2or each o2 the sub;ects. @his will help you sort through your materials an" "eci"e which to rea" "uring your pre0 wee8. Be realistic about your capabilities. People say they will 5start a2resh6 "uring the bar re7iew, stu"y more, play less. @hat6s nice but it rarely happens. 1o, in setting a stu"y plan, be 8in" to yoursel2. Di7e yoursel2 time to atten" re7iew lectures, to wa8e up late, to be laCy, to go out an" to ha7e 2un. @he bar test is "i22icult enough without ma8ing yoursel2 sic8 because o2 unrealistic expectations. Do not compare yoursel2 with other re7iewees. We all ha7e our own rhythm. /isten to yours. Bar preparation is an in"i7i"ual tas8. It is ultimately your un"erstan"ing o2 the law an" its 7arie" nuances, not how many rea"ings you "o, or the laws that you memoriCe 7erbatim that ma8es the "i22erence. Be physically 2it. @ry to get regular exercise. Eat nourishing meals. Det enough sleep e7ery "ay. @a8e 7itamins an" supplements. -anage your stress. Remember, all your e22orts will be waste" when your bo"y bogs "own. ?se your time wisely. 1it in a re7iew class or "o personal rea"ing. I2 you 8now the sub;ect well enough, re2resh yoursel2 by atten"ing re7iew classes. I2 not, rea" up 2irst. Re7iew classes assume a certain le7el o2 8nowle"ge an", without it, you6ll be lost "uring the "iscussion an" waste 7aluable time. Fnow that you still ha7e the pre0 wee8 re7iew 2or all those 5bar tips6 that most re7iewers gi7e.

Aban"on all emotional problems. In2orm your 2amily an" 2rien"s about what you are going through in preparing 2or an" in ta8ing the exam. As8 2or their un"erstan"ing an" support. @he last thing you nee" is a""itional source o2 stress when preparing 2or the bar is "raining enough. A7oi" all "istractions. Feep your 2ocus. Per2ect your han"writing an" grammar. Bar examiners ha7e to go through thousan"s o2 exam boo8lets, an" they are only human. As woul" any other normal person, they appreciate, an" un"erstan" more, an answer that is at the 7ery minimum, rea"able an" logical. All three topnotchers ha7e goo" han"writing, an" belie7e that their passing, nay topping, the bar was in large part "ue to this. 1o, practice writing neatly, legibly an" 2ast. I2 you are a 7isual person write "own your notes. @his exercise will ai" your uest 2or a beauti2ul penmanship, an" help you retain the 2acts an" the law that may be "i22icult to retrie7e as you store more in2ormation in your brain ban8. 1tu"y smartly. 1treamline. 4o"al pro7isions, a goo" re7iewer 2or each sub;ect an" up"ates on ;urispru"ence shoul" su22ice. -aster the basics. ?n"erstan" the substance o2 the law an" how to apply it to gi7en situations. Recall legal pro7isions "uring your spare time. /isten to au"io co"als when you tra7el. As8 2or up"ates. Doctrines that you ha7e stu"ie" in school may ha7e alrea"y been o7erturne" or mo"i2ie" by the 1upreme 4ourt or by 4ongress. Re uest your bar operations team to inclu"e abbre7iate" 2acts in the up"ates, because bar uestions are o2ten 2acts0base". Pray. Pray. Pray. A 2inal remin"er. @here is no shortcut to passing the bar. I2 you want to pass on the 2irst ta8e, you ha7e to put in the hours, an" get yoursel2 in the moo" to stu"y. Do not 2ocus on things you cannot control <e.g., bar examiners, 8in"s o2 uestions=. De7ote all your energies to stu"ying an" positi7e thin8ing. Doo" luc8G