PHESST-LAWYER: A BAR EXAMINATION GUIDE

In the Philippines, the month of November is the BAR EXAM Month. So, I would like to share with you how I prepared for the Bar Exam. This guide has an acronym, PHESST-LAWYER. Take time to read because this guide might help you. 

Act like a Priest – Every day you should have to pray before anything else. I am a Roman Catholic and I have to act like a real one. Be close to God every day. Do not decide without consulting the best consultant, God. Taking the Bar examination is one way to get closer to God. Depression because of pressure will be eased. Unfortunately, the pressure is inevitable but you have to bow down to your master.

ACT LIKE A PRIEST

Act like a Happy Shopper - When I took the Bar Exam, this pace was very interesting yet very luxurious. I presumed that you know the books that you will use for the review of the bar exam. You should know what books you will buy for the eight subjects, you should buy notebooks for you to write, you should buy markers to highlight important phrase, you should buy jacket to keep the heat in your body during the day of the exam, you should buy vitamins to maintain good health, you should buy shirts for you to wear during the bar exam and buy other important matters that you think you need during the examination.

ACT LIKE A HAPPY SHOPPER

Act like an Engineer - An engineer plans before he will build a structure. You should plan for your time to study. The hours that you will spend every day. In my case, I studied 12 to 16 hours a day for six months. Every law graduate who is going to take the bar exam should have a scheduled time to read. Because one of the best weapons in passing the bar is Read, Read, read and read. But, do not forget to sleep, an eight hour sleep maintains the spirit of passing. In my case, I finished the 100 pages per day during the duration of the review. Plan for your own structure of reading and/or studying. Build your own schedule of 12 or 16 hours a day. If you think you cannot do it, squeeze yourself. Experience your own pain for you to gain.

ACT LIKE AN ENGINEER

Act like a Scientist- A scientist reads a lot. He researches on things in order for him to learn and discover new things. A bar examinee should read a lot. If you read a lot on the books you chose, you can discover new things. As you discover these things; such as the commonly ask questions in the past bar exams, you can easily remember these topics. You can easily apply the theories if the same will be asked in your bar exam. You will not be destructed. You will be more focus.

ACT LIKE A SCIENTIST

Act like a Secretary - As a Secretary, you have to write what is very much important to you. If you write during the bar review months, you practice your handwriting, your penmanship. In other words you cannot just write and limit the erasures. I experienced one time that I kept on reading. I forgot to practice writing. After a month of reading, I write slowly like a sloth. So, give time to take notes on the important paragraph in the books you read. You can use many senses. As they said, the more senses you used, retention of a certain theory will be high.

ACT LIKE A SECRETARY

Act like a Teacher- I am a teacher by profession. I taught for about 6 years as an elementary teacher in public and private schools and 2 years as an ESL teacher. As a bar examinee, imagine that you teach to some students in your own room. Better if you speak what you’ve read even if no one hears you. Talk alone like a crazy person. Take time to discuss with your own mouth the theories you've learned from reading. You can easily remember if you talk like a teacher discussing to the students.

Be a Lawyer - Act like a lawyer. Think like a lawyer. Speak like a lawyer. This is your dream. You have just to act like one. A lawyer have to be prepared for his case before going to court. You have to be prepared before taking the bar exam too.

BE A LAWYER