When I Take the Bar Exams I Need a Million

Coz you gotta look good while studying :P

Hola! So, it is bar exams months once again.  Hurray for those taking the bar this year 2016! I salute you guys. As for me, no, I'm not one of the barristers yet.  I just hurdled a beauty pageant, thank you.

Kidding aside, the bar exams is a baptism of hellfire, and I am not ready to take it this year.  I would often tell myself that I would need to have a million in my bank account first before I take the bar. Why?


Seriously, taking the bar is no laughing matter.  It requires preparedness in mind, heart, soul and body altogether.  Anything less will just not do.  For me, I need serious breaks, my goodness what will happen if you breakdown due to too much stress.  I have a high level of stress tolerance mind-wise but my physical state might betray me.

I am talking about falling hair, major skin breakouts,  patchy skin, delayed periods and all kinds of unimaginable physically-damaging horrors that would make me run to the nearest spa in no time! Also, since I will stay in some 3-star hotel for four full weekends,  most probably my bill for room service, massages, spa, etc, will rack up to tens of thou!

In addition, I need to literally live in Starbucks for the 4 months or drink coffee intravenously because that's the best way for my brain to work.   With the toil of cramming those last-minute bar tips, some serious R&R is in order.

A budget for some weekend escapade to a remote paradise beach when the going gets too tough for my fragile brain.  Then I need to have lots of moolahs for a night out or party with the gang after completing the 1 month bar exams. I have to celebrate being alive after 4 weekends of the grueling, life-changing exam of my life, right?

Finally,  think about the following 4 months of waiting for the results. That would take another million to survive I guess.  Now you know why my condition to have at least a million free to spend whenever I please.  When I take the bar,  you can bet I already have a million tucked somewhere. I'm just kidding.

Best of luck to you guys!


This Blogger is a senior law student (on indefinite leave) from Manila, Philippines,  digital marketer and former beauty pageant finalist.  Aside from this blog,  she is passionate about content creation  and writes mostly about beauty, travel, dating and fitness --her articles achieving a total of over 1 million views from her featured hubs in HubPages.com. She also manages a number of social media communities on issues concerning environmental conservation, beauty, travel, and personal development.  On her free time, she dabbles as a judge for beauty pageants and manages a beauty & fitness startup.  For collaborations, shoot her an email thru gmmurgirl@gmail.com

Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach is My Bar Prep Inspiration

Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach

I seldom watch beauty pageants unlike during my college days when I would actually stop everything whenever there is one showing on television.  This year however it is different, for some reasons I was able to watch the Bb. Pilipinas and  I did have my favorites but Ms. Pia Wurtzbach was not one of my top picks.

Fast forward to the Miss Universe 2015 tilt held last week. A few days before,  I learned about how our Ms. Wurtzback was seen as one of the top contenders for the Miss U crown.  After seeing photos of her in the preliminaries in both evening and swimwear,   I knew she got something going and from that time on, I started to do some research.  I saw something in her,  that fire is hard to miss.

I really could not believe how different she looks from that girl who won the Binibining Pilipinas tilt. earlier this year.  She has undergone a true transformation.  She has prepared for it no doubt about it.

I never doubted that she would be one of the top 3. Pia Wurtzbach is determined to win it by all means and she came out just doing that.  She worked hard for it and deserves the Miss U crown.

My New Inspiration for the Bar

I made her my screensaver!

Now how does all these related to my studies? A lot!

But first, let me congratulate this awesome lady.  Congratulations Ms. Pia! You make me proud not only to be a Filipina but also because you have shown the whole world - rather the universe -  that discipline, determination and not giving up on a goal are crucial to success.  That is a very strong message not only to every person who dreams but to law students like us who are preparing to take the Bar Exams soon.

I Don't Have an Option to Fail the Bar Exams

Hi,  everyone!!!  Best of luck to those taking the Philippine Bar Examinations this year.  A little bit of luck will help nudge you but hard work that you put into those earlier years in law school will be the greatest factor to determine if you make the cut or not.  I know. I should know. (Of course, I'm just kidding.)

I haven't been blogging much lately because I am trying (TRYINGGG HARD!) to read more books. Time is gold,  my dear fellow law students.  Another reason for my inactivity is again,  my awful internet connection.  By the way I am rescinding my contract with my internet provider before I suffer a heart attack. Okay, I gotta stay focused on this post, it has to be law school-related, right?

The other day I saw a statistics about the bar takers this year and one of the data indicated that around 500 or so people did not push thru taking the exam on the first week.  It made me wonder what could have made these people forego their seats this year?  There could be a myriad of reasons for any of them but if there is one possible reason in my case, it would only be one word and it starts with letter 'C'. 'C' for camel, because sometimes I just refuse do some things for the sake of not doing it.

Anyways,  I have a few classmates in my review class that are doing it as a refresher and some have taken the bar once or thrice or more.  After learning this bit of information,  I took the time to chat up with some of them.  I could not imagine how tiring it must be to review over and over to retake the bar more than once.   I really intended to get something out of their experiences and I was not disappointed.

One of them let's call her Ms. A, she is a graduate from my Alma Mater and she is also a working student.  I think she might have taken the bar twice or thrice to no avail. So I asked her a lot of questions, like how it was, what she thinks she did wrong or did right, etc.

She told me that taking the bar and then failing it could wreak havoc not only on one's emotional well-being but also on one's finances.  Unless you are on a scholarship or your parents are fully supporting you, you have to contend with the financial burden of the review and everything during those 4 or 5 months in preparation for the bar.  Imagine doing that twice or thrice.  If you have a little bit of savings, it would be wiped out in no time!

That's one of the reasons why I haven't really thought of the possibility of failing.  In my case, failure is not an option. Not that I have a choice,  I DON'T.  I have to fully support myself for this endeavour so I CANNOT fail.  I told myself that if I fail my exam when the time comes, I'd have a 360 degree career change --- become a skydiver,  a writer,  a dancer,  a chef,  makeup artist, fashion designer, cyber expert slash YouTuber, whatever. See, I don't have an option.

For all of us still hoping and waiting for our time to hurdle this exam, it would be not only to marvel at the successes of those who top it or passed it with flying colors,  but also to think about those who have failed it and gain insight why. To my refresher classmates,  just stay positive and fight, fight, fight!

Am I making sense?  I hope so.

Legally Yours

Lady Justice (Dublin) Source:Wikimedia Commons, original by Lucy Skywalker
(photo with License CC Share a Like 3.0)

I found an article in Philippine Daily Inquirer written by Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban about the Bar Exams and legal education in the country and I thought it would be good to share here because the subject concerns law students or future lawyers.

Last weekend,  I was able to talk with some friends who are now based in Dublin and I realized that Philippine law students are lucky to be pursuing law education here.  I found out that in Ireland,  a law student needs to undergo a series of exams,  not just one.   Mind you, each exam is quiet expensive and I can only imagine how crazy it is to review for a battery of exams.

This reminds me of the steps a medical professional has to go through before he or she can become a specialist.  It would be utterly difficult if lawyers will undergo that kind of process.  It would definitely double or triple the cost of legal service to the woe of the clients!

By the way,  here is the link to the Inquirer article "Bar Exams and Legal Education (3)."


The Blogger

Hi! I'm a law student from Manila, Philippines.  I did Political Science, then Industrial Relations major in H.R. (postgrad) studies from UP.  I vlog, weightlift, experiment with new makeup looks, try Bollywood and bellydance steps, and rant about my cray life in my YouTube channel.  Once in a blue moon, I create content for another YT channel,  10+ blogs,  20+ FB pages and in HubPages.  Check out my official site.  

How Do You Prepare for the Bar Exams?

The 2013 Philippine Bar Exams has just wrapped up a few days ago and barristers heaved a sigh of relief after hurdling the 4-week, month-long exams. It is a daunting place to be in, right? I know I will get to that spot soon and it would really help to prepare for it. And no, that's not me in the picture below, but, prepping for the bar is somehow like preparing for a big fight, ala Manny Pacquaio.

Wikimedia Commons photo

The thing is, I don't have a strategy to tackling this 'monster' called bar exams yet. Last month, I have managed to do some sketches (what sketches?) and diagram on how, what, where, etc. without filling in the details and stuff. See, I love planning and drawing them or putting them on paper makes my plan all too real and urgent. On top of this I intend to do some research on the dos and donts and as the end of the school year draws near, I might be able to put them all together in a nice understandable form and share it here.

Surprise, surprise, bar preparation for the most part, starts even before you warm your seat in your chosen law school. For the meantime, here are some of the tried and tested ways to prepare effectively for the bar exams and they come from my lawyer friends and cool law professors too!

Prepare early. 
A word of warning goes that the first day of law school should be the first day of your preparation for the bar. Scary right? I've been in and out of law school for heaven knows how long and I am sure a lot of working law students can relate that being a working person with a host of other priorities can botch your seamless study of the subjects. But reading and udnerstanding what your reading and of course studying like your life depended on it is greatly helps!

Good that I had some really great mentors during my basic law subjects in 1st year and 2nd year which helped me remember the important tenets. So,  definitely not forgetting what you learned in those years will do you good during review and the exams itself.

Buy Law Books
Many law students grimace at the price of law books these days, but the sacrifice is definitely worth it come review time and of course, the bar exams itself! These books are your weapons of destruction to slay that bar exams 'monster'. Of course I know not everyone can buy all  law books each time but for the major subjects, it is definitely a must and you won't regret it.

There are times before that I had to scrimp on buying make up hence, not wearing mascara for a few weeks or to the point of buying a nice pair of shoes to be able to purchase a single law books. Sometimes I would not use my car for a week or two cause I am saving the gas money for buying a book. Yay, the thick ones can set you back by a thousand of more! So you might have to forego buying that branded bag or shoes for now. Law education is not cheap even in the Philippines but, I'm telling you, come review time, you will give yourself a pat in the wherever. It is definitely worth it!

Be Updated About New Laws and Current Events
The study of law is a dynamic process and you need to keep abreast with the times. It helps if you would be reading not just your dear law books but also newspapers and new magazines, or law reviews, etc. So instead of spending too much time on Facebook, posting selfies on Instagram, and posting tweets on Twitter, take time to surf the sites of national dailies as well and keep yourself abreasted with what's going on in the world around you.

So far, this are the really golden advise that my friends and mentors try to hammer into my head and hopefully it gets internalized into my heart to help me well prepare for the exams. I have a few insights myself but that is another topic for another post.

In case you have a few bursts of wisdom to add, why not click on the 'Comment' button and share it to us!

So fellow law students, be prepared, starting NOW na!


The Blogger

Hi! I'm a law student from Manila, Philippines.  I did Political Science, then Industrial Relations major in H.R. (postgrad) studies from UP.  I vlog, weightlift, experiment with new makeup looks, try Bollywood and bellydance steps, and rant about my cray life in my YouTube channel.  Once in a blue moon, I create content for another YT channel,  10+ blogs,  20+ FB pages and in HubPages.  Check out my official site.