5 Tips to Self-reviewing for the Bar Exams

The 2017 Philippine Bar Exams results will be released soon and I am sure,  the thousands who took it are all excited to see the outcome of their labor.

It is inspiring to hear stories of bar passers who made it through sheer hard work and perseverance despite the odds.

Last year, one new lawyer used to work as a janitor in a government office. Another is the story of a father dad who self-reviewed and passed the bar at the ripe age of 69 which brings me to the topic of self-review. This post is all about that.

If you chose to self-review, these 5 tips might be helpful.

1. Make a study plan and stick to it

Get an overview of the bar exams coverage by checking out the Bar exams syllabus.  Make an inventory of your resource materials and create a timetable to serve as your guide.

It is hard to put everything into writing but believe me, putting a time period will give structure to your self-review schedule.

Set weekly and monthly goals depending on the time left before the Bar exams. Reading 10 -15 hours a day is possible but prevent burnout. Set aside a fix number of hours each day to read a book, codal or any other review material.

It is hard but if you really want to reach that goal of passing the bar, your commitment to set aside time to read each day is very important. Make and stick to your self-review study plan.



2. Rent a place near a (law) library 

Be as near as possible to a  law library,  one where you can just access on foot or one ride away. Considering the traffic in the cities today,  you would be well-advised to stay in a location which would help maximize the efficient use of your limited time and resources.

Rent a room or condo share with similar bar reviewees. It is better to have a separate room for yourself. Having a place all to yourself where you can read in abandon without disruption is a great strategy to having a successful bar self-review.

3.  Pace your reading

Don't burn yourself during the self-review, pacing is your ally so put this in your study plan. If you find yourself too motivated during the initial phase of the review but later on lose steam along the way, you are in danger of a review burnout.  Allow breaks and relaxation days to prevent yourself from losing steam.

Prevent from over-stressing and overworking yourself.  Never force yourself to study when your mind refuses to take in any new material. You know that moment when you keep on reading the same phrase 5 times and it is still not registering in your brain. It will be counterproductive.  It is better to take time to release and relax your mind by taking minute breaks during the daily reading plan.

Give yourself a day in a week to just forget about the review altogether. Go out, linger and stroll in a mall, watch a movie, see your friends, have a day at a beach to take the stress of bar review off your mind. It will do great for the long term success of your review.

4.  Pool funds from all sources beforehand

You don't want to start your review only to give up due to low funds halfway through it.  Enlist the help of everyone including your family to gather all funds that will support until you finish the review. If needed, get passive income to help out with your review.

I write for an online platform since 2010.  It is not big but it has given me a steady of income for awhile now.  Getting your bar license can break your bank but if you have saved and prepared for it beforehand, the better.

Save as much as possible and pool all your resources before deciding to do your self-review.

5.    Online review may be an option

I hear you, I am writing a post on self-review BUT if you have access to an online review course just to update yourself of new materials, then do it. An online review course will be a good source of updated materials and will definitely not take away time from your self-review.

This way, you will be updated with new cases to read but still have control of your time to review the videos and lectures the course provides. I heard this local online review center will start by May 2018 so sign up now. This will be a great supplement to your self-review.

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You might want to read...

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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.