Lambda Epsilon Xi DVOREF College of Law

How to Prepare for the Bar

Fie !reas of Preparation for the Bar
A. Mental Preparation
Be systematic. Organize your review materials by subject. Waste 1 or 2 days
just to organize everyting be!ore you start reviewing. "ever !all into te trap o!
studying in a non#organized manner. One suggestion is$ gater % bo&es were you
can place everyting tat you ave accumulated out o! ' years o! law scool. Place
tose wic are more recent and more important on top so tat you get to read tem
!irst.
(o not bury yoursel! wit useless materials. )ry to get only tose reviewers
wic are complete. Always e&ercise your discretion be!ore you buy tose reviewers.
Ma*e an outline and compare tis wit te syllabus o! te bar e&ams. +pend
time doing tis do tat you don,t miss anyting at all.
Ma*e a timetable. Be sure to cop it. -t,s li*e a game plan were you already
*now wat to do !irst te !irst wee*$ second wee* and so on. )is as a
psycological e!!ect so tat you *now tat you are ready to !ace te e&ams. Be sure
to stic* wit tis timetable. .ou may lag beind but be sure to catc up or you may
revise it also.
/se te mirror tecni0ue during te last mont o! review. +tudy te last e&am
!irst and te !irst e&am last$ e.g.$ 1emedial 2aw and 2egal 3tics will ave to be
studied during te !irst wee* o! August wile Political and 2abor 2aws will ave to be
studied during te last wee* o! August.
4oose a good reviewer. .ou may not ave enoug time to read your
annotated te&ts all over again. 5ust cec* out tose reviewers and ma*e sure tat
salient points are covered. Once you ave cosen one$ don,t cange reviewers
anymore. 5ust be !le&ible in case tere are mista*es in te reviewers.
6et a compilation o! te recent +4 cases. )is is very muc use!ul as most
0uestions are based on tese cases.
1ead te codal provisions !irst be!ore you jump into te annotated te&ts or te
reviewers. Annotations$ +4 decisions are based on codal provisions. -n te bar$ you
will be as*ed to answer wat te law says not wat te annotations say.
Wen you read materials !or te !irst time$ read tem as i! it is te only time
tat you are reading tem. /nderstand te material at once and loc* it in your ead.
(on,t ma*e te material more complicated tat wat it really is. .ou will be
tested on weter you *now enoug on wat it ta*es to be a lawyer. )e 0uestions
are basic and only a small number are designed to determine wo will top te bar.
Memorize wat you do not understand. -n tis way$ i! te very same wordings
appear in te e&am$ you get to answer in verbatim and you already get points !or
tis.
Attend te bar review lectures. )e reviews are designed to elp you out and
!ocus on more important issues. "otwitstanding$ some would want to be absent to
*eep tem at pace wit teir own scedules. -t,s all up to you. .ou must balance
everyting. But te general suggestion is !or you to attend te review.
)ape review lectures. Always read and listen. 2isten to te tapes during your
non#reading moments. Wat you read is rein!orced by wat you listen to.
B. Pysical Preparation
1
Lambda Epsilon Xi DVOREF College of Law
How to Prepare for the Bar
Be pysically !it during te review and te e&am. )e bar e&am is tiring
and draining. 1emember tat i! you miss one +unday$ you ave to repeat te entire
e&am again ne&t year.
3&ercise regularly. .ou can go malling or you may want to do more
pysical e&ercises. -t really depends on you. -! you don,t regularly e&ercise$ ten just
try to raise your ands or do stretcing e&ercises.
6et enoug rest and recreation. )is must be su!!icient but not too
muc. 5ust give your body a time to recover. 7igt also psycological tiredness by
watcing movies or simply go to )agaytay and !eel te breeze o! cool air. Always
remember tat your pea* sould be in +eptember. .ou can drin* but be sure not to
do it too muc.
3at te rigt !ood.
)a*e vitamins and supplements.
+tart training your body cloc*. .ou must train yoursel! to !ollow te
scedule o! te bar e&ams. -t is usually % to 12 ten 2 to 8. Wat you do is to
concentrate and study during tese ours daily. 1ead !rom % to 12 ten ta*e a 2#
our brea* and ten read again so tat you get used to sitting and concentrating
during tese ours o! te day.
4. 3motional Preparation
6et rid o! all emotional problems. 4all a truce i! you ave any 0uarrel wit anyone
else. )ell tem tat you would li*e to ave a cease!ire !rom now until +eptember and
just resume ostilities by October.
(. Psycological Preparation
Always tin* tat you will top te bar. Maintain tis visualization and tin* o! yoursel!
publised in te papers as te topnotcer in te bar e&ams. Aim ig so tat wen
you !all sort$ you only !all sort a little bit. Always remember tat a dream can only
come true i! you dream.
(o not be a!raid. .ou ave everyting it ta*es to pass te bar. At te end o! te
review$ you will ave everyting tat you need to *now.
Advance your time by - mont. )in* aead so tat i! it is April 22 today$ pretend tat
it is already May 22.
3. +piritual Preparation
1ely on a 6reater 7orce. Always remember tat you cannot do it alone. Believe tat
someone is tere to elp you out. "o matter ow good you are$ you are not enoug
to pass and top te bar. .ou need 9is elp.
Pray$ pray$ and pray.
!dditional "ips and Preparator# "hings to Do
Brus up your 3nglis. )e language o! te bar is 3nglis so start reviewing your
grammar and vocabulary at te same time.
-mprove your penmansip. )e e&aminer as to read almost 2$::: boo*lets so tat e
would rater want to read a boo*let wit a good penmansip. -! you can,t remedy your
penmansip$ just write in wider letters.
+tart using te pen tat you will be using during te bar so tat you will get accustomed
to it.
2
Lambda Epsilon Xi DVOREF College of Law
How to Prepare for the Bar
Preparing !or te bar is probably te most di!!icult tas* you,ll ever underta*e in your li!e.
.ou ave to give it your best sot. -t is all or noting. -t is now or never. Altoug you
may reta*e it ne&t year$ always tin* tat tere is no more tomorrow.
)ese are only a !ew suggestions. )ere are a lot o! tips out tere but in te end$ it is still
you wo will ta*e te bar. -t,s always up to you to coose wic suggestions you will
ta*e.
$OOD L%C&'
;oOo;
<