Hellooooo future Attorney!!!

Congratulations in finishing the 2018 Philippine Bar Examinations! That alone surely took a huge amount of
endurance and you should be proud of yourself!

In an attempt to help future bar examinees in their preparation to take the Bar, we would like to ask from you
some tips, advice, strategies, regrets, etc. based from your experience by simply answering the questions
below.

Yes, this might be too early as we are still waiting for the results but fret not as there is nothing wrong in
sharing what you have done, good or bad, as well as your experiences in reaching your dream to those who
share the same goal as yours. We only want to seek help and pay it forward when the right time comes.

Kaya habang fresh pa sa'yo, share mo na! Kasi sharing is caring! 

You may answer this during your free time, but please answer so we can help and pay it forward! Remember,
your response could surely make someone's dream come true!

(Note: before you start reading, I would like to say that most of the suggestions/tips/experiences that I have
written below were written before the results came out last May 03, 2019 and only some of the
suggestions/experiences were added after the said date.)

(Disclaimer: The entire writings below are based only on my opinion/research which may or may not be
helpful to you. Readers are very much encouraged to exercise their own discretion and to take caution.)

Personal preparation

1. Did you enroll in a review center? If yes, in what review center/s? Did it help you?

No. Self-review lang ako, though I strategized first na may kakilala or friend/s ako na enrolled in different
review center/s who is/are willing to help me by sharing his/her/their notes from his/her/their review
center/s; especially yung mock bars nila 

Just a sidenote: One of the considerations why I did not enrol in a Review Center is because, effective (or mas
effective) ang Review Centers kapag fino-follow ang schedule nila. Meaning, kung for a particular month ay
ang focus or dini-discuss nila ay Remedial Law lang, then dapat Remedial Law lang din ang aaralin mo para
makasunod ka sa lectures or ma-reinforce/refresh ka (or kung may mock bars, prepared ka if ever). However,
pag finollow mo naman ang schedule ng Review Center, makaka-one (1) quality reading ka lang, unless
nakapag enroll ka rin sa advanced review (yung nags-start ng January yung review). Pero kung mags-start
Review Center mo ng May or June na, at finollow mo schedule nila strictly, most likely, mkaka-isang reading ka
lang. Pero kung okay ka na sa one (1) reading, go for it! Do whatever works for you.

2. What are the things you think you did right which helped you in preparing, studying, and taking the Bar?

I think okay yung binalikan ko yung mga naaral ko na nung law school to refresh what I have learned.
Especially yung mga reviewers/syllabi/books ko nung 4th year. Since for me, ang purpose talaga ng Prebar is to
refresh what you have learned in law school, primarily during your 4th year which comprise mostly of review
subjects.

Hindi na practical mag-aral ng mga bagong concepts unless updates and/or important new concepts yun na
pasok sa coverage ng bar.

As to PreBar lectures, there will be some free lectures; be selective in attending such lectures because not all
lectures (or lecturers) are created equal. I highly encourage to attend the preweek and LMTs lectures kasi
more likely, andito yung pinaka-malaman na lectures, yung tingin nila lalabas based sa nasagap nilang tips
and/or based from years of experience as lecturers/reviewers, unlike sa prebar lecture/review na sobrang
lawak and medyo time-consuming.

Just a sidenote, take down notes, and use the traditional pen and paper approach, not via laptop nor any
related gadgets, this is backed-up by science: https://curiosity.com/topics/this-is-the-best-way-to-take-notes-
according-to-science-curiosity/
Big help din talaga yung Pomodoro Technique. If not yet familiar with the said technique, read the following
article: https://curiosity.com/topics/the-pomodoro-technique-is-the-productivity-hack-designed-to-halt-
procrastination-curiosity/

I actually frown upon those who are studying while their phones are available and within their sight. Studies
show that it (phone) lessens your focus, comprehension and productivity. Consider the following video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oj3OlgL45lg

Check this article: Your cognitive capacity is significantly reduced when your smartphone is within reach — even if it’s
off. https://news.utexas.edu/2017/06/26/the-mere-presence-of-your-smartphone-reduces-brain-power/

Also…

Kitams, ang laking distraction ng phones/gadgets, so parang awa niyo na, wag niyo muna gamitin habang
naga-aral, may oras para dyan. If may isang bagay kayong nais kung mapulot sa survey question na eto, eto na
yung tip na yon (aside sa quality SLEEP -#1 yan!). AVOID USING CELLPHONE/GADGET while studying (of course
w/ exceptions like nasa phone/gadget mismo yung notes kasi soft copy, etc.) It will be your greatest
distraction/obstacle, believe me.

And if ever magso-social media ka like FaceBook (during breaktime), make the most out of it by liking or
following as “SEE FIRST” sa timeline mo yung mga lecturers na nagpo-post ng bar exam related update/info
like sina Judge Campanilla sa Crim, si Atty. Riguera sa Rem, si Atty. Rabuya sa Civ etc. Mag like ka na rin sa mga
NEWS page like CNN Philippines, BBC, GMA News, ABS-CBN News, etc. Gnun din gawin mo sa mga FB
page/friends na nagbibigay ng positive vibes or mind-set, unfollow yung mga nega/toxic. Bumisita sa mga law
student help groups at maki-sagot sa mga tanung (pero wag makipag-away, ignore the naysayers) or mag-basa
lang ng mga sagot ng iba, may matutunan ka.

Also, I just want to share this wonderful piece of advice from the book of Brian Tracy entitled, “Eat that Frog”
P.S. Though may mga kakilala naman ako na nakapasa khit yung phones/gadgets nila ay always within their
reach/sight, pero their common denominator is magaling at masipag talaga sila. Ayun so hindi siya conclusive
but nonetheless it is still a factor –a very big and relevant factor.

For me nakatulong din yung pagsagot sa mga MOCKBARS (emphasis and underscoring supplied), nag enroll
ako for this purpose alone sa Academicus Review Center (mock bar lang inenroll ko, not the prebar nor
preweek), yung mock bars nila ay sa whole month ng October for 4 Sundays. Nag sagot din ako ng mga mock
bars ng iba't-ibang review centers as much as I can.

Herein below is a sample schedule of the Academicus’ mockbar, tinake ko lahat ng subjects at kinonsider ko
yung preweek preparation ko sa Academicus as my 3rd reading (pasadahan lang talaga ng mga important
concepts kasi 2 subjects in one week yung kelangan matapos eh) at para practice na rin for the actual preweek
for the month of November.

Academicus Mock Bar Sample Schedule 2018 edition:

P.S. The huge advantage of this is that you will be able to at least simulate or mimic the actual bar exam
experience, pero 2 hours and 30 minutes lang yung exam and the remaining 1 hour and 30 minutes ay for
answering the questions, unlike sa actual bar exam na 4 hours talaga. Kaya nasabi kong “at least simulate or
mimic” which is somehow okay na rin.

On the other hand, the downside of this strategy is that you will be exhausted. So ayun, pakiramdaman mo,
baka ma burn-out ka before the actual bar exams. Basta magpahinga ka na for the rest of the day after the
mock bars, nakakapagod talaga kahit mock bars lang siya, at bsta isipin mo nalang kung para kanino ka
bumabangon! :’) (Hi Nescafe, baka gsto niyo akong kunin as endorser, chos! Haha!)

Remember the Navy Seals’ Battle Cry! –“the more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in combat!” So
mag sweat ka lang ng mag sweat sa mga mock bars para hindi ka na masyado duguin sa actual bar exams! :’)

By the way, kung Arellano alumni ka, may free mock bar exams and coaching ang BarOps for Arellano alumni
at meron din free mock bar exams and coaching ang Phoenix for Arellano alumni. I suggest you attend/take
these. Helpful sya especially yung format mo maiimprove ng coaches. May mga bagay kasi na hndi natin
nakikita pero nakikita ng iba (I am not talking about third eye here, joke! haha!) at nga pala, if ever naco-
confuse ka kasi iba-iba yung tips/advices ng mga coaches, don’t be confused kasi normal lang yun, and it
actually reinforces the fact that there is no single way (but multiple ways) to pass the bar. In case of doubt,
adhere to the tips/advices that align to your common sense, or to your gut feeling, or to your heart.
3. What were the advice you received from your professors/lawyer-friends that helped you?

Practice your handwriting. Promised, it can still be improved. Eto pieces of evidence ko:

Exhibit “A”- my handwriting in my review subject in Remedial Law Midterm exams:

Exhibit “B”- my handwriting in my review subject in Remedial Law two (2) Midterm exams:
 Exhibit “C”- my handwriting in my mock bar exam in Remedial Law in Arellano (graduate na ako):

And continuous pa rin yung pagpra-practice ko until the day before the last Sunday so nag improve pa yung
handwriting ko sa sa actual exams -mas naging legible at mas mabilis na ako magsulat.

Some tips I learned in order to improve my handwriting (which may be helpful to you):

1.) Write in print;

2.) Use a color blue ink (mas magaan sa mata);
3.) Always use the same stroke (font size and font style) and spacing between each letter all the time.
Symmetry brings beauty. Practice consistency as to all aspects- margin, font size, font style etc. (thank
you kat for analyzing my handwriting and for suggesting this tip);
4.) Procedural skill ang handwriting, and according to Science, mas mabilis matutunan ang procedural skill
if you practice it in intervals and with a different but little tweak only.
Consider the following article: https://curiosity.com/topics/scientists-found-a-technique-that-can-help-
you-learn-skills-twice-as-fast-curiosity/

What I did is I practice on the same notebook as much as possible dun sa notebook na gagamitin sa bar, nabili
ko yung notebook ko sa Arellano bookstore (meron din ata sa Ateneo).

Everyday, I wrote the phrase “the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog”, and in the next sentence, I also
wrote, “The Quick Brown Fox Jumps Over The Lazy Dog”, and then “THE QUICK BROWN FOX JUMPS OVER THE
LAZY DOG”. Repeat the cycle. 1 all small letters. 1 mixed of small and capital letters. 1 all capital letters. (You
may Invent your own style).

As you can see, there is a difference as to the capitalization of certain letters. Yun yung little tweak na ginawa
ko. Bali 1 page in the morning, another page in the afternoon and another page in the evening for a total of 3
whole pages every day (including my designated rest day).

Everyday, before I start my handwriting practice, I analyze the 3 pages I wrote the previous day,
studying/scrutinizing carefully each letter –looking for any angle of improvements, kahit 1% improvement
basta consistent yung improvement, malaking bagay na yan overtime –as Robert Colier once said, “Success is
the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.”

If wala na ako nakikitang room for improvement, I asked a friend/s to criticize my handwriting. I did not stop at
“nababasa ko yung handwriting mo”, gusto ko marinig ang mga katagang “malinaw at ang ganda ng
handwriting mo” of course with sincerity dapat. At narinig ko naman siya- sa mother ko nga lang haha! :D
I am over-emphasizing handwriting, kasi sbi nga ni Atty. Brondial (who, in my opinion is the best Remedial Law
Reviewer), it is the first “L” that is required in order to pass the bar exam, first “L” which stands for LEGIBILITY.

Kasi kahit gaano kaganda ang sagot mo, kung hndi mabasa ng examiner, wala rin.

By the way, in case you are curious, the other L’s are: Logic, Language and Law.

Here is sample of my practice notebook:

Choose a quality pen, yung comfortable ka, yung nakakaganda ng sulat mo (so case to case basis eto), at yung
hindi ngbblot. Etong pen na eto yung gamitin mo everytime nag pra-practice ka ng handwriting mo and/or
nagsasagot ng mga mock bars para masanay.

In my case, I tried a lot until I found my soulmate pen, try mo baka compatible din sayo, here she is:
Practice answering past bar or mock bar exam questions. Yung iba, literal yung pagsagot nila, as in sa booklet
pa mismo, but I did not do this kasi sobrang time consuming neto, instead ang ginawa ko is, kumuha ako ng
isang index card, tinatakpan ko yung sagot habang binabasa ko yung questions then sasagutan ko (with a
direct/concise/responsive answer or conclusion, law and application- lahat ng eto sa isip ko lang) at ico-
compare ko dun sa suggested answer –by doing this, mttrain ka magsagot, not to mention that recalling the
law or the concepts will greatly boost your ability to retain it in your long-term memory. For me, this is the
most efficient method (Cognitive Science actually calls this as “Generation Method” –see the book entitled
“Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning”) kasi marami akong nasasagutan, compared dun sa
isusulat mo pa yung sagot mo, at kung reason mo is to improve your handwriting na rin, for me the “quick
brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” is the most efficient way kasi andyan na lahat ng letters sa alphabet at
maa-analyze mo pa bawat letter by just writing one (1) sentence/phrase.

By the way, I have a friend who used the “Lawyer’s Oath” as his practice piece for his handwriting. Okay rin
strategy nya kasi aside sa mapa-practice yung handwriting nya, mame-memorize nya pa yung “Lawyer’s Oath”
–hitting two birds with one stone.

Choose a place/condo/dorm/apartment where you can study everyday (preferably with a one day break per
week) with comfort and convenience, or at the very least, malapit sa study place mo to avoid the hassle and
stress of traffic and to save those precious hours which you could have spent productively by studying.

In connection with this, if kaya na ikaw lang mag-isa para no distractions, then go! But if you are like me na
nagtitipid at naghahanap ng kahati sa gastos, choose a roommate/s na sensitive sa iba, yung hindi maingay at
ire-respeto yung oras mo sa paga-aral at pagtulog. Yung may Positive Mindset. Maswerte ako kasi positive at
sensitive yung nahanap kong roommate, especially yung time sa pagtulog. Salamat Gino! Hindi kita
makakalimutan 

Sleep and wake up early everyday even on your selected rest day -to establish a routine/habit. Very important
ang SLEEP, especially the night before the big day!

Check out these 5 Tips For Falling Asleep Quicker, According To A Sleep Expert:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKNQ6gsW45M

Re: Atty. Jim Lopez's advice na magpa flu shot or vaccine daw tayo para hindi magkasakit sa bar exams

Where to avail? Selected branches of Mercury Drug, nearest sa Arellano ay yung sa Harrison, next is SM
Manila na (wala vaccine sa Vito Cruz's Mercury Drug branch).

When to avail? Every Saturday, 8am-5pm (excluding 12-1pm kasi lunch break nila).

How much? General Rule: Php 450.00

Exception: Php 405 nalang if nagpa-sched ka at ngbayad in advance at least 3 days before the intended date of
injection.

Good for 1 year yung flu shot/vaccine 

P.S. I posted this in our chat group in the year 2018, so changes as to details may vary as of the time that you
are reading this.

4. What were your realizations in taking the Bar?

Na stock knowledge talaga ang sinusubukan sa bar exam, so ang mahalaga is hndi kung marami kang nabasa
kundi kung marami kang naintindihan and/or na-retain. Na important ang health at long stamina considering
na 4 Sundays ka mage-exam.

Na sana less memorizing and more understanding pa yung ginawa ko.

Na sana, nung 1st year pa lang ay puspusan na dapat ang pagaaral ko.

5. What were the things you wished you should have done but you failed to do?
Na-masunod yung calendar ko para sana nakapag two (2) quality readings ako sa lahat ng subjects. Yung sa
akin kasi parang isang quality reading lang tpos isang minadali na 2nd reading due to time constraint. Kinulang
na ako sa oras eh.

Na sana nabasa ko pla ng mas maaga ang book na

“Effective Bar Review Methods” by Atty.
Domondon, the tips mentioned in this book are
gems, especially yung pags-schedule ng two (2)
readings. A photo of the said book is posted herein
in the right column. Medyo late ko na kasi nabasa
eh.

No need to buy naman if may copy yung law library

niyo, manghiram ka nalang 

6. What were the mistakes that you made while preparing, studying, and taking the Bar?

Siguro yung pagbasa ng maraming notes, kunting notes lang like mga 2 or even 1 quality notes tpos may main
material or book will do na. Ulit-ulitin mo nalang, repetition with understanding is the key to mastery and
self-confidence. (Emphasis and underscoring supplied!)

In relation to this, my barrista friend, who is now a lawyer said that a” common problem with barristers is that
they have several books/materials to read for the bar, the result is that they do not gain mastery of books or
basic concepts, which in the bar is very crucial- mastery of the basic concepts: the foundation. Tsaka muna
problemahin yung updates. Foundation muna. Basic muna.” I think he got this tip from a lecturer/professor.

With that, I am reminded of what Elon Musk said, “It is important to view knowledge as sort of a semantic tree
— make sure you understand the fundamental principles, i.e. the trunk and big branches, before you get into
the leaves/details or there is nothing for them to hang onto."

I also realized na dapat magpahinga totally for the whole day ng Monday after the Bar Exam ng Sunday. Yung
first Sunday kasi ng Bar Exam, kinabukasan, which is Monday, nag-aral ako bandang hapon, pero walang
pumapasok sa utak ko, at kung meron man, mabagal yung pag-absorb ko, at wala akong gana mag-aral, siguro
dahil sa pagod na rin (or baka sa impending burn-out na rin). So yung mga sumunod na Mondays, lumabas ako
with a kapwa barrista (and fortunately, we both passed!), nag lunch outside and watched a movie at
nagpahinga ng maaga. Pero Tuesdays onward ay Game Face mode on na! Yung tipong gusto ko isigaw ang
mga katagang, “I have the strength that can stop an entire army!!! :’)

But I have a friend na kaya mag-aral ng 6am palang ng Monday, kahit nag bar exam siya ng Sunday (halimaw
noh?), others kaya mag aral ng Monday pero after lunch na. Pero majority ng kakilala ko ay katulad ko,
pahinga lang pag Monday. So ayun, gauge yourself pero in case of doubt, rest.

7. What, if any, were your shortcomings?

Hindi ako nakapag 2 quality readings sa lahat ng 8 subjects. Sana nasunod ko yung schedule or calendar ko.

Nag focus ako sa recent jurisprudence or rulings sa ibang subjects like sa political law pero yung mga luma or
basics or seldomly touched topics/principles yung karamihan na mga tinanong. Even Chairman's cases ay ndi
natanung or kung meron man, kunti lang. Medyo kakaiba etong 2018 Bar Exams kaya be careful, wag basta-
basta umasa sa trends nung mga nakalipas na Bar Exams. I-turing mo nalang ang mga trends sa bar exams as
bituin –“Hindi hawak ng mga bituin ang ating kapalaran. Gabay lamang sila. Meron tayong free will. Gamitin
natin ito” –Zenaida Seva, (yes, siya yung unang nagsabi nyan, hindi si Master Hanz!) :’)
 Materials

What materials (Book and/or notes and author, and audio/video lectures, if any) have you used and please
give your comments (did those help you, how?).

PreBar/PreWeek/LMT
SUBJECTS 1ST Reading 2nd Reading 3rd Reading/Pre-Week/LMTs
POLITICAL LAW
 2018 PreBar Notes of Atty. Edwin  Same (Highlights  Atty. Sandoval- Prebar
Sandoval, his Lectures, only) Notes and LMTs
samplexes & my own notes  BRB (those w/ ★only)
 Recent Jurisprudence by  Atty. Lopez’s LMTs (hotel)
Atty. Murillo  Atty. Medina Notes & his
 Bedan Red Book (BRB) 2017 mock bar

LABOR LAW  Labor Law Reviewer- Atty.  Same (Highlights  Atty. Chan’s book and his
Chan (the Book and his Pre- only) Pre-week (w/ ★only)
week);  LMTs of Atty. Lorenzo
 Dean Abad's digest on Del  Dean Abad's digest on
Castillo's cases Del Castillo's cases
CIVIL LAW  Atty. Rabuya: ALL  Same  Notes/updates/pre-
(books/updates/lectures) (Highlights only) week/LMTS of Atty.
Rabuya
 Atty. Uribe: Syllabus in Civ2 and my
handwritten lectures/transcriptions  LMTs of Atty. Uribe
TAXATION LAW  Atty. Lumbera’s Lecture  Same (Highlights
 Same (w/ Stars ★
 Memory Aid of San Beda- General only)
Principles and the Tables (for only);
 Notes/LMTs of:
compare & contrast purposes) only
 Atty. Lumbera
 Atty. Bobby Locke’s Notes
 Atty. Bobby Lock
 Taxation Digest by Atty. Co-
 Justice. Dimaampao
Untian, Jr. 2016 ed.;

COMMERCIAL  
Same (w/ ★only)
Sundiang-Aquino ComReviewer; Same (Highlights

LAW  Fiscal Tambasacan’s Q&As only)
 Preweek ComReviewer of +
Justice Dimaampao;  LMTs of Arellano

CRIMINAL LAW  Memory Aid of San Beda  Same (Highlights  Same (w/ ★only)
(Highlights only); only)  2018 Preweek of
 Judge Campanilla’s + Arellano
book (Vol.1 only);  Atty. Modesto  Notes/updates of Atty.
 Atty. Diwa’s case list; Ticman’s lecture Ticman
 2017 Pre-Week of Arellano  Notes/update of
Judge Campanilla
REMEDIAL LAW  Atty. Brondial’s Syllabus  Same (Highlights  Same (w/ ★only)
(case list and doctrines) and his only)  Preweek Notes/LMTs of:
transcribed lectures  Atty. Brondial
 Atty. Riguera
 Remedial law Reviewer Vols.  Atty. Villasis
1&2 of Atty.Riguera  Atty. Moya
LEGAL ETHICS  Atty. Loanzon’s Notes and her  Same (Highlights
lecture; only)  Same (w/ ★only)
 BRB 2017 ed.  Atty. Loanzon’s
 San Beda Memory Aid- General Preweek/LMTs
Principles only
Supplements to all: Lex Pareto Notes; Cases penned by Bar Exam Chairman Justice Del Castillo; Recent Jurisprudence

Yung list of materials ko above, yan sana yung plano kong basahin pero hindi ko naman nasunod lahat, na
follow ko mga 90% cguro which is good na rin kahit papano. As I have said, naka 2 readings lang talaga ako,
kinonsider ko lang yung preweek as my 3rd reading na rin para pang boost ng confidence hehe.

But just to summarize and update, among the materials I have read, eto pnka masu-suggest ko, not necessarily
na may nahugot ako sa pagsagot but mainly because nagandahan ako sa materials.
Political Law

Prebar-Bedan Red Book (BRB) 2017, Prebar notes of Atty. Edwin Sandoval, Recent Jurisprudence by Atty.
Murillo, Atty. Medina Notes

Preweek- Atty. Medina's notes and his mock bar exam, Atty. Sandoval's PreBar notes, Recent Jurisprudence
by Atty. Murillo

LMTs- Arellano, Atty. Sandoval and Atty. Lopez (BongLo)

P.S. #1: Majority ng kakilala ko read Justice Nachura’s book, yung iba ay yung kay Atty. Carlo Cruz, others ung
book ni Atty. Suarez, pero hindi ko na sila binasa kasi una, hindi ko sila natapos (walang highlights) nung law
school days. Pangalawa, I have to choose sa poli: book or notes, and I chose the latter (but as to other
subjects, I recommend na mag book talaga).

P.S. #2: If I were to study again political law, I would use the following materials only: Atty. Sandoval (his
lecture and prebar notes), Survey of Recent Jurisprudence by Atty. Murillo, Atty. Medina’s notes (prebar,
preweek, lmt and mock bar) and Atty. Jacinto “Jack” Jimenez’s notes (which I failed to read pero maraming
nagsabi na maganda, which I agree kasi khit papano I scanned it) then add nalang ng Q&A (mock bars and past
bar exam questions).

Labor Law

Prebar- Atty. Chan’s book (2 readings) and Chan Preweek (3 readings), Dean Abad's digest on Del Castillo's
cases (3 readings)

Preweek- Chan’s Preweek and Dean Abad's digest on Del Castillo's cases (this combo- 4 readings)

LMT- Atty. Lorenzo and Arellano LMTs

P.S. Dito sa labor, okay lang kung iba-iba yung books (not Chan –Ungos, Azucena, Duano etc.) pero I highly
recommend to read his PREWEEK (Chan) kasi andyan na yung important topics and latest jurisprudence (but
w/out taking into consideration the chairman’s cases) kaya okay sya i-combo sa digest on Chairman’s cases by
Dean Abad and Prof. Abad, andun na yung important doctrines ng Chairman pati yung mga basic concepts sa
labor law at ang ganda ng pagkakagawa neto. Abangan niyo lang sa FB page ng Philippine Association of Law
School (PALS) or sa mga law student help group (LSHG) mag-release ng soft copy.

Civil Law-

PreBar- Atty. Rabuya's books (Vols. 1 & 2) and notes , Atty. Uribe (binalikan ko yung inaral ko s kanya sa
CivRev 2)

Preweek/LMT- Atty. Rabuya, Atty. Uribe and LMTs of Arellano

P.S. Sapat na actually yung Vol. 1 ni Atty. Rabuya for Civ1 at Atty. Uribe for Civ2 (kung Arellano ka at sila profs
mo respectively, ulit-ulitin mo nalang and you’re safe). Naubos kasi oras ko sa pag—aaral ng Civil Law eh, isipin
mo, i-two readings mo yung 2 books ni Atty. Rabuya (inatendan ko pa lahat ng lectures nya) tapos Nag Atty.
Uribe pa ako hehe. So ayun, pili ka lang, either Rabuya all the way OR Rabuya for Civ1 and Uribe for Civ2.
Either way, safe ka na dyan :’)

Taxation Law

PreBar- Atty. Rizalina Lumbera's lectures (2 readings), Tax Digest by Atty. Co-untian (1 reading)

PreWeek- Atty. Rizalina Lumbera's lectures (another 1 reading here), Atty. Bobby Locke at Justice
Dimaampao notes (yung tax updates nya)

LMT- Atty. Lumbera and Arellano LMTs

P.S. If hirap ka sa tax like me, absorb the whole lectures of Atty. Lumbera and you’re safe.

Commercial Law

PreBar- Sundiang-Aquino ComRev and Justice Dimaampao's PreWeek in ComRev (Q&A eto)
Preweek-Justice Dimaampao's Preweek, Atty. Tambasacan and Atty. Zarah-Castro

LMT- Arellano LMTs and Justice Dimaampao's LMTs

P.S. If same tau ng gagamitin na materials as I mentioned in my PreBar, pro tip: read Sundiang-Aquino first
then answer all the questions in Justice Dimaampao’s preweek (use the generation method!).

Criminal Law

PreBar- San Beda Memory Aid (highlights only), Judge Campanilla's book vol.1 and Atty. Diwa's case list

Preweek- Arellano Preweek, LMT Notes of Prosec Garcia and Justice Sandoval

LMTs- LMTs of Arellano

Remedial Law

PreBar- Atty. Brondial (binalikan ko lang yung inaral ko sa Rem 1 & 2 under atty. Brondial- syllabi: cases &
lectures), atty. Tranquil's preweek (hindi ko na nabasa yung books ni Dean Riano at Atty. Riguera haha!)

Preweek- Atty. Brondial and Atty. Moya's LMTs

LMTs- Arellano LMTs, Atty. Brondial’s LMTs and Atty. Moya's LMTs

Legal & Judicial Ethics

PreBar- San Beda MemAid General Principles only, Bedan Red book and Atty. Loanzon's lecture

Preweek- same with prebar (except bedan red book) pero yung highlights lang

LMTs- Atty. Ribo and LMTs of Arellano

P.S. If you notice, wala ako ni-recommend na codal kasi implied na dapat yun, though may mga subjects na
hindi talaga ako nag codal kasi nalilito/nahihirapan ako i-codal yung subjects like taxation, commercial, ethics
and labor law.

1. Describe your study habits and/or techniques.

I am believer in the statement, “Conquer the morning and you’ll conquer the day!” So upon waking up at
6am (na inadjust ko gradually to 5am), I meditate for 10 mins then I immediately pray then write some journal
(things I am grateful for and the things I want to accomplish for the day) then I arrange my bed. After that I
drink plenty of water (2 glasses) then EXERCISE (while in a fasted state) while exposing my self to a morning
sunlight, then take a cold shower/bath. All of these are based on science which I will no longer discuss kasi
baka maging nobela (kasi may links and pictures pa!) pa etong survey na eto haha!

But just to give some justifications to EXERCISE, and to know why it is so underrated, watch this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsVzKCk066g …. And also this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHY0FxzoKZE

As to my study routine: I usually study from morning like around 9am until 9pm (sometimes longer,
sometimes shorter) with breaks in between. I employ the so-called 'pomodoro technique' para ma-sustain
yung stamina/endurance and focus (no distractions) all throughout the day without being burn out -and this is
done by studying for a certain amount of time, in my case I initially started for 25 minutes straight and then
take a break of 5 minutes (which I usually spend by going to the CR to pee and to drink water) then repeat the
cycle. Then as time passes by, ini-increase ko yung study time by 5 mins until nung 1 month before the bar
exam, I study with a ratio of 1 hr of study and 5 mins of rest, and at the end of the day, nkaka at least 10 hours
of actual study ako. You may install an application for this, in my case I use the 'brain focus' as my application.

Highly recommended sya kasi aside sa masu-sustain mo yung energy at focus mo, matra-trace mo rin kung ilan
talaga yung actual hours spend on studying at mamo-monitor mo yung progress mo, and as you know- what
can be measured can be improved.
As to focus, may settings ang Pomodoro where you can set it na kahit may magtxt or tumawag sayo, hindi siya
mgri-ring pero magre-register of course yung miss calls and/or messages. Same din ng “Do not Disturb” mode
na meron ang karamihan ng mga phones (wala nga lang yung statistics as to actual study time). I think, for a
barrister, this is essential, if not indispensable, kasi mga 99% ng text messages or calls ay hindi naman
emergency, makakasira lang ng focus/momentum or pwedng kumain ng oras mo. Tsaka ka nalang mag phone
(txt/chat/social media) sa designated breaks mo talaga, at least meron kang something to look forward to.

https://curiosity.com/topics/the-pomodoro-technique-is-the-productivity-hack-designed-to-halt-
procrastination-curiosity/

In connection with the aforementioned technique, I, together with my friends found that it is best to combine
with a “Distraction Sheet”. Allow me to explain, di ba pag naga-aral ka, may kung ano-ano pumapasok sa
isipan mo e.g. things to do, random thoughts, need i-text si ganito, gaano kalawak ang universe, inaanay din
ba bahay ng anay? etc. Na kung saan, ndi mo pa naman kelangan mag act upon, pero nakakasira ng
focus/momentum mo, so ang magandang gawin is, before ka mag-start mag-aral, maglagay ka ng ¼ piece of
paper sa tabi mo (or pwede mo ilagay yung papel sa likod ng bookstand mo or sa ilalim ng book/material mo
basta yung hindi mo nakikita pero madali mong makukuha or masusulatan if need mo na sulatan). So habang
naga-aral ka, may biglang nag pop-up sa utak mo (e.g. need ko ipa-photox yung material na ganito, research
re: bahay ng anay etc.), kunin mo yung piece of paper na tinago mo, then isulat mo muna dun yung thought
(sapat na ang keyword, e.g. “anay”) na nag pop-up, tapos itago mo na ulit –ang purpose neto is ma-declutter
or mawala kung ano man yang tumatakbo sa isipan mo nang makapag-focus ka ulit at the task at hand. Based
from my experience, kaya ko sinu-suggest na ¼ piece of paper lang kasi pag 1 whole sheet of paper yan,
madami kang masusulat, baka maging essay pa yan, at kaya dapat hindi mo nakikita kasi para mabawasan
yung pag-trigger mo na magsulat.

P.S. madaming sagot sa internet re: inaanay din ba bahay ng anay? Pero ang the best answer na nakita ko is:

Answer: “Pagkahoy ang bahay oo” hahahahaha!

I got this tip (having a distraction sheet) from Cal Newport, author of “Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success
in a Distracted World” also “How to Become a Straight-A Student: The Unconventional Strategies Real College
Students Use to Score High While Studying Less”, among others. Consider watching this youtube video where
I discovered this amazing tip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQilikfxsGU
WHEREFORE, premises considered, Pomodoro technique + Distraction Sheet = Phenomenal Concentration!

In relation to that, here is a very informative/helpful video/talk: What Makes Some Brains More Focused
Than Others? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoRHq0TQnZM (Simplify – Relax – Unitask)

Another technique that I implemented while studying is the so-called generation technique –specie of recall
technique in general. How is this done? Simply lang, answer questions while covering the suggested answers.

To quote from the book Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning, viz:

 “Generation – The act of trying to answer a question or attempting to solve a problem rather than
being presented with the information or the solution.

 Trying to come up with an answer rather than having it presented to you, or trying to solve a problem
before being shown the solution, leads to better learning and longer retention of the correct answer or
solution, even when your attempted response is wrong, so long as corrective feedback is provided.

 Answering does not only measure what you remember, it increases overall retention.”

2. How many readings have you finished?

Two (2) readings pero for me, yung 2nd reading ko ay hindi na quality reading kasi binilisan ko na due to time
constraint. Sana binawasan ko pa list ng materials ko para sana naka 2 quality readings ako.

Just a sidenote: In my opinion, mas maganda kung makaka-2nd reading (or kung kya mo 3rd then go!) ka, kasi
dapat mabalikan ulit yung inaral mo, again in my opinion bitin ang isang reading lang, at parang masyado
naman binilisan yung pagbabasa pag naka-3rd reading ka (unless nalang kung by January palang nakapg-start
ka na) na na-compromise na yung quality, so for me, I think ideal yung 2nd reading, and by the way share ko
lang etong graph which really helped me in retaining information. If you want to go deeper, you may check
the book entitled, “How We Learn: The Surprising Truth About When, Where, and Why It Happens”:

 “The Forgetting Curve is exactly what it sounds like, a graph of memory loss over time. In particular, it
charts the rate at which newly learned information fades from memory. It's a learning curve, turned
upside down:

 American Education researcher Edward Thorndike turned Ebbinghaus' curve into a "law" of learning.
He called it the Law of Disuse, which asserted that learned information, without continued use, decays
from memory entirely- i.e., use it or lose it.”

I used this graph para i-memorize verbatim yung lawyer’s oath and other important provisions (yung basic at
pang catch-all provisions). Nagkamali lang ako sa paggamit neto kasi nasobrahan ako, pati yung lengthy
provisions and concepts like yung definition ng Social Justice etc. na hindi naman pinagtatanung sa amin haha!
Anyways, effective siya, promise, just use it to a chosen/selected few.

As to understanding naman, I mainly rely on Feynman Technique, simply lang sya, ituro mo sa iba (or sa
Barbie doll mo, or kaya sa sarili mo) in simple terms yung concept, kasi hindi mo masasabing naintindihan mo
ang isang concept kung hindi mo kayang i-explain in simple terms, at sabi nga ni Albert Einstein, “If you can't
explain it to a six year old, you don't understand it yourself.” If you want to dig deeper, you may check the
following link: https://curiosity.com/topics/learn-anything-in-four-steps-with-the-feynman-technique-curiosity/
Moreover, check this Learning Pyramid:

Likewise, Confucius once said, “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I remember, involve me and I learn.”

Pwede mo eto gawin (teaching others) anytime and anywhere, even in a public place or sa byahe. You might ask, “hindi
ba ako mapagkakamalang baliw nyan?” Ans. No, there are two ways I discovered: 1.) sa utak mo lang i-recall or magmur-
mur ka lang, OR 2.) Kunin mo phone mo at magpanggap kang may kinakausap ka e.g. “ahh ganito kasi yun pre, yung
nangyari sa kasong yan ay…” basta make sure lng na naka-silent mode ung phone baka may tumawag talaga sayo hehe :)

I believe isa eto sa mga reasons kung bakit ang lupet ng mga professors natin, kasi bukod sa sini-simplify nila yung
tinuturo nila (though yung iba pinapahirapan haha), paulit-ulit pa nilang ginagawa eto. Hence, Feynman Technique +
Repetition (for several years) = LEGENDARY PROFESSOR! (gumawa ng formula haha!)
Isa pa palang technique na natutunan ko ay yung paggamit ng Imagination or association. To illustrate, the height of Mt.
Fuji in Japan is 12, 365. Medyo abstract noh? at mahirap tandaan, but connect/associate the #12,365 sa one (1) year,
kasi di ba may 12 months in 1 year, at meron namang 365 days in one year, voila! Nasa long term memory mo na yan :’)

Sa law school naman, an example of this ay yung sinabi ni atty. Brondial regarding property exempt from
execution. Sabi nya, ang magic # na dapat tandaan is yung # three (3), kasi etong exempt properties ay
matatagpuan sa what Rule? Ans. Sa Rule 39 (may #3), what section? Ans. Sa section 13 (may #3 nanaman), ilan
lahat yung enumerated na exempt? Ans. There are 13 exempt properties. How much yung amount ng exempt
properties regarding professional libraries and equipment of judges, lawyers, dentists et.al? Ans. Not
exceeding three hundred thousand. Up to how many horses, cows, carabaos and other beast of burden ang
exempt? Ans. You guess it right, up to three (3) animals. Dagdag pa nya, bkt daw up to three lang per family?
Ans. Kasi daw it represents the ideal family (Joseph the father, Mary the mother and Jesus the baby –so one
animal for each of them). How many fishing boat naman ang exempt per family? Ans. This time only one (1)
fishing boat, kasi lahat naman sila –father, mother and baby- ay kasya sa one boat. Hehe! Amazing
association/connection! Natuto ka na, na-retain na sya, natuwa ka pa! hehe! :D

Another example of Atty. Brondial, anong salary grade ang pasok sa jurisdiction ng Sandiganbayan? Ans. Salary
grade 27 (& above). What age ang required in order for a foreigner (or a Filipino permanently residing abroad)
to be able to adopt under the Inter-Country Adoption Act? Ans. At least 27 years of age. What P.D.#
emancipates the tenants from the bondage of the soil? Ans. P.D. 27. See, the power of association. Connect
mo lang yung mga newly learned information sa dati mong alam or yung mga nasa long-term memory mo na.

Last na, yung mnemonics sa labor law regarding Sexual Harassment. Isipin mo daw na lalaki ka (kahit hindi),
tpos meron kang boss na babae, then your boss whispered slowly into your ear saying, “I AM WET IHO”. The
first 3 letters refer to who may be the offender (I AM), one who has Influence, Authority or Moral Ascendancy.
The word WET refers to the place/insitution, Workplace, Educational or Training institution. And the last 3
letters refer to the manner or result of the harassment, Intimidating, Hostile or Oppressive environment.
Sorry kung madaming techniques at kung ano-anong ka-weirduhan ang mababasa niyo dito, kasi tingin ko,
comparatively speaking, hindi ako kasing talino ng ibang law students/graduates, I am just average or below average,
mahina ang comprehension ko, so to compensate, I resort to these learning techniques/strategies/hacks which I have
learned through reading books and videos regarding learning, and for me, this is one of the most important skills, if not
the most important skill- learning how to learn. And of course samahan talaga ng sipag kasi hindi mo magagawang
maging pinaka-matalino, or pinaka-maganda or pinaka-magaling in one room, pero kaya mong maging pinaka-masipag
sa room niyo –and let that room be the law library! :’)

3. What is your advice in choosing the materials to use during the Prebar/Preweek/LMT?

I highly advice na gamitin mo yung materials na ginamit mo na nung 4th year ka, kasi mas mabilis yung
absorption/retention ng information kapag nabasa mo na. Mas mabilis especially kung highlights and/or notes
mo nalang ang babasahin mo.

In general, choose materials made by a professor/reviewer/expert over a material made by a student or

barops of a certain school. The former has more experience and veracity than the latter for obvious reasons.

Choose hard copy or print outs over soft copy. Mas mataas retention rates pag hard copy in general. Consider
the following article: https://www.businessinsider.com/students-learning-education-print-textbooks-screens-
study-2017-10

Also, bawasan ang notes na babasahin. Hindi rin oobra yung babasahin mo lang yung 'magandang notes' kasi
sobrang dami ang magandang notes na nagkakalat especially kung resourceful ka or may mga kaibigan kang
resourceful or kasali ka sa mga online groups na nagse-send ng mga notes (at ingat ka na rin s mga poison
notes, and yes, unfortunately, they do exist). Hence, 'piliin mo lang, yung tingin mong pinakamaganda among
the magagandas' hehe!

Preferably, one main book and supplement it with one or two quality notes. In my case sa subject na Labor
Law, ang example nito ay:

Main Book- Atty. Chan’s Book, 2017 edition (798 pages)

Notes #1- Atty. Chan’s Last Minute Pre-Week Notes, 2018 ed. (153 pages)
Notes #2- Dean Abad's digest on Labor/Chairman’s cases, 2017 ed. (56 pages)
In my opinion, these arsenals are more than enough. Absorb nalang thru repetition.

4. How can you describe the Bar Operations and/or Hotel Operations of your school? Any comments
and/or suggestions?

Very satisfactory especially yung bar kits at LMTs, which for me ay yung pinaka importanteng bagay na
maibibigay ng BarOps sa kanilang mga barristers which they did with utmost excellence kasi ang daming food
sa barkits at patok pa yung mga materials! Kudos to Arellano Barops 2018!

P.S. Kung alumni ka ng Arellano, there is no need to buy diatabs, kremil-S, tissue paper at snacks (lahat eto
nasa barkits na) or lunch na kakainin kasi sagot na ng School lahat yan.

Good luck and God Bless future Attorneys!

END OF THE SURVEY QUESTIONS FOR THE BAR

For any questions/clarifications for this survey, you may reach me via gmail: goodlawyer0313@gmail.com

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Miscellaneous

Here are some of the tips or notes I made while preparing for the bar exams during my downtime, baka lang
makatulong:

Important hormones in our body:

1.) Melatonin- eto yung sleep/relax hormone natin. Nagpro-produce naturally pag gabi na at madilim. Kaya
important na 'no to screen lights' pag gabi na (gadgets or digital devices such as cellphone emits blue light
which disrupts melatonin production)

So to have a good night's sleep, Melatonin is an important hormone to consider.

Consider the following in order to regulate your melatonin:

A.) Wake up and sleep at the same time to establish and go along with the natural production of melatonin.

B.) Upon waking up, expose yourself to morning sunlight, in order to suppress melatonin (not to mention that
morning sunlight does not only give you extra source of energy but also serves as a natural source of Vitamin
D. The best actually is to have a morning exercise while exposing yourself to morning sunlight)

C.) Avoid digital devices/gadgets for these emit blue lights which disrupt the natural production of melatonin.
If hindi talaga kaya iwasan because it serves as your alarm clock, etc., you can install applications such as
twilight (for android), or Flux or F.lux (for iphone) that turns your phone into a dark-red screen which
minimizes, if not totally eradicates, blue lights.

2.) Cortisol- this is our stress hormone. This per se is not bad but excessive amount of cortisol is already
harmful.

Cortisol is important in certain times such as fight or flight situation (adrenaline rush) or at times when we are
in panic mode so as to give us additional boost to survive or to simply meet a deadline.

According to science, exercise is good and has several benefits but a prolonged exercise gives more harm than
benefits.

One study shows that exercise for a duration longer than 45 minutes produces excessive amount of cortisol.
So a rule of thumb is to exercise not longer than 45 minutes.

3.) Tolerance build-up: this concept of tolerance build-up is neutral, meaning it could be bad or good
depending on how you use (or approach) it.
One of the unique characteristics of species that survive until today is adaptability which, strictly speaking,
pertains to external aspects; whereas, tolerance build-up (or tolerance for brevity) pertains to internal aspects.

Generally, when we consume something for the first time, its effect/s is/are at peak, this is because we have
not yet built up tolerance against it.

Example: when drinking alcoholic drinks such as beer. We know someone who can drink a case of beer but is
still normal after; on the other hand, we also know someone who gets drunk after drinking a bottle or two.
This is simply because the former has already built up a tolerance for beer while the latter have not. (Genetics
may play a factor here)

I believe that the concept of tolerance/adaptability is somehow essential in understanding how one can
expound his/her potential in achieving one's long-term goal.

Example, if a person wants to be a master of a certain field, let's say Science. He/she cannot possibly be a
master of that field if he/she only studies the field of science 1 hour per day. But if he/she understood the
concept of tolerance/adaptability, he/she can actually study 10 hours or more than that by gradually
increasing the number of hours as he/she studies progressively. (Same goes with body building, etc.)

As to other beverages/medicines to which applying the knowledge of tolerance is of utmost importance, could
be that of coffee or other mental enhancers (e.g. glutaphos, bacopa monieri etc.) or even that of a melatonin
tablet.

Example: when a person drinks a coffee for the first time, its effects are strongest (promotes wakefulness,
gives mental boost etc.) But as he/she drinks coffee everyday, his/her tolerance of the coffee builds up. The
effects of coffee wary.

Realizing this, what the person will do is drink additional coffee in order to feel again the effects he felt when
he drank the coffee for the first time. This cycle will continue until the person who drank coffee for the 5th
time in one day feels the reverse effects of coffee (promotes sleepiness instead of wakefulness, no more
mental boost etc.)

The remedy is actually simple, that is, do not drink coffee everyday in order not to build up your tolerance
against it. But this remedy is a lot harder for others who are already addicted to drinking coffee/s everyday.

Which science actually understood because one of the effects of drinking coffee is that it helps the brain
produce dopamine, a feel-good hormone (which is an important hormone in understanding habit-formation
and addiction). Interestingly, though excessive intake of coffee lessens the positive effects/benefits of coffee,
it does not eradicate, if not minimize the production of dopamine, that's why coffee addiction is prevalent in
today's society.

The author suggests, in order to return one's original tolerance against coffee to enjoy its tremendous and
numerous effects, to actually and simply STOP/AVOID drinking coffee or any analogous beverages thereto at
least for a week. A longer period may be required from those whose coffee addiction is a lot stronger, and
those who, consequently, have a higher tolerance. Remember, use COFFEE/CAFFEINE STRATEGICALLY, NOT
HABITUALLY.

Disclaimer: these insights/ideas/tips are merely recommendatory (which may not be applicable to you), and
the contents of which are just products of the author's leisure reading of various books/articles/videos.
Consult your doctor first.

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My No.1 Nootropic Stack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3_aIeNnWpY (watch this first before reading

the steps stated below):

Jeff's Modified Nootropic (hereinafter referred as “JMN” for brevity):

1.) Drink a cup of Matcha Green Tea (mas madami siyang L-theanine compared sa ordinary green tea), then
refill it again (good for 2 cups naman ang 1 tea bag eh hehe)

2.) Then drink a strong coffee, in my case, I drink Kopiko 78 (which by the way has 150ml of caffeine per
bottle)
3.) Then drink again a cup of Matcha Green Tea

Note: these 2 combined beverages have a synergistic effect on one's brain. Furthermore, Yung jittery effect ng
coffee is being offset by certain compounds found in (matcha) green tea. So okay sila i-combine (stack).
Effective din eto pam-pa “CR” sa umaga hehe!

P.S. #1: This will be much more effective if your tolerance on caffeine is not that strong yet :)
P.S. #2: Instead of drinking/combining matcha green tea with coffee, you may take L-theanine in the form of a
supplement (meron sa Healthy Options or sa mga online supplement stores) then combine it with coffee.
P.S. #3: Use this sparingly, perhaps dun sa araw kung saan napuyat ka or kulang ka sa tulog or sa araw na alam
mong madami kang gagawin/tatapusin. Again, use this STRATEGICALLY, not HABITUALLY.
P.S. #4: SAFETY FIRST. Do your own research.

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*the day before the mock bar and actual bar exam day (Saturday)- (I made this note just to remind myself on
things I have to do during the four (4) Saturdays and the early mornings of Sundays):

On SATURDAY:

1.) Wake up early at 4am (meditate and pray) and exercise (preferably jog for at least 30 mins.)

2.) All throughout the day, do not take any stimulants e.g. caffeine, chocolates, soft drinks etc. (Melatonin is
not a stimulant)
Purpose: to avoid tolerance build-up and help you fall asleep fast come night time.

3.) Prepare your things for tomorrow (I.D., ballpens, food, money, etc.)
P.S. check your "to bring" list!

4.) Be at bed on or before 8pm. Drink melatonin (at least 2 melatonins at 6pm- last time to drink water to
avoid going to the bathroom at the middle of the night). Urinate before going to sleep. Suppletorily, be in total
darkness, turn off all the lights, avoid gadgets (put your phone in twilight mode at 6pm palang), meditate,
relax, pray and sleep with your eyemask and earplugs on. Make sure alarm clock is set at 4AM not PM! w/
vibrate and sounds on (maximum volume) w/ snooze.

P.S. Eto pla yung melatonin na binili namin sa healthy options, naghati-hati kami (sa price and tablets) ng
friends ko:

P.S. Based sa experience namin, malakas yung tolerance build-up sa melatonin, so use it sparingly, just like
caffeine, use it STRATEGICALLY, not HABITUALLY.

Sunday (mock bar day or actual bar exam day):

1.) On Sunday morning, wake up at 4am (or earlier, basta max. na yung 4am), meditate (while sitting to avoid
falling asleep) and drink water w/ Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) w/ honey on an empty stomach while preparing
your green tea and simultaneously preparing your workout attire and equipment (e.g. gloves, key, towel and
wristwatch)
2.) After preparing your matcha green tea (do not drink this yet!), do the tabatta exercise, so this will take you
around 10 mins (breakdown: warm up- 2 mins, tabatta exercise-4 mins, cooldown- 2 mins. Time papunta at
pabalik- 2mins; total= 10 mins.)

3.) After exercising for 10 mins, immediately boil 1 egg, drink water, read your LMTs and eat:

a.) 2 Bananas (while studying)

b.) 1 Boiled egg (" ")

c.) Drink a cup of green tea, then refill it again (for JMN)

d.) Sip a little of kopiko 78¤ (1/4 only)

e.) Walnuts and Almonds (while studying)

f.) Dark chocolate with almonds (" ")

g.) Drink kopiko 78¤

h.) Drink green tea (before hindi ko pa alam na mas maraming L-Theanine ang Matcha , kaya green tea pa
yung nakalagay dito)

4.) Use the Comfort Room, if hindi pa na-CCR, take booster C but slowly (sip from time to time while reading
LMTs), otherwise, consume booster-C at the UST na (or academicus in case of mock bar).

5.) After using the CR, consume 1 diatabs (and another diabtabs after lunch to make sure you will not be going
to CR while the exam is on going. Every second counts) and change your clothes and prepare to leave.

6.) Before leaving, check all the things thoroughly and urinate (madali kasi ako maihi hehe!)

7.) Few minutes before exam starts, urinate, and relax and/or meditate

P.S. write (or print) this stuff and post it near the door (on the shelf)

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Regarding Rumored Examiners, here is a good tip from:

JOSEPH DE JESUS

Ateneo Law School Batch 2013

Second Honors

“Should I keep watch for rumored examiners? Total BS. It’s money-making scheme. To illustrate

Subjects 2013 Rumored Examiner Actual Examiner

Tax/Comm Dimaampao Bunag (Brod)
Crim/Comm Esguerra Blancadflor (Brod)
Poli Not Esguerra Esguerra
Civ Not Dimaampao Dimaampao
KUNG AYAW MONG MANIWALA SA KIN, BAHALA KANG MAG-SAYANG NG PERA KABIBILI NG LIBRO
NG RUMORED EXAMINER.”

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Good Lawyer…. I do agree with Mr. Joseph De Jesus, money-making lang yung chismis regarding sa
rumored examiners since yung ibang nagpapa-kalat ng tsismis ay yung mga publishers at authors
mismo para bumenta yung kanilang books. See 2017 Bar Exam below.
Subjects 2017 Rumored Examiners Actual Examiners
Poli Not Mehol Sadain Mehol Sadain
Labor Justice Peralta Francisco Acosta
Civ Vivian Paguirigan Arturo de castro
Tax Not Leonor Boado Leonor Boado
Com Willard Riano Raul Vasquez
Crim Mario Lopez Alexander Padilla
Rem Willard Riano/Bersamin Willard Riano
Ethics Not Mario Lopez Mario Lopez
Note: Remedial law lang yung tinamaan among the rumored examiners. 1 out of 8.

Proposal to Barops. Disregard the rumored examiners, instead focus and include only the basic
concepts and/or hot topics (FAQs) in the bar exams (Lex Pareto Notes and Ceballos Bar Trends may
help us regarding these matters), PERO yung cases/doctrines/favorite topics nung Bar Exam Chairman,
pwd i-consider yun since certain naman tayo kung sino at sure na lumalabas tlga yung mga ganun.
Yun lang, God Bless! 

2018 Bar Exam

Subjects 2018 Rumored Examiners Actual Examiners

Poli Carlo Cruz Carlo Cruz
Labor Cadiz Hans Leo Cacdac
Civ Hernando Ma. Ngina Chan-Gonzaga
Tax Geronimo Carlos Baniqued
Com Cesar Villanueva Cesar Villanueva
Crim Sandoval Edgardo Cruz
Rem Tranquil Salvador Tranquil Salvador
Ethics Not Regina Geraldez Regina Geraldez
As you can see, 3/8 yung tinamaan sa rumored examiners na nakarating sa amin sa Arellano, mas
malaki compared dun sa last year na 1/8. Hindi ako nag base dito pero binasa ko lang din yung 2017
preweek ni Atty. Tranquil since mgnda/magaling naman talaga siya. Ayun, wag maniwala pero pwd
niyong daanan kung mgnda/maiksi yung materials ng rumoured examiner.

Pero as of the time you are reading this, the # of examiners per subject may have increased to two or
even up to three examiners (in the far future) per subject, so mas mahirap ng i-predict. So I suggest
mag focus ka nalang sa materials na comfortable ka without taking into consideration the examiners.

I hope, in one way or the other, may nahugot ka at natulungan kta kahit papano. Good luck and God
Bless future Attorneys!!!

----- Bar Preparations: Strategies, Techniques and Methods (STeM) 1st ed. May 11, 2019.

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