Hellooooo future Attorney!!!

Congratulations on 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 you some tips, advice, strategies, regrets, etc. based on your experience by answering the
questions below.

Yes, this might be too early as we are still waiting for the results but fret not ‘cause there is nothing
wrong in sharing what you have done, good or bad, and experienced in reaching your dream to
aspirants like you. 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! Haha! Remember, your response
could make someone else’s dream come true!

(Note/Disclaimer: Most of the suggestions/tips/experiences that I have written below were written
before the results came out last May 03, 2019 and only few suggestions/experiences were added
after the said date. The entire writings below are based only on my opinion 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 friends 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(s) 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, kapag finollow mo naman ang schedule
ng Review Center, makaka-one (1) quality reading ka lang, unless nakapag enroll ka rin sa
advanced review (yung ngsstart ng January yung review). Pero kung mags-start ang 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, especially during
your 4th year which comprised mostly of review subjects. Hindi na practical mag-aral ng mga
bagong concepts unless updates and/or important new concepts na pasok sa coverage ng Bar.

As to PreBar lectures, there will be “free for all” lectures; be selective which lectures you should
attend because not all lectures (or lecturers) are created equal. I highly encourage to attend
preweek and last minute 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, unlike sa prebar lectures na sobrang lawak ang coverage and medyo time-consuming.

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/

Use the Pomodoro Technique which can be better explained by this article:
https://curiosity.com/topics/the-pomodoro-technique-is-the-productivity-hack-designed-to-halt-
procrastination-curiosity/ or this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNBmG24djoY

In using the pomodoro technique for the first time, use the original ratio of time, that is, 25-5;
meaning, start with 25 minutes of intense/focus of study (and nothing else), followed by a five (5)
minute break. As you get used to it, increase the intensity/focus of the study incrementally by 5
minutes until you reach your desired maximum ratio.

In my case, around October of 2018, I have reached my desired maximum ratio of one (1) hour
of intense/focused study session followed by a five (5) minute break. I do at least 10 pomodoros
or 10 hours of intense/focused study everyday. Sometimes I fail pero I make sure na makakabawi
ako the next day 😉
In the book entitled, “The ONE Thing: The Surprising Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results”
by Gary Keller, he stated that,

“Most people think there’s never enough time to be successful, but there is when
you block it. Time blocking is a very results-oriented way of viewing and using time.
It’s a way of making sure that what has to be done gets done. Alexander Graham
Bell said, “Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun’s
rays do not burn until brought to a focus.” Time blocking harnesses your
energy and centers it on your most important work. It’s productivity’s greatest
power tool.”

Indeed, if the above concepts can be translated into a formula or equation, the best and closest
that I could think of is that equation provided by Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness in their book
entitled, “Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New
Science of Success”, which provides:

“Stress + Rest = Growth. This equation holds true regardless of what you are trying to grow.”

I agree with this formula 100% and this is especially true when it comes to bodybuilding (you
should lift bro!).

As to the ideal ratio of time between work and rest, the aforecited book stated:

“While the exact work-to-rest ratio depends on the demands of the job and
individual preferences, the overall theme is clear: alternating between blocks of
50 to 90 minutes of intense work and recovery breaks of 7 to 20 minutes
enables people to sustain the physical, cognitive, and emotional energy required
for peak performance. This ebb and flow runs counter to the all-too-common
constant grind of either perpetually working in an ‘in-between zone’ of moderately
hard work or working at the utmost intensity nonstop. Neither of these more
traditional approaches is ideal. The former leads to under-performance. The latter
leads to physical, cognitive, and emotional fatigue and, eventually, burnout.”

On a sidenote, I actually frown upon those who study while their phones are available, or within
their sight or reach. Studies show that a phone lessens your focus, comprehension and
productivity. Consider this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oj3OlgL45lg, and 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…

Brad Stulberg et.al mentioned, in the same book, about a study popularly coined as “The IPhone
Effect”, viz:

“Let’s say that you could somehow resist the temptation to check your phone when it
is near you. This in and of itself would take a lot of effort. Rather than devoting all your
cognitive energy to what you are truly trying to accomplish, a good portion of it instead
goes toward thinking about checking your phone, imagining what might be awaiting
you on it, and restraining yourself from actually checking. For a study published in The
Journal of Social Psychology, researchers asked a group of college students to
complete a series of difficult motor tasks when their cell phones were visible. Sure
enough, their performance was significantly worse than a control group where
participants’ cell phones were not visible. Things got even more interesting when all
the participants’ cell phones were removed but the study leader’s cell phone remained
 present. Incredibly, even when the phone visible wasn’t their own, study participants’
performance suffered.

Smartphones distract us where they are on, off, in our pockets, or on a table, and they
command our attention even when they are not our own.”

Kitams, ang laking distraction ng phones/gadgets, so parang awa niyo na, wag niyo muna gamitin
habang naga-aral. May oras para dyan. 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, or believe in Science at the very least. If may isang
bagay kayong nais kong mapulot sa survey question na eto, eto na yung tip na yon (aside sa
quality SLEEP as #1).

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 Atty. Cruz sa Political Law, Atty. Rabuya sa Civil Law, Judge
Campanilla sa Criminal Law, Atty. Riguera sa Remedial Law, Si Atty. Moya sa Criminal and
Remedial Law etc. Mag like ka na rin sa mga NEWS page like CNN Philippines, BBC, GMA News,
ABS-CBN News, etc. Ganun 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 huwag makipag-away, ignore the naysayers kasi nagkalat talaga
sila haha) or mag-basa lang ng mga sagot ng iba, sigurado may matututunan ka.

My “2019 bar exam passer” friend told me that he deactivated his FB around 3 or 4 months before
the bar exam. Gumawa lang siya ng dummy FB account, tapos nakisali sa lahat ng Law
Student/Bar Groups at ni-like niya lahat ng law/bar-related FB pages. Nakatulong daw sa kanya
yun sa pamamagitan ng pag minimize ng noise sa social media, to the point na pag log-in niya,
yung mga ni-like niya lang na law/bar related yung nakikita niya. He also added na, “Deactivating
FB account does not deactivate the Messenger account associated with it. So makakachat mo
pa din talaga ung FB friends mo.”

P.S. May mga kakilala parin ako na nakapasa kahit 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 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 the sample schedule of Academicus’ mockbar, tinake ko lahat ng subjects at
kinonsider ko yung preweek preparation ko sa Academicus as my 3 rd reading (pasadahan lang
tlga 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 mins lang yung exam and the remaining 1 hr and 30
mins 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.

However, 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 basta isipin mo
nalang kung para kanino ka bumabangon! :’) (Hi Nescafe, baka gsto niyo akong kunin as
endorser, chos! Haha!)

As Friedrich Nietzche puts it, “He who has a WHY to live for can bear almost any HOW”.

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! :’)

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 siya especially yung format mo ma-i-improve ng coaches.
May mga bagay kasi na hndi natin nakikita pero nakikita ng iba (I am not talking about third eye
here! haha!).

If ever ma-confuse ka kasi iba-iba yung tips/advice ng mga coaches, don’t be confused kasi
normal lang yun, and actually it reinforces the fact that there is no single way (but multiple
ways) to pass the bar exam. In case of doubt, adhere to the tips/advice that aligns with your
common sense, or trust your gut feeling or your heart.

A saying, (often attributed to Buddha) says, “Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who
said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common
sense.”

3. What was the advice you received from your professors/lawyer-friends that helped
you?
Practice your handwriting. Promise, 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.

Tips I used in order to improve my handwriting (which may also 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 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 analysing 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 this article:

https://curiosity.com/topics/scientists-found-a-technique-that-can-help-you-learn-skills-twice-as-
fast-curiosity/

I practiced on the same notebook as much as possible dun sa notebook na ga-gamitin sa bar
exam, 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. 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.”

Furthermore, in that seminal book of James Clear entitled: “Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven
Ways to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones”, he wrote:

“improving by 1 percent isn’t particularly notable— sometimes it isn’t even

noticeable—but it can be far more meaningful, especially in the long run. The
difference a tiny improvement can make over time is astounding. Here’s how the
math works out: if you can get 1 percent better each day for one year, you’ll end up
thirty-seven times better by the time you’re done. Conversely, if you get 1 percent
worse each day for one year, you’ll decline nearly down to zero. What starts as a
small win or a minor setback accumulates into something much more.”
 Sidenote: This 1% improvement or Theory of Marginal Gains, i-apply mo as to other aspects of
your life that will help you reach your goal. Example, as to the aspect of Sleep, make a tiny or at
least a 1% improvement as to the bed or mattress you use; as to your room temperature (ideally
60◦ to 68◦ Fahrenheit); as to the lightning of your room (dark), etc. Also watch this amazing video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TboGdB01x0

If wala na ako nakikitang room for improvement, I ask 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!

I am over-emphasizing handwriting, kasi sabi 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. “L” which stands
for LEGIBILITY. Kasi kahit gaano kaganda ang sagot mo, kung hindi mabasa ng examiner, wala
rin. In case you are curious, the other Ls are: Logic, Language and Law. To give a bit of context
to these 4 L’s, he said na natutunan natin ang mga eto noon sa:
Elementary – Dito tayo natuto mag-sulat Legibly. (Ideally dito mo dapat na-discover
kung mas okay ka ba mag-sulat in print or in cursive). I neglected this,
pabilisan kasi magsulat nung elementary days eh haha!
High School – Dito natin natutunan yung Logic. Yung concept ng what is reasonable
or not.
College – Dito natin natutunan ung mga basic rules over grammar, este of
grammar pala (pun intended hihi)
Law School – Dito na natin natutunan yung Law which took us more than 4 years to
study (review is included)
Here is a 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 nagblo-blot. Etong pen na eto yung gamitin mo everytime nag pra-praktis ka ng handwriting
mo and/or nagsasagot ng 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,
kumuha ako ng isang index card, tinatakpan ko yung sagot habang binabasa ko yung questions
then sasagutan ko (answer or conclusion, law and application sa isip ko lang) at ico-compare dun
sa suggested answer –by doing this, matra-train ka mag-sagot, 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 this well-researched, thought-provoking and revolutionary book entitled “Make It Stick: The
Science of Successful Learning” by Peter C. Brown, et.al, kasi marami akong nasa-sagutan,
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. 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-praktis yung handwriting niya, mame-
memorize niya 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 time which you could spend productively for
studying purposes.

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 ☺

Another major thing that helped me in studying and passing the Bar Exam is GOOD AND
ENOUGH SLEEP. Unfortunately to my surprise, our society glorifies lack of sleep, others even
get to the extent of bragging it (pre, 4 hours lang tulog mo? Wala yan, ako nga 3 hours lang eh!
Hehe!) and preaching na you have to sleep less in order to do more, which is a very backward
way of thinking. This is a kind of ignorance that can be cured by educating ourselves on the
importance of sleep. Allow me to share the following excerpts:

“One study showed that a highly successful student can be set up for a precipitous
academic fall just by getting less than seven hours of sleep a night. Take an A
student used to scoring in the top 10 percent of virtually everything she does. If
she gets just under seven hours of sleep on weekdays, and about 40 minutes more
on weekends, her scores will begin to match the scores of the bottom 9 percent of
individuals who are getting enough sleep.” ~ (Source: Brain Rules: 12 Principles
for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School by Dr. John Medina)

“Research shows that attentional space expands and contracts in proportion to

how much mental energy we have. Getting enough sleep, for example, can
increase the size of attentional space by as much as 58 percent, and taking
frequent breaks can have the same effect. This impacts productivity: when
attentional space is approximately 60 percent larger, productivity can grow by just
as much, especially when working on a demanding task. The better rested we are,
the more productive we become.” ~ (Source: Hyperfocus: How to be More
Productive in a World of Distraction by Chris Bailey)

“Scientists have discovered a revolutionary new treatment that makes you live
longer. It enhances your memory and makes you more creative. It makes you look
more attractive. It keeps you slim and lowers food cravings. It protects you from
cancer and dementia. It wards off colds and the flu. It lowers your risk of heart
attacks and strokes, not to mention diabetes. You’ll even feel happier, less
depressed, and less anxious. Are you interested?

While it may sound hyperbolic, nothing about this fictitious advertisement would be
inaccurate. If this were a drug, many people will be disbelieving. Those who were
convinced would pay large sums of money for even the smallest dose. Should
clinical trials back up the claims, share prices of the pharmaceutical company that
invented the drug would skyrocket.

Of course, the ad is not describing some miracle new tincture or a cure-all wonder
drug, but rather the proven benefits of a full night of sleep. The evidence supporting
these claims have been documented in more than 17,000 well-scrutinized and
scientific reports to date. As for the prescription cost, well, there isn’t one. It’s free.
Yet all too often, we shun the nightly invitations to receive our full dose of this all
natural remedy–with terrible consequences.
 Failed by the lack of public education, most of us do not realize how remarkable a
panacea sleep truly is.” ~ (Source: Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep
and Dreams by Matthew Walker PhD)

“If sleep doesn’t serve some vital function, it is the biggest mistake evolution ever
made.” ~ Allan Rechtschafffen

“No wonder Sleeping Beauty looked so good… she took long naps, never get
old, and didn’t have to do anything but snore to get her Prince Charming.” -Olive
Green (Author)

Here is my own research/compilation of some tips to enhance the quality of your sleep:

A.) 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/tablet emit blue light which disrupts melatonin production). So, in order
to have a good night's sleep, Melatonin is an important hormone to consider. To regulate
your melatonin, take note of the following:

1.) Wake up and sleep at the same time to establish and go along with the natural
production of melatonin. (Science says that the most regenerative sleep occurs
between 10pm to 2am according to our circadian rhythm -a picture of the said circadian
rhythm is attached below).

2.) 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 will turn your phone’s screen into a dark-red screen which minimizes,
if not totally eradicates, blue lights.

3.) Upon waking up, expose yourself to morning sunlight, in order to suppress
melatonin, not to mention that morning sunlight does not only give you an extra source of
energy but also serves as a natural source of Vitamin D. The best is to have a morning
exercise while exposing yourself to morning sunlight -here you are hitting two (perhaps a
flock of) birds with one stone: getting Vitamin D and the several benefits from exercising.

B.) Drink Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) with pure honey (at least 3 tbsp of ACV and at least 3
tbsp of pure honey, mixed in a glass of water). Got this tip from the book “Tools of Titans” by Tim
Ferris. See one of the sources for the scientific explanation.

C.) Drink Chamomile Tea. There are several kinds of tea which contain melatonin, but in my
opinion the best is the brand “CLIPPER” because aside from the fact that it is Organic and proven
to contain melatonin, it also has lemon balm and lavender, which also induce relaxation and
enhance sleep quality based on studies. Avoid non-organic teas because more often than not,
they contain toxins/chemicals.

Note: Preferably finish drinking at least two hours before you go to bed to avoid being interrupted
(or getting up) at the middle of the night just to urinate. One tea bag is generally good for two (2)
cups of teas. So if during review plano mo matulog as early as 10pm, drink it by 8pm. If sa pre-
week ng bar, plano mo matulog ng 9-10pm, drink it 7-8pm.

D.) Take supplements like L-theanine and/or magnesium -considered as calming agents and
enhance sleep quality.

E.) Sleep in a cold room (between 60 degrees fahrenheit to 68 degrees fahrenheit)

F.) Take a hot bath/shower around 1hr to 1hr and 30 mins before bedtime. A hot bath/shower
will raise your core body temperature, after which, your core body temperature will drastically
decrease especially when your room is cold. (See the previous letter)

G.) Sleep in a dark room (no lights at all -ZERO!), or wear a sleeping mask or install light-blocking
curtains

H.) Practice the 10-3-2-1-0 Method:

-10 hrs before going to sleep, do not take any stimulants (e.g. coffee, softdrinks, chocolates,
alcoholic beverage, soft drinks etc.);
-3 hrs before going to sleep, do not eat any food
-2 hrs before going to sleep, do not exercise nor work
-1 hr before going to sleep, no gadgets (cellphones,
televisions, lights etc,)
-0 or in less than 1 hour before going to sleep, lay down in bed and relax
Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKNQ6gsW45M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPFywqpAdTg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFOyR7DdWN8
https://brainflow.co/index.php/2018/10/10/tim-ferriss-bedtime-
cocktail-apple-cider-vinegar-honey/
BOOK: Tools of Titans (see right column)

I have researched about SLEEP extensively, finding ways to

hack it or to get the most out from it, and I have reached the
inevitable conclusion that SLEEP is a NON-NEGOTIABLE
BIOLOGICAL NECESSITY (Emphasis and underscoring
supplied); hence, cutting back off some sleep time in order
to get more work done or to have more study time will
eventually backfire since numerous scientific studies show
that being sleep deprived reduces all aspects of our
capacities in: cognitive, physical, emotional,
psychological, career, and all other areas you can think
about.

Disclaimer: Conduct your own research first. In the book, “Peak Sleep Performance for Athletes” by Shane Creado
M.D., it mentioned that, “Melatonin should not be used by women who are pregnant, planning to become pregnant,
or nursing, since it may affect the levels of reproductive hormones. It may also reduce sperm count in men.”

Diagram: Circadian Rhythm (Source: Beyond Training: Mastering Endurance, Health & Life by
Ben Greenfield)

Atty. Jim Lopez advised na magpa-flu shot or vaccine daw para hindi magkasakit sa bar
exams
Where to avail? Selected branches of Mercury Drug, nearest sa Arellano ay yung sa Harrison,
or SM Manila (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 nagbayad in advance at least 3 days before the
intended date of injection.

Good for one (1) year yung flu shot/vaccine ☺

P.S. I posted this in our chat group in the year 2018, so changes and other details may vary.

4. What were your realizations in taking the Bar?

Na stock knowledge talaga ang sinusubukan sa Bar exams. Ang mahalaga ay hindi kung
marami kang nabasa kundi kung marami kang naintindihan and/or na-retain. Importante ang
health at long stamina considering na four (4) Sundays ka mag take ng exam. Isa itong survival
of the fittest.
Na sana less memorization and more understanding pa yung ginawa ko.

Na sana, nung 1st year pa lang ay puspusan na dapat ang pag-aaral ko sa law school.

Na sana, na-meet ko yung future self ko at pinabasa niya sa akin eto :’)

5. What were the things you wished you should have done but you failed to do?
Na-masunod yung calendar ko para sana nakapag 2 quality readings ako sa lahat ng subjects.
Yung sa akin kasi parang isang quality reading tapos isang minadali na 2nd reading due to time
constraints. Kinulang na ako sa oras eh.
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
Na sana nabasa ko pala ng mas maaga ang book library niyo, manghiram ka nalang 😊
na “Effective Bar Review Methods” by Atty.
Domondon, the tips mentioned in this book are
gems, especially yung pags-schedule ng two (2)

6. What were the mistakes that you made while preparing, studying, and taking the Bar?
Siguro yung pagbasa ng maraming notes, dapat pala kaunting notes lang, 2 or even 1 quality material/notes
would be enough tapos 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 thereto, 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 mo na
problemahin yung updates. Foundation muna. Basic muna.” I think he got this tip from a lecturer/professor.

Elon Musk once 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 realized na mas magandang magpahinga totally for the whole day ng Monday after every Sunday Bar Exam.
During my time, I studied on the first Monday right after our first Sunday Bar Exam. 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 we ate lunch outside and watched a movie. Pero Tuesdays onward
ay Game Face mode on na! Fortunately, we both passed!

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.

A recent 2019 Bar Exam Passer told me na he agrees with that Monday-after-the-exam dilemma, but what he
did is since hindi siya nakakalabas nor nakakapasyal, ang ginawa niya na lang daw is every Monday afternoon,
binabasa niya yung mga last year’s Last Minute Tips (LMTs) for the upcoming bar exam subjects -at mabagal
daw talaga yung absorption pero at least natatapos niya kasi super iksi lang at napapareview na rin siya sa
mismong legit na LMT na ilalabas later that week.

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, konti lang. Medyo kakaiba yung 2018 Bar Exams kaya be careful, wag basta-
basta umasa sa trends nung mga nakalipas na Bar. I-turing mo nalang ang mga trends na bituin –“Hindi hawak
ng mga bituin ang ating kapalaran. Gabay lamang sila. Meron tayong free will. Gamitin natin ito” –Zenaida Seva,
(yes sya 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 ST nd rd
1 Reading 2 Reading 3 Reading/Pre-
Week/LMTs
POLITICAL
LAW ● 2018 PreBar Notes of Atty. ● Same (Highlights ● Atty. Sandoval-
Edwin Sandoval, his only) Prebar Notes and
Lectures, samplexes & my LMTs
own notes ● BRB (those w/ ★only)
● Recent Jurisprudence ● Atty. Lopez’s LMTs
by Atty. Murillo (hotel)
● Bedan Red Book (BRB) 2017 ● Atty. Medina Notes
& his mock bar
LABOR LAW ● Labor Law Reviewer- ● Same ● Atty. Chan’s book
Atty. Chan (the Book and (Highlights only) and his
his Pre- week); Pre-week (w/ ★only)
● Dean Abad's digest on ● LMTs of Atty.
Del Castillo's cases Lorenzo
● Dean Abad's digest
on Del Castillo's
cases
CIVIL LAW ● Atty. Rabuya: ALL ● Same ● Notes/updates/
(books/updates/lectures) (Highlights only) pre-
week/LMTS of
● Atty. Uribe: Syllabus in Atty. Rabuya
Civ2 and the handwritten
lectures; ● LMTs of Atty.
Uribe
TAXATION ● Atty. Lumbera’s Lecture ● Same ● Same (w/ Stars ★
LAW ● Memory Aid of San Beda- (Highlights only) only);
General Principles and the ● Notes/LMTs of:
Tables (for compare & ● Atty. Lumbera
contrast purposes) only ● Atty. Bobby Lock
● Atty. Bobby Locke’s Notes ● Justice.
● Taxation Digest by Atty. Dimaampao
Co- Untian, Jr. 2016 ed.;
COMMERCIA ● Sundiang-Aquino ● Same ● Same (w/ ★only)
L LAW ComReviewer; (Highlights only) +
● Fiscal Tambasacan’s Q&As ● LMTs of
● Preweek Arellano
ComReviewer of
Justice Dimaampao;
CRIMINAL LAW ● Memory Aid of San ● Same ● Same (w/ ★only)
Beda (Highlights (Highlights only) ● 2018 Preweek of
only); + Arellano
● Judge Campanilla’s ● Atty. Modesto ● Notes/updates of
book (Vol.1 only); Ticman’s lecture Atty. Ticman
● Atty. Diwa’s case list; ● Notes/updat
● 2017 Pre-Week of Arellano e of Judge
Campanilla
REMEDIAL ● Atty. Brondial’s Syllabus ● Same ● Same (w/ ★only)
LAW (case list and doctrines) (Highlights only) ● Preweek
and his transcribed Notes/LMTs of:
lectures ● Atty. Brondial
● Atty. Riguera
●
Remedial law ● Atty. Villasis
Reviewer Vols. 1&2 of ● Atty. Moya
Atty.Riguera
LEGAL ETHICS ● Atty. Loanzon’s Notes ● Same ● Same (w/ ★only)
and her lecture; (Highlights only) ● Atty.
● BRB 2017 ed. Loanzon’s
● San Beda Memory Aid- Preweek/L
General Principles MTs
Supplement to all: Lex Pareto Notes; Cases penned by Bar Exam Chairman Cases; 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% siguro which is good na rin kahit papano. As I have said, naka 2
readings lang talaga ako, kinonsider ko lang yung preweek as my 3 rd reading na rin para pang
boost ng confidence hehe. But just to summarize and update, among the materials that I have
read, eto ang pinaka 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, pero hindi ko na sila binasa kasi una, hindi ko sila natapos (walang highlights) nung law
school days. Pangalawa, I have to choose: book or notes, and I chose the latter kasi I think okay
din ang foundation ko sa Political Law (but as to other subjects, I recommend na mag book
talaga).

P.S. #2: If I were to study Political law again, I would use the following materials only: (1) Atty.
Sandoval (his lecture and prebar notes), (2) Survey of Recent Jurisprudence by Atty. Murillo,
(3) Atty. Medina’s notes (prebar, preweek, lmt and mock bar) and (4) Atty. Jacinto “Jack”
Jimenez’s notes (which I failed to read pero maraming nagsabi na maganda, which I agree kasi
kahit 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
LMT- Atty. Lorenzo and Arellano LMTs

P.S. Dito sa Labor, okay lang kung iba-iba yung books (not Chan) pero I highly recommend to
read his preweek kasi andyan na yung important topics and latest jurisprudence (but without
taking into consideration the chairman’s cases) kaya okay yan 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.

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-a-aral 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. Safe ka na dyan :’)
As of writing this 2nd edition, there is a chance na lumabas na yung 2020 edition book ni Atty.
Rabuya which covers the whole civil law in one book. If naghahanap ka pa ng material for civil
law, I highly recommend to read this one. I can vouch for him.

Taxation Law
PreBar- Atty. Rizalina Lumbera's lectures (2 readings, I personally transcribed it, handwritten
), Tax Digest by Atty. Co-untian (1 reading)
PreWeek- 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 all the lectures of Atty. Lumbera and you have a fighting
chance in Taxation.

Commercial Law
PreBar- Sundiang-Aquino ComRev and Justice Dimaampao's PreWeek in ComRev
Preweek- Justice Dimaampao's Preweek, Atty. Tambasacan and Atty. Zarah-Castro
LMT- Arellano LMTs and Justice Dimaampao's LMTs

P.S. If same tayo 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 believe 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 of and the things I want to accomplish for the day) then I
make my bed. After that I drink plenty of water (at least 2 glasses of water) then EXERCISE
(while in a fasted state) while exposing myself to morning sunlight, then after magpahinga, I will
take a cold shower/bath if possible, then aral na onwards.

All of these are based on science and can be somehow explained by a quote from Abraham
Lincoln, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”
So etong activities na eto ay ang pang sharpen ko ng ‘axe’ (me) para i-chop ang ‘tree’ (day) so
that one day makakalbo ko ang buong forest (Bar exam). I will discuss the ‘Science’ behind these
activities sa miscellaneous portion ng survey na eto.

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
experiencing 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, nakaka at least 10 hours of actual
study time ako. You may install an application for this, in my case I use the 'brain focus' as my
application.

Highly recommended siya 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.

I have a friend na prior using pomodoro (hindi niya tina-track ung time of study niya), akala niya
daw nakaka 12 hours siya, pero yun pala nakaka 8 hours lang siya in a day na nalaman niya na
dahil sa pomodoro. This is true for all of us, we are bad at monitoring ourselves, na akala natin
dumating tayo sa library ng 9am tapos umalis tayo ng past 9pm so ibig sabihin naka almost 12
hours na tayo of study time? A big no since hindi mo na exclude dyan yung breaktime mo, yung
pakikipag chismisan mo, yung pagkain sa lunch, yung meryenda time etc.

As to focus, may settings ang Pomodoro (ung brain focus na app) where you can set it na kahit
may magtext 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 at ung timer na magno-notify sayo na work
session is already over at start na ng breaktime mo). 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 pwedeng 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.

In connection with the aforementioned technique, I, together with my friends found that it is best
to combine it with a “Distraction Sheet”. Often, kapag naga-aral ka, may kung anu-anong
pumapasok sa isipan mo kung saan, hindi mo pa naman kelangan mag act upon, pero nakakasira
ng focus/momentum mo (e.g. things to do, random thoughts, need i-text si ganito, gaano kalawak
ang universe, inaanay din ba bahay ng anay? etc.)

Ang magandang gawin 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 ndi mo nakikita pero madali mong makukuha or masusulatan if need mo na sulatan).
Para 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 on my experience, kaya ko sinu-suggest na ¼ piece of paper lang kasi pag 1 whole sheet
of paper yan (lalo na kung 1 whole sheet of Manila Paper yan haha!), madami kang masusulat,
baka maging essay pa yan, at kaya dapat hindi mo nkikita 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 the distraction sheet tip 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 this
youtube video where I discovered this amazing tip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQilikfxsGU

Hence, Pomodoro technique + Distraction Sheet = Phenomenal Concentration!

Before we move on, it would be regretful for me not to mention the formula for a quality work
according to Cal Newport: “High-Quality Work Produced = (Time Spent) x (Intensity of
Focus)”

So kung ang time spent mo sa isang work (or study) is 3 hours at yung intensity of focus na
inapply mo is 10. The quality of your work would amount to a (3x10=) 30; conversely, if you spent
the same time, 3 hours pero yung intensity of focus mo is 5 lang kasi madalas ka mag check ng
social media (e.g., FB, Messenger, Twitter, Instagram, Tiktok, Netflix etc.), the quality of your work
would amount only to (3x5=) 15. See, same amount of time spent onto the same work/study, but
different levels of intensity. That is the difference between a shallow work (15) and a Deep Work
(30). See the book “Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World” for a more
detailed discussion.

Interestingly, Chris Bailey, in his book entitled, “Hyperfocus: How to Be More Productive in a
World of Distraction”, he stated that: “One study found that when we continuously switch between
tasks, our work takes 50 percent longer, compared with doing one task from start to completion.”

There are so many reasons why switching between tasks diminishes performance, but I think the
#1 reason is the so-called Attention Residue. Cal Newport explained, “X X X when you switch
from some Task A to another Task B, your attention doesn’t immediately follow—a residue of your
attention remains stuck thinking about the original task. … ‘People experiencing attention residue
after switching tasks are likely to demonstrate poor performance on that next task,’ and the more
intense the residue, the worse the performance.”

In other words, pag nanggaling ka sa isang task or activity, let’s say Netflix, nanood ka ng Kdrama
then mag-aaral ka na, meron pa rin ‘residue’ ng attention mo from pinanood mo na Kdrama;
perhaps iniisip mo kung ano ung sunod na mangyayari sa next episode? Magkakatuluyan ba sila?
At kung kinikilig ka from the last episode, meron pa rin matitirang kilig pag mag-a-aral ka na,
siguro mga 10% for example (residue) out of 80% kilig na naramdaman mo (I think this percentage
of residue is higher in women hehe). So yung attention mo is not fully on the task at hand, it will
take some time pa (research shows 25 minutes more or less) bago bumalik ung full
attention/focus/concentration mo. See video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oj3OlgL45lg

The fix here is huwag Netflix (oy nag rhyme hehe) series much less movies ang i-pang break mo.
Yung tipong 25-minute study ka tapos 1-episode sa break (na usually 1 hour pag Kdrama series).
Mas mahaba pa yung break kesa sa study time eh, and over a span of months, pag dating ng
Bar month, mas marami ka ng alam sa Kdrama kesa sa Law haha! Control! Tsaka ka na mag
binge watch after ng Bar as a reward, okay? :’)

As Jim Rohn said, “We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain
of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons.”

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 –a
specie of recall technique in general. How is this done? 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.”

In the same book, it stated that: “Effortful retrieval makes for stronger learning and retention.
We're easily seduced into believing that learning is better when it's easier, but research shows
the opposite: When the mind has to work, learning sticks better. The greater the effort to retrieve
learning, provided you succeed, the more that learning is strengthened by retrieval. After an initial
test, delaying subsequent retrieval practice is more potent for reinforcing retention than immediate
practice, because delayed retrieval requires more effort.” Further, it provided that: “The act of
retrieving learning from memory has two profound benefits:

One, it tells you what you know and don't know, and therefore where to focus further study to
improve the areas where you're weak. Two, recalling what you have learned causes your brain
to reconsolidate the memory, which strengthens its connections to what you already know and
makes it easier for you to recall in the future. In effect, retrieval-testing-interrupts forgetting.”

To clarify things, iba ang Recall/Retrieval sa basa (read) lang, the former really involves an effort
na i-recall/retrieve ang information (an active kind of learning); whereas, yung basa lang is a
passive form of learning. Yung former mas mahirap gawin pero mas effective unlike yung latter,
mas madali gawin pero less effective. Kaya malaking tulong talaga ang pagsagot sa mga
questions at pag attend sa mga mockbars.

In relation to rereading, the book stated, “Rereading text and massed practice of a skill or new
knowledge are by far the preferred study strategies of learners of all stripes, but they're also
among the least productive. Rereading has three strikes against it. It is time-consuming. It doesn't
result in durable memory. And it often involves a kind of unwitting self-deception, as growing
familiarity with the text comes to feel like mastery of the content. Rising familiarity with a text and
fluency in reading can create an illusion of mastery (illusions of knowing).

They tend not to know what they don't know; when put to the test, they find they cannot recall the
critical ideas or apply them in a new context. Likewise, when they've reread their lecture notes
and texts to the point of fluency, their fluency gives them the false sense that they're in possession
of the underlying content, principles, and implications that constitute real learning, confident that
they can recall than at a moment's notice.”

Yung feeling mo na alam mo na kasi familiar ka or nabasa mo pero pag tinest ka na, hindi mo
pala alam, ang tawag diyan ng Cognitive Science is Fluency Illusion or Illusions of knowing -kaya
dito pumasok yung testing/active recall/retrieval as a remedy/solution.

Now you might ask, so wala palang kwenta ang rereading? Answer: Not exactly, the authors
stated, “It makes sense to reread a text once if there's been a meaningful lapse of time since
the first reading, but doing multiple readings in close succession is a time-consuming study
strategy that yields negligible benefits at the expense of much more effective strategies that take
less time.”

So ayun, okay lang ang rereading basta may meaningful lapse of time, which we often do kasi sa
dami ba naman ng subjects (8 subjects) at pages na babasahin natin sa review. We have to
consider that these studies were made in US among college students, not law graduate students
in the Philippines. As the late Dean Riano said, “we are Sui Generis” :’)

So to conclude, the best (according sa book) is active recall/retrieval/testing or generation

method, at okay lang ang rereading basta merong meaningful lapse of time since the first reading
(mirror or reverse mirror method is actually great and backed-up by science).

Sidenote: There are various books out there tackling the Science of Effective/Successful
Learning, but in my humble opinion, this book, “Make It Stick: The Science of Successful
Learning” is so far the best. My only regret is that I have read it kinda late in my life and I do
hope that someday someone higher in our education system will be able to read this book and
change our education system. As you can see, our schools (in general) are good when it comes
to teaching us WHAT to learn, but they never taught us HOW to learn (effectively).

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 kaya 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 nakapag-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 or mental model 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.”

“Scientists aren’t yet sure which time intervals supply all the magic. But taken together, the
relationship between repetition and memory is clear. Deliberately re-expose yourself to
information if you want to retrieve it later. Deliberately re-expose yourself to information more
elaborately if you want to remember more of the details. Deliberately re-expose yourself to the
information more elaborately and in fixed, spaced intervals if you want the retrieval as vivid as
possible.” (Source: Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and
School” by Dr. John Medina)

I used this graph or mental model 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 chosen/selected few matters.

As to understanding naman, I mainly relied on the Feynman Technique, simple lang sya, ituro
mo sa iba (or sa Barbie doll mo, sa imaginary friend 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 this link:
https://curiosity.com/topics/learn-anything-in-four-steps-with-the-feynman-technique-curiosity/;
or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f-qkGJBPts

Moreover, check this Mental Model Re: Learning Pyramid:

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

The popular criticism against this mental model of the Learning Pyramid is the so-called Preferred
Learning Style. In the book Make It Stick, the authors stated that, “The popular notion that you
learn better when you receive instruction in a form consistent with your preferred learning style,
for example as an auditory or visual learner, is not supported by the empirical research”. XXX

“In 2008 the cognitive psychologists Harold Pashler, Mark McDaniel, Doug Rohrer, and Bob Bjork
were commissioned to conduct a review to determine whether this critical claim is supported by
scientific evidence. The team set out to answer two questions. First, what forms of evidence are
needed for institutions to justify basing their instructional styles on assessments of students’ or
employees’ learning styles? For the results to be credible, the team determined that a study would
need to have several attributes. Initially, students must be divided into groups according to their
learning styles. Then they must be randomly assigned to different classrooms teaching the same
material but offering it through different instructional methods. Afterward, all the students must
take the same test. The test must show that students with a particular learning style (e.g., visual
learners) did the best when they received instruction in their own learning style (visual) relative to
instruction in a different style (auditory); in addition, the other types of learners must be shown to
profit more from their style of instruction than another style (auditory learners learning better from
auditory than from visual presentation). The second question the team asked was whether this
kind of evidence existed. The answer was no. They found very few studies designed to be capable
of testing the validity of learning styles theory in education, and of those, they found that virtually
none validate it and several flatly contradict it. Moreover, their review showed that it is more
important that the mode of instruction match the nature of the subject being taught: visual
instruction for geometry and geography, verbal instruction for poetry, and so on. When
instructional style matches the nature of the content, all learners learn better, regardless
of their differing preferences for how the material is taught. (Emphases and underscoring
supplied)

Here's an analogy, let’s say auditory yung preferred learning style mo, at yung subject na paga-
aralan mo is learning how to ride a bicycle or to drive a car. Definitely, it would be very difficult, if
not impossible for you to learn it by just merely listening to the instructor. You might say na unfair
yung example kasi procedural skill yung learning how to ride a bicycle or to drive a car. Fair
enough. Okay let’s say painting, geography or mathematical problem; still using auditory as the
means to learn these would not be efficient. It would be much more efficient if you use visual as
a method in studying painting and geography and by actually solving talaga yung mathematical
problem (learning by doing). Conversely, if you were to learn the correct pronunciation of a certain
word in a foreign language or learning the proper way to sing a certain song, definitely, auditory
yan.

In conclusion, it is not really about your preferred learning style -it is about matching the style to
be used (visual, auditory or kinesthetic) to the kind of material/information to be absorbed. Hindi
yung material yung mag-a-adjust.

Takeaway: Mas madali mo matutunan (efficient) ang anything na may computation sa Law (e.g.
Wills & Succession, Taxation, Labor Law, among others) by practicing at solving similar problems.
Sa mga procedural concepts naman, it would be much more efficient to learn it if you use visual
aids/charts/diagrams para makita yung flow ng procedure.

Going back to the Learning Pyramid, kung mapapansin mo, yung lowest retention rate daw is
lecture, 5% lang, but this retention rate can be dramatically increased by combining it with other
methods such as by TAKING DOWN NOTES WHILE LISTENING TO THE LECTURE; thereafter,
by reading your notes and then by teaching what you have learned.

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?” Hindi, there are two ways which I
discovered:
1.) sa utak mo lang i-recall or magmur-mur ka lang, OR
2.) Kunin mo ang 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 pa 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 39 (may #3), sa section 13 (may #3 nanaman),
ilan lahat yung enumerated na exempt? There are 13 exempt properties. How much yung amount
ng exempt properties regarding professional libraries and equipment of judges, lawyers, dentists
et.al? Not exceeding three hundred thousand. Ilang horses, cows, carabaos and other beast of
burden ang exempt? You guess it right, up to three (3) animals. Dagdag pa niya, bakit daw up
to three lang per family? Kasi daw it represents the ideal family (Joseph the father, Mary the
mother and Jesus the baby –so one animal for each of them). Ilang 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
at 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 (Gawa-gawa ko na etong 3rd association hehe). 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), tapos 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/institution,
Workplace, Educational or Training institution. And the last 3 letters (IHO) refer to the manner or
result of the harassment, Intimidating, Hostile or Oppressive environment.

Sorry kung madaming techniques at kung anu-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 at sabi nga ni Jim Kwik, #1 brain performance coach, “Give
a person an idea, and you enrich his day. Teach a person how to learn and you can enrich his
entire life.” 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! :’)

As the famous John D. Rockefeller once said, “I do not think that there is any other quality so
essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcomes almost everything,
even nature.”

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 4 th/5th year ka (Review class),
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. 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

One of my criteria in choosing a material is by looking how organized/structured it is. Research

says people recall structured information 40% better. Source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3K_HbpWNpg

Also, bawasan ang notes na babasahin. Hindi rin uubra yung babasahin mo lang yung
'magandang notes' kasi sobrang dami ang mgndang notes na nagkakalat especially kung
resourceful ka or may mga kaibigan kang resourceful or kasali ka sa mga online groups na ngse-
send ng mga notes (at ingat ka na rin s mga poison notes, and yes, unfortunately, they 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. 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, and I think sa ibang schools din naman, 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. FOCUS NA SA PAG-AARAL!
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
🡨----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------🡨

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

On 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 are 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 not to 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 understands 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.

Thus, in order to return one's original tolerance against coffee to enjoy its tremendous and
numerous effects, this author suggests 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.
🡨------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------🡨

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”):

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)

3.) Then drink again a cup of Matcha Green Tea (I do the ‘sandwich process’)
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 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: L-theanine may be used in the morning combined with caffeine to energize you, but L-
theanine alone may be taken before sleep to enhance the quality of your sleep. It has this
either-or purpose and is generally regarded as safe and does not build up tolerance that’s why I
am a fan of L-theanine.
P.S. #4: Disclaimer. Safety first. Do your own research first.
🡨----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------🡨

*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 Sunday (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 eye/sleeping mask and earplugs
on. Make sure the alarm clock is set at 4AM not PM! with vibrate and sounds on (maximum
volume) with 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. Mag-start ka muna sa
mababang dosage, perhaps 1 or 3mg muna 😊

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) 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 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)

🡨------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------🡨
How to achieve FLOW.

Before we discuss the steps in achieving flow, we must first define what “flow” is?

In simple words, flow is a state where you can perform and feel at your best. Yung nasa “in the
zone” feeling ka.
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, in his book entitled, “Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience”, he
stated that, “In all the activities people in our study reported engaging in, enjoyment comes at a
very specific point: whenever the opportunities for action perceived by the individual are equal to
his or her capabilities. Playing tennis, for instance, is not enjoyable if the two opponents are
mismatched. The less skilled player will feel anxious, and the better player will feel bored. The
same is true for every other activity… Enjoyment appears at the boundary between boredom
and anxiety, when the challenges are just balanced with the person’s capacity to act.”

To simplify, ma-a-achieve daw ang state ng flow kapag ang challenge (or level of difficulty ng
isang task/work) ay somehow balanced or on the same level ng skill/ability natin. To illustrate,
see the figure below:

Steven Kotler, in his book, “The Rise of

Superman Decoding the Science of Ultimate
Human Performance”, stated that, “And that
brings us back to the ‘challenge/skill ratio,’ the
last of our internal flow triggers, and arguably the
most important. The idea behind this trigger is
that attention is most engaged (i.e., in the now)
when there’s a very specific relationship between
the difficulty of a task and our ability to perform
that task. If the challenge is too great, fear
swamps the system. If the challenge is too easy,
we stop paying attention. Flow appears near the
emotional midpoint between boredom and
anxiety, in what scientists call the flow channel—
the spot where the task is hard enough to make
us stretch but not hard enough to make us snap.”

How hard is that? Answers vary, but the general

thinking is about 4 percent. That’s it. That’s the
sweet spot. If you want to trigger flow, the
challenge should be 4 percent greater than
the skills. In technical terms, the sweet spot is the end result of what’s known as the Yerkes-
Dodson law—the fact that increased stress leads to increased performance up to a certain
intensity, beyond which performance levels off or declines. In real-world terms, it’s not much at
all.”

In other words, if the challenge (or level of difficulty ng isang task/work) ay masyadong mataas
compared sa current skill/ability natin, we will suffer from anxiety; conversely, if our skill/ability is
too high tapos yung challenge (or level of difficulty ng isang task/work) is too low or too easy, then
we will be bored -but if the challenge (or level of difficulty ng isang task/work) is somehow on the
same level (or mas mataas ng kaunti) sa skill or ability natin, then we will be in the state of FLOW.

To illustrate, pag nanood ka ng isang sports game, let’s say a basketball game, tapos sobrang
laki ng agwat ng abilities ng teams, ang resulta tambak ang score, di ba nakaka-bore panoorin?
Pero kung ung teams ay somehow on the same level/ability, ung tipong dikit ung laban, ung tipong
ilang beses na sila nag-OT (overtime), di ba ang exciting panoorin? It’s because we see and
somehow experience even the glimpse of their state of being in the FLOW.
Another example, let’s say my favorite professor, Atty. Brondial, ilagay natin siya sa kindergarten
para magturo ng ABC, obviously mabo-bore lang siya kasi his skill/ability is too high and yet his
task is too low/easy; conversely, ung teacher ng kindergarten ilagay natin sa bar review, siya ang
magturo, definitely her skill/ability is too low and yet the task/challenge is too high so she will
suffer from anxiety. You get my point?

So the obvious remedy here is always try to match the task/challenge to the ability/skill of the
person. For example, sobrang dali nlng para sa akin mag hugas ng mga plato (nakaka-bore), so
to somehow increase the difficulty of the task at hand, I will time myself na matapos ung
hinuhugasan ko in under 5 minutes. Conversely, yung subject na Taxation is a high challenge for
me, I was anxious back then, so in order to lessen my anxiety, naghanap ako ng materials kung
saan mae-explain ung taxation sa akin in the simplest way at ung basic concepts lang inaral ko.
So ayun, FLOW.

🡨---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------🡨
Morning Routine (with Science):
Leadership expert John C. Maxwell said,
“You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your
success is found in your daily routine.”

“We first make our habits and then our habits make us.” ~ John Dryden

“All change is hard at first, messy in the middle, and so beautiful at the end.” ~ Robin Sharma

“We are what we repeatedly do, excellence then is not an act, but a habit” ~ Aristotle

Preliminarily, it must be noted that a quality morning first begins with a quality sleep. So ayusin
mo muna yung evening routine mo before ang morning routine mo and consider these activities
as sharpening your saw/axe as I have mentioned above. If you are into gaming, consider these
activities as ‘buffs’ which will increase your mood, happiness, intelligence, strength, vitality, agility,
among others.

On Meditation, Jonathan Haidt, in his book, “The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth
in Ancient Wisdom”, he interestingly stated the following:
“Suppose you read about a pill that you could take once a day to reduce anxiety
and increase your contentment. Would you take it? Suppose further that the pill
has a great variety of side effects, all of them good: increased self-esteem,
empathy, and trust; it even improves memory. Suppose, finally, that the pill is all
natural and costs nothing. Now would you take it? The pill exists. It’s called
meditation.”

“Meditation is the greatest life hack that most people don’t use.” -(Ravi Raman,
Executive Career Coach)

Kelly McGonigal, in her book, “The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters,
and What You Can Do to Get More of It”, stated:

“Neuroscientists have discovered that when you ask the brain to meditate, it gets better not just
at meditating, but at a wide range of self-control skills, including attention, focus, stress
management, impulse control, and self-awareness. People who meditate regularly aren’t just
better at these things. Over time, their brains become finely tuned willpower machines. Regular
meditators have more gray matter in the prefrontal cortex, as well as regions of the brain that
support self-awareness.”

“One study found that just three hours of meditation practice led to improved attention and self -
control. After eleven hours, researchers could see those changes in the brain. The new meditators
had increased neural connections between regions of the brain important for staying focused,
ignoring distractions, and controlling impulses. Another study found that eight weeks of daily
meditation practice led to increased self-awareness in everyday life, as well as increased gray
matter in corresponding areas of the brain. It may seem incredible that our brains can reshape
themselves so quickly, but meditation increases blood flow to the prefrontal cortex, in much the
same way that lifting weights increases blood flow to your muscles. The brain appears to adapt
to exercise in the same way that muscles do, getting both bigger and faster in order to get better
at what you ask of it.”

Benefits of meditation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmhkmLFc74E

How I do it: I meditate for 10 minutes everyday upon waking up. I concentrate on my breathing -
inhale, exhale. Your mind will wander most of the times so ibalik mo lang sa breath until matapos
yung time. I use this tool: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXItOY0sLRY&t=2s
Pero kung beginner ka pa lang, aim for a one (1) minute meditation muna. Yan lang muna ung
quota mo. I-establish mo muna ung habit bago mo i-increase yung time to 2 minutes and so on.
🡨---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------🡨
On Journaling, Robert A. Emmons, in his book entitled, “Gratitude Works! A 21-Day Program for
Creating Emotional Prosperity”, he mentioned that:

“groundbreaking research has shown that when people regularly cultivate

gratitude, they experience a multitude of psychological, physical, interpersonal,
and spiritual benefits. Gratitude has one of the strongest links to mental health and
satisfaction with life of any personality trait—more so than even optimism, hope,
or compassion. Grateful people experience higher levels of positive emotions such
as joy, enthusiasm, love, happiness, and optimism, and gratitude as a discipline
protects us from the destructive impulses of envy, resentment, greed, and
bitterness. People who experience gratitude can cope more effectively with
everyday stress, show increased resilience in the face of trauma-induced stress,
recover more quickly from illness, and enjoy more robust physical health. Many of
these effects are quantifiable. Consider these eye-popping statistics. People are
25 percent happier if they keep gratitude journals, sleep one-half hour more
per evening, and exercise 33 percent more each week compared to persons
who are not keeping these journals. … Experiencing gratitude leads to
increased feelings of connectedness, improved relationships, and even altruism.
We have also found that when people experience gratitude, they feel more loving,
more forgiving, and closer to God.”
How I do it: Sa isang page ng notebook, meron dalawang categories: sa top portion ay category
na allotted for the things that I am grateful for; sa bottom portion naman ay category na allotted
for the tasks that I want to accomplish for that day.

I always aim to write at least three (3) good things that I am grateful for. Example ay “I had a good
night's sleep; may nagbigay ng chocolates sa akin sa library; safe ang family ko, etc.”. By doing
this, natra-train ang mind mo mag-isip ng positive thoughts; hence, the study “People are 25
percent happier if they keep gratitude journals”.

Sa lower portion naman, I write the things that I want to accomplish for that day. Writing something
down will increase the odds of actually doing it, Psychologists call this ‘Implementation Intention
Technique’. Kindly see this video na lang to understand it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bktV25WgMII
🡨---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------🡨

On arranging or making my bed every morning, to elaborate on this, allow to me to quote the
famous speech of Naval Admiral William H. McRaven, ninth commander of U.S. Special
Operations Command, viz:
“If you make your bed every morning you will have accomplished the first task of
the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do
another task and another and another. By the end of the day, that one task
completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also
reinforce the fact that little things in life matter. If you can’t do the little things right,
you will never do the big things right. And, if by chance you have a miserable day,
you will come home to a bed that is made — that you made — and a made bed
gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better. If you want to change the
world, start off by making your bed.”
Here is a video of his famous speech - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sK3wJAxGfs
🡨---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------🡨

On drinking water first thing in the morning, Aubrey Marcus, in his book entitled, “Own the
Day, Own Your Life”, he stated: “When you go to sleep tonight, you’ll lose approximately one
pound of water through exhaling water vapors and sweating under warm sheets. When you lose
1% of your body weight in water, you experience headaches, moodiness, irritability, anxiety, and
fatigue. If you lose 2% of your body weight in water, your short-term memory is compromised,
and your mental performance suffers. Researchers from Duke University estimate that if we go
100 hours without water, we’ll die. That means, after a full night’s sleep, we’re roughly 10% dead!”

Tony Schwartz, in his book entitled, “The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time,
Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal”, he stated that, “Drinking water, we have
found, is perhaps the most undervalued source of physical energy renewal. Unlike hunger, thirst
is an inadequate barometer of need. By the time we feel thirsty, we may be long since dehydrated.
A growing body of research suggests that drinking at least sixty-four ounces of water at intervals
throughout the day serves performance in a range of important ways. Dehydrate a muscle by as
little as 3 percent, for example, and it will lose 10 percent of its strength and 8 percent of its speed.
Inadequate hydration also compromises concentration and coordination.”
🡨---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------🡨

On exposing oneself to a morning sunlight, Aubrey Marcus, in his book entitled, “Own the Day,
Own Your Life”:
Your circadian rhythm (inner biological clock) controls your body temperature and triggers the re
lease of
cortisol (an energizing hormone that makes you more alert). Your circadian rhythm is partially ac
tivated when light hits light receptors in your eyes and ears. You can hack the start of your circa
dian rhythm by exposing yourself to intense light indoors or going outdoors to get a few minutes
of sunlight. When you take in bright light or sunlight shortly after waking, you give yourself the e
xtra boost of energy you need to own the day (you’ll also fall asleep easier at night).
🡨---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------🡨

On Exercise, John J. Ratey, in his famous book, “Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of
Exercise and the Brain”, he concluded that, “The brain responds like muscles do, growing with
use, withering with inactivity. The neurons in the brain connect to one another through “leaves”
on treelike branches, and exercise causes those branches to grow and bloom with new buds,
thus enhancing brain function at a fundamental level.”

On a similar note, Dr. Kate Hefferon, PhD in her book entitled, “Positive Psychology and the Body:
The Somatopsychic Side to Flourishing” she stated that, “Hefferton and Mutrie identified physical
activity as a ‘stellar’ positive psychology intervention due to its ability to not only reduce risk and
alleviate ill health, but to produce positive emotions, self-efficacy, mastery and overall flourishing.
In terms of reducing, activity has been found to lower the risk of developing ‘obesity,
cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes (type 2), osteoporosis, certain
sleep disorders, high blood pressure (e.g. blood pressure reduces for up to 12 hours post
exercise), certain cancers (colon, breast, rectal, lung, prostate, endometrial) and even premature
death.’ Exercise can also be used to enhance immune system functioning, however, there
appears to be a J-shape relationship, such that moderate, chronic levels of activity are better in
the promotion of immune system functioning than chronic, high intensity.

In terms of producing, physical activity has been linked to both hedonic and eudaimonic
experiences of wellbeing including: positive emotions, self-esteem, body image, cognitive
functioning, psychological wellbeing, posttraumatic growth, flow, purpose in life and many, many
more concepts.”

Kelly McGonigal, in her book, “The Willpower Instinct: How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters,
and What You Can Do to Get More of It”, stated: “Exercise turns out to be the closest thing to a
wonder drug that self-control scientists have discovered. For starters, the willpower benefits of
exercise are immediate. Fifteen minutes on a treadmill reduces cravings, as seen when
researchers try to tempt dieters with chocolate and smokers with cigarettes. The long-term effects
of exercise are even more impressive. It not only relieves ordinary, everyday stress, but it’s as
powerful an antidepressant as Prozac. Working out also enhances the biology of self-control by
increasing baseline heart rate variability and training the brain. When neuroscientists have peered
inside the brains of new exercisers, they have seen increases in both gray matter—brain cells—
and white matter, the insulation on brain cells that helps them communicate quickly and efficiently
with each other. Physical exercise—like meditation—makes your brain bigger and faster, and the
prefrontal cortex shows the largest training effect.”

To reap the benefits of exercise, what is the minimum amount of time required and perhaps the
kind of exercise that you have to do? Check Dr. Wendy Suzuki’s video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6n9snBQTic
The brain-changing benefits of exercise by Dr. Wendy Suzuki:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHY0FxzoKZE&t=31s
WHY Exercise is so Underrated (Brain Power & Movement Link):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsVzKCk066g&t=7s

Pro tip: Do the morning exercise in a fasted state (meaning walang laman na food ang tyan mo,
water or green tea or pure coffee lang na walang sugar), this will increase your fat-burning
mechanism, growth hormone, Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) (a “Miracle Gro” for the
brain), and so many more benefits plus it does not need a research to tell you na hindi okay mag
exercise pagkatapos kumain, lalo na kung busog ka. Tsaka ka na lang kumain after ng exercise
mo, or if you are into Intermittent Fasting (IF), much better kung ituloy-tuloy mo na yung fasting
mo tapos sa lunch time mo na i-break yung fast pero Consult your Doctor First.

If you are going to break your fast, here are some of the top 11 Brain Foods according to Jim Kwik
(world’s #1 Brain Coach):
Jim Kwik (world’s #1 Brain Coach) top 11 Brain Foods:
1. Water: Your body is 70% water, your brain is 70% water and you want to be able to hydrate
that. Your brain is only about 2% of your body mass but it requires 20% of the nutrients so keep
that water up!
2. Avocados: Containing good, healthy fats, avocados increase a number of different feel-good
chemicals in the brain. Avocados are also a good source of Omega-3 fatty acids that assist with
brain function, mood regulation, and emotions.
3. Blueberries: Jim calls them brain berries! Full of anthocyanins, blueberries provide anti-
inflammatory and antioxidant effects which help combat brain aging and neurodegenerative
diseases and also supports improved communication between brain cells.
4. Broccoli: Your mum was right! Broccoli is good for your health and for your brain because it is
high in antioxidants as well as Vitamin K so it helps protect the brain against damage and helps
with better memory function.
5. Coconut Oil: The fatty acids in coconut oil are good for your brain and have even been linked
to supporting people with Alzheimer’s Disease.
6. Eggs: There are a number of reasons why eggs are great for the brain, with essential fatty
acids, Vitamins B6 and B12, folate and choline, which help to regulate mood, memory and
cognitive function.
7. Green Leafy Vegetables: Containing large amounts of folate, green leafy vegetables and
spinach, in particular, can help reduce symptoms of depression and are very neuroprotective.
8. Wild Salmon: The Omega-3 fatty acids in wild salmon (and sardines) are good for the brain.
If you’re not getting enough of this essential fatty acid you may notice a cognitive decline,
emotional imbalances and mood issues.
9. Turmeric: Turmeric, extremely good for the brain with great anti-inflammatory properties.
Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric helps to improve memory, ease depression and help
new brain cells grow. Jim Kwik likes to make a golden tea with turmeric and pepper to help absorb
the benefits. Some people like honey, some almond milk as a base.
10. Walnuts: Nuts, and in particular Walnuts improve cognition and memory and slow
mental decline. Even if you notice, we look at a walnut, it looks like what? It looks like the human
brain. Walnuts also contain Omega-3 fatty acids so there’s double the reason to enjoy these nuts
for brain health.
11. Dark Chocolate: Saving the best for last, eat dark chocolate for your brain (and your taste
buds!). Dark chocolate boosts concentration, mood and actually improves blood flow to the brain.
The darker the chocolate, the better!

Robin Sharma, in his book entitled, “World Changer’s Manifesto”, discusses the three (3) morning
habits of the world-class performers, which are: “First of all, you want to start off with intense
exercise. Burpees. Skipping. Running on the spot. It may be mountain biking. Get intense and
release sweat, which releases a neurotransmitter called BDNF which grows brain cells and amps
up your brain. It also releases dopamine—the inspirational neurotransmitter—so even if you're
grumpy, stressed and cranky, because of that morning routine and exercise, you start to
come alive and feel on fire.

Take some time to think. Take some time to write in a journal. Writing in a journal is a morning
meditation on paper. Writing in a journal is an opportunity for you to release toxic emotions, for
you to think about your dreams for even a couple of minutes, for you to write on paper and detect
your values, for you to think through how you want to live your day. Then, the final part of your
morning routine, you want to get some learning in.”

5 Rituals To Predict Success | Robin Sharma: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6eXhabIiOU

How To 100x Your Productivity In A World Of Distraction-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMnx3_KfRjI&t=9s
10 Morning Habits Geniuses Use To Jump Start Their Brain | Jim Kwik -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sGyNx44Xw4
🡨---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------🡨

On taking a cold shower/bath, nagawa namin ng bar buddy ko sa Sunday ng madaling araw,
buti may brad siya na nautusan namin na bumili ng ice sa 7-11 na nilagay namin sa timba at
pinanligo. Isa sa immediate benefits neto is masho-shock yung system mo (mapapasigaw ka
talaga sa lamig hehe!) at magigising ka talaga; hence, the immediate burst of energy, and several
other benefits that are backed-up by science.
Kindly check these videos for the thorough explanation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GShvGXwaijg; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTzf-
zvdWlw; and this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUylYSIEuYQ

Note: All of these, I consider as good habits, but if you will employ all or some or at least one,
please do it by starting out gradually and make it very easy. Huwag mo biglain sarili mo. Perhaps
sa meditation, one (1) minute lang muna, sa exercise, start ka by just wearing your
workout/running shoes or shirt, then later on, pag sanay ka na, start by walking outside muna,
after some time, start to jog kahit one (1) minute lang muna and increase it gradually na lang
overtime pag kaya mo na. (I highly recommend the book Atomic Habits by James Clear for further
discussion on to establish good habits and make it last)
🡨---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------🡨
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.”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 talaga
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,
🡨---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------🡨
This Bar Tips discussed several concepts/ideas that may help you in passing the bar exam, and
even may change your life for the better (I hope so), but If I were to sum up by choosing the top
5 tips/ideas, eto yun:
1.) Sleep! (Without this, all the rest will be difficult to do);

2.) Pomodoro Technique (in this world of full of distraction, the ability to focus is the 21 st
century super power according to the best-selling author Cal Newport);

3.) Routines/habits (it’s not about what you do once in a while that matters, it’s what you do
consistently compounded over a period of time that will matter);

4.) Answer Questions without looking at the answers (also practice active
retrieval/recall/generation method – this method is backed-up by science on learning)

5.) Incorporate the 1% improvement mentality (okay lang kahit 1% improvement lang yan e.g.
penmanship, habits, skill development, knowledge sa law, etc. basta tuloy-tuloy,
magugulat ka lang one day sa laki ng improvement mo)

I hope, in one way or the other, may nahugot ka at natulungan kita kahit papano. Good
luck and God Bless future Attorneys!!!
----- Bar Preparations: Strategies, Techniques and Methods (STeM) 1st ed. May 11, 2019.

----- Bar Preparations: Strategies, Techniques and Methods (STeM) 2nd ed. May 11, 2020.

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