Punzi's Corner Blog

When I took the bar exams ten years ago (ooopppss... that revealed my age...), I measured how near it was on what Grand Slam tennis tournament it was.

The Philippine Bar Exams is held during (yes, DURING) the US Open. So I planned my study schedule using timelines such as I should finished Taxation at the end of the Australian Open, ended my first reading by the French Open, my second reading by Wimbledon, and just finishing up before the start of the US Open, etc. To each his/her own, as Jill always says...

So, when I saw TV plugs on the US Open this weekend, I knew that September, the hell month, is near.

The bar exams, as I have said before, is not just a mental examination. It's not all brains. It tests your entire person. Physically. Emotionally. Financially. Psychologically. And yes, even Spiritually.

I personally know that for a fact.

My college finals consists of one-hour tests. So did my law school finals, which are supposedly dress rehearsals for the bar...

But imagine doing a whole day, with the morning exams at four hours and the afternoon one at three hours. And believe me, you need all that time to even have hope of finishing...and that's coming from a person who, before and after the bar, finished his exams way ahead of time... (I finished the Career Service Executive Exams, an exam with a higher mortality rate than the bar, an hour and half ahead of schedule... with a hangover... and passed)

Then imagine doing it for four Sundays of September... That's the bar exams.

Some people around me do not know this but I took my last two exams (the final Sunday) with a sprained right wrist. Unfortunately, I was right-handed so the injury was on my writing hand. I was writing in agonizing pain, using a full forearm action since my wrist were immobilized, for the hardest exam we took then.

My agony was so noticeable that the proctor and the supervisor already asked me if I wanted to go to the infirmary. Of course I did not want to because I would loose time... The supervisor just whispered to me to just pray...which I did...

Anyway, good luck to all of those who will be taking it this year. I personally know one or two...

I'll blog some more on the bar exams next month, but first, allow me to give you the links to a series of entries I made when the 2005 Bar Exam results came out... my secrets in passing the bar...


Until then... again good luck...