Let the Games Begin...

Just last Sunday, the Bar Exams have officially begun, starting with two subjects: Political and International Law and Labor Law. And tomorrow is the second day, which tackles questions on Civil Law and Taxation.

I did not understand what the big deal is with Bar Exams until I actually entered their world - well, at least close to it. Why was it of all the licensure exams, the Bar is the most talked about, if not controversial? The next best thing from the Bar Exams would probably the Nursing Licensure Exams (probably because of the increasing population of nursing students). It was only now that I know why.

Way before I entered law school, I was told that preparations for the Bar starts as early as the first year. Naturally, my question was, 'Why is it it's that early?' But when I finally took my classes, along the way, I came to understand why.

And yeah, as early as my first semester in my first year in law school.

First and foremost, law is such a broad subject, and because it's constantly changing, it could not be totally learned in a span of four years. So it is much better to learn ALL the basics of law during the first year and just refresh them during the later years. (FYI: In our school, most classes in the third and fourth year are review classes.)

Second: Bar Exams is by far the hardest of all the licensure exams in the country, so they say, because it is the only licensure exam that is in essay format (although starting next year, the exams will be part multiple choice, part essay. I just don't know how that would happen). Since answers in essay formats are more or less subjective in nature, it is hard to determine if an examinee got the correct answer to the question, because the examiners have their own idea of what will be the correct answer to the question. In other words, some can be quite biased, and sometimes, it's more likely that you have to please the examiner to pass a question, and ultimately, pass the subject in the Bar.

But then, as I later found out, what gives the Bar Exams its well-known 'weight' among the barristers (the ones taking the bar exams) is PRESSURE. You see, there is so much prestige in being one of the barristers alone, what more if you aced the exam or better yet MAKE IT TO THE TOP TEN. And failing it isn't just failing: it's FAILURE. Especially when it's your fourth or fifth attempt already.

Still, it's too early for me to say. After all, I'm just in my first year and I'm yet to be a barrister (hopefully). All I could do now is to just wish all the barristers good luck, especially in our school. Go hurdle the bar! Let's do this!