One thing that I was sure of when I enrolled
in the College of Law was that I AM GOING TO BE A LAWYER. As others would say,
if you want to be a lawyer, you should not only aspire for it. You should WANT
it more than anything else because if you desperately heed to be a lawyer, as
Paulo Coelo said, everything in the universe will conspire to make you become
one.
Becoming a lawyer is a destiny. I believe that
God, long before I was born, planned for me to become a lawyer. This mystery
became apparent at times when I experienced difficulties in my studies. A
perfect example of which was when I was in my sophomore year in the College of
Law. That year, I badly needed to find a job, a teaching job in particular in
order to pay for my tuition fees. I applied in all of the universities and
colleges in Naga City but all of which did not respond favourably to my
applications. However, at the time when
I was able to accept my fate, here comes Atty. ANN BARRION, looking for a
paralegal for Carpio and General Law Offices. And so, I applied, was admitted,
and stayed with the law office for 2 years.
After Carpio and General, I again applied as a paralegal for Atty. GualbertoManlagnit.
I stayed for another year until I reviewed for the BAR in April 2011.
If God did not lead me to these people, I
could have never passed the bar this year. Atty. Ruben General and Atty.
GualbertoManlagnit played a huge part in honing me to become a lawyer. Both men
shared their skills and legal knowledge to me, a would-be neophyte in the legal
profession. Atty. General taught me how to handle stress, pressure, and worry
with grace. He taught me how to deal with people in a firm yet diplomatic
manner. He taught me how to make pleadings, affidavits, contracts and other
legal documents. He taught me how to meet deadlines and how to defeat the same.
Atty. Manlagnit, on the other hand, enhanced my skills in pleading making. With
Atty. Manlagnit, my writing skills became bolder and unflinchingly creative.
When I was in law school, I do not have time
to study. And even if I have time, I never really studied seriously. That is
why, when I was in my senior year, I got worried about taking the 2011 BAR
Exams. Luckily, God used his magic wand again when Justice Abad, the chairman
of 2011 Bar Exams, changed the examination format from essay type to MCQ’s and
pleading making. Therefore, I found myself in the lead; I had the edge since I have
a working knowledge of the 2nd part of the exam. When Atty.
Manlagnit learned of this crucial development in the Bar, he passed all major
pleadings to me. He taught me to use simple words, shorter sentences and
shorter paragraphs. He has given me pointers on how to deliver a knockout punch
at the start and in the end of each pleading. These became very handy during
the second part of the BAR exam.
I was able to enrol in San Sebastian College,
Manila, because my brother shouldered the board and lodging expenses. My allowance
was charged to my parents, auntie Claire and Da.
I only studied seriously during the review
proper. I study for 7 to 8 hours everyday, Monday to Sunday. I never
entertained a day-off. My rest time was intended for teleseryes. At times, the
dorm-in-charge at St. Rita’s Convent, would scold me since I was the only
reviewee who regularly watches the TV starting from Anna Manalastas, Mara Clara
to My Binondo Girl. She thought that I do not study enough since I still had
time to watch TV while the other reviewees were locked up in their rooms
studying. She does not know, however, that I spend the entire day reading my
books inside my room. Thus, she was really surprised when she came to know that
I passed the BAR. Thanks to ABS!
During the review, I realized that we,
UNCEANS, were not left behind by Manila law Schools. In the Dorm where I, Atty.
Lheila, and Atty. Fela stayed, we realized that UNCEANS know more than the
other reviewees. I think this is because our beloved Dean Corazon Tordilla gave
us a good line-up of professors. As a proof, the examinations in Political Law
was all Atty. Rommel Castro’s. Civil Law relatively became very easy due to the
dedication of Atty. Bolivar, Judge Rosales and Judge Navarro. No wonder, Civil
Law was my highest grade at 81%. Although Mercantile law was difficult, said
subject was my 2nd highest grade at 80% flat, thanks to Sir Bolivs
again!My grade in Taxation was also anchored unbelievably at 80%. I am grateful
thatI do not have any failing grade in all parts of the exam. This I owe to my
professors in law school and to UNC.
To the undergraduates of the UNC College of
Law, my advice would be as follows:
1.
Believe,
right from the moment you enrolled in law school, that God has a great plan for
you. Everything that happens in your life is for a reason, a way of revealing
your destiny. When I pray, during the review and thereafter, I always request
that God should also want me to become a lawyer. I know that I should not be
the only person to want this. God must want it for me too because if he does it
means that he could use me as an aid to administer justice. ParangsiSailormoon!
Tagapagtanggolngpag-ibig at katarungan!
2.
Secondly,
study just enough. Do not strain yourself too much since we mortals are exposed
and vulnerableto limitations unless feeling mosi superman ka! Seven to eight
hours a day is all you need. The brain will not be able to record too much
information in one sitting for a straight 12 hours. Study for 2 hours then rest
or sleep for 15 minutes. Scientifically, the brain records what you have read
more efficiently if you take a nap after 2 hours of studying. Also study with a
schedule and be faithful to it.
3.
Thirdly,
do not pile up review materials which you do not need. You must know that the
contents of these materials are all the same. They just differ with the way of
presentation by the author.
4.
Lastly,
share what you know. What I did during the review was to teach people on how to
write the memorandum. I shared samples and tips to my dorm mates and to my
review classmates. In fact, one of my seatmates during the review made it to
the top 4! Atty. Rosemill of Davao was a CPA and she was very
good in MCQ’s. However, she was not a writer and so I volunteered to teach her
on how to make a memorandum and a legal opinion. In return, she would also
teach me Mercantile Law. And so, I was very proud and pleased that she landed
on the 4th spot! I also taught my UNC classmates pleading making
somewhere in Cubao. I came up with a tabulated simple guide on how to make a
memorandum and shared the same to my classmates. Atty. FloranteEncisoand Atty.
Olive Arce, who was also a paralegal, were parts of that group.
I especially dedicate
this triumph to my late LOLO ANTENOGENES, to my parents and younger siblings,
to DA, to Nu Kappa Phi-Nu Kappa Beta Honor Fraternal Organization, to UNC Law
School and to my hometown Calabanga.
I have a lot to share
to you, but I think I do not have any time left. Thus, I will end this speech with one last
BANAT!
UNC GRADUATE KA BA?
EH KASI SA BAR EXAM, SIGURADO, PAPASA KA! :D
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