1. CODALS
As a law student, the best way to jump start your law school life is to invest on Codals. These will be your bible until you take the bar exams.
The ones with the asterisk are the Codals you'll need on your first year in law school. I will be naming only a few codals, you will learn the rest of the books once you pass your first year.
*The Civil Code of the Philippines
This is for all your Civil Law Subjects such as Persons and Family Relations, Obligations and Contract, Property, Land Titles and Deeds, Sales, Credit Transactions, Partnership Agency and Trust, Torts and Damages, Conflicts of Law.
*The 1987 Constitution of the Philippines
This is for your Constitutional Law I, Constitutional Law II, Election Law, Administrative Law, Law on Public Officers, Public Corporation, and Public International Law
*The Revised Penal Code of the Philippines
This is for your Criminal Law I and II.
The Labor Code of the Philippines
This is for your Labor Standards, Labor Relations, Agrarian Law and Social Legislation
The Rules of Court
This is for all your REMEDIAL Law Subjects like Criminal Procedures, Civil Procedures, etc.
2. BOOK STAND
There are different kinds of bookstands out there but the best one I can suggest is the Brilliant Reading Rest that can be purchased at fullybooked. This bookstand is very pricey but is well worth the money. It can perfectly fit in your bag without the hassle of being bulky because when not in use, it goes totally flat - like a book. It can even fit inside a long brown envelope or an a4 file case. This bookstand comes in different colors: Aubergine (see illustration on top), Duck Egg Blue, Lime, Shocking Pink, and more.
You can purchase it HERE.
3. HIGHLIGHTERS
The best highlighter I can suggest for all you students out there is the STABILO Boss in PASTEL Colors. Emphasis on the PASTEL Colors. Why? Well, as a law student, we highlight a lot of stuff like books, codals, supreme court decisions and our notebooks. Our notes are sacred to us and we don't want the hassle of blotting our notes accidentally by purchasing the wrong kind of highlighter. These pastel colors DOES NOT BLOT the back pages of our books/notes.
Preferred colors: YELLOW and LIGHT BLUE
Reason: It is cool in the eyes and doesn't tire you out after staring at your notes/book for so long.
4. BACKPACK
When picking a backpack, you will need something big, durable, kinda waterproof, and professional looking. Why? Well, for obvious reasons, it has to be BIG because you may need to fit in there at least 3-4 hard bound books + codals + bookstand + pencil case + laptop + tablet/iPad + notebooks and let's face it... that stuff is not easy to move around. It really needs to be durable because the stuff we bring in law school is extremely HEAVY.
You will be spending 4 years of your life in there so it's best to invest on a bag that will stick with you and withstand all the weight of your law school career.
For another obvious reason, if you can find a bag that can withstand the rain, the better. Our law books look best when it is not damaged by the rain.
The best bag I can suggest (and my personal preference) is the Herschel Supply Co. Little America Mid-Volume Backpack. It is ideal because it is sturdy, professional-looking, stylish, and big.
It has a place for your laptop and can still fit all your law school needs without looking like a big nerd. (No offense to all the nerds out there)
It is a little pricey though but what you're buying here is the quality of the bag. The brand is actually immaterial.
5. PEN CAPSULE
The best pencil case or should I say pen capsule is the one sold by filed at fullybooked. This pen capsule is convenient for law students because you get to segregate your highlighters from your pens which makes things easier for you to navigate. It helps you keep your things organized and systematic, hence, it is more conducive for learning. I personally find this very helpful and I believe you'll know what I mean when you purchase one for yourself.
6. PENS
In law school, I only trust TWO brands: Uni Pin and Dong-a My Gel
Uni Pin Technical Fineliner Pen preferably 0.5 - 0.7, and
Dong-a My Gel Ink Blue.
I use the Uni Pin for all of my required written digests because it is very smooth to use in paper. The blue pen, on the other hand, is the one I use during midterms and finals. I got a tip from a Professor that it is best to use a blue pen during the bar examination because it is cool in the eyes. Using blue will make you stand out from all the sea of black.
7. NOISE CANCELLING
When studying, it is best to have something that can cancel out all the noise in the world so you can concentrate on your studies. I will be suggesting three types of noise cancelling devices from cheapest to the most expensive.
EARPLUGS
If you're a student on a budget, it is good to invest on a couple of earplugs. This is the cheapest on the list. It may not cancel out all the noise in the world but it can at least keep you away from distraction.
EARMUFFS / EAR PROTECTION FOR SHOOTING
Yes. That's right. The one you use to protect your ears when you practice shooting. This is a wee bit pricey BUT it is more effective than your average earplugs. I guarantee that it can suppress a few decibels for your studying needs.
NOISE CANCELLING HEADPHONES
Well, if you have money to burn, why not invest on this? I got mine back in 2015 and the best one that I found (and bought) for myself is the PSB M4U Active Noise Cancelling Headphones. During the time of purchase, it was the highest rated noise cancelling headphones of 2015.
Up to this day, I never regretted that purchase despite it being so damn pricey. It helped me a lot when I was studying on board a plane, or when I was reading in a crowded cafe, or even in the library with all the enthusiastic first years chatting and studying out loud (no offense, first years!). I'm not saying that it is necessary to purchase this. I am just suggesting that having something like this will be really convenient for a law student. This thing can give you access to study absolutely ANYWHERE without fear of distractions.
8. RULER
I am placing this here because this is an important item for highlighting your codal. I don't think people realize the importance of a neat text book. I use the brand faber-Castell. They sell this small but really sturdy rulers. I still have mine back when I was in first year. If you're a little OC like me, I suggest you purchase one.
9. VITAMIN C
In law school, the one thing you'll need more than anything other than reading the assigned cases is a healthy immune system. Best suggestion for vitamin C is to drink BEROCCA at least once a day. This is more effective than drinking energy drinks and whatnot. If you do this, you will thank me later.
10. USB LED DESK LIGHT
This is an important tool for studying in the library or even in a cafe. Why? Because sometimes, you need more lighting for your book so as not to damage your eyes. There will always be a time where the venue lights just don't cut it.
What you will need for this to work is:
1. Your USB LED Desk Light
2. Power bank
Combine this two and there you'll have a portable desk / study lamp for your everyday studying needs. I don't really have a preference but I bought mine in CDR-King. It is cheaper there.
WHAT TO EXPECT ON YOUR FIRST WEEK:
Law school is like a jungle. It is a completely different entity from what you may have experienced in your College or University days. The pacing is different, the work flow heavy, and believe me or not, 40% of the time, by the end of the first semester, only a few of you will be remaining because the majority have already given up and realized they just couldn't do it. Passion is not enough to keep you going. It will be hard work and so many missed opportunities and occasions. This entails SACRIFICE. You have a lonely journey ahead of you.
The first hurdle is to squish in a lot of reading/studying time and dividing it to at least 7-8 subjects (if you are a full load student) or 4-6 subjects (if you're part of an executive class). Basically, if you are LAZY, this is not the right profession for you.
TIME MANAGEMENT is the key for your success. My method is right after class and as soon as I return home, I sleep. Assuming I get home at 7:30pm, I sleep at 8pm and then wake up at 3am to start reviewing for class. I read somewhere that the best time to study is right after you have woken up. For those who are working, this is also a great way to manage your time.
Example:
Executive Class (Saturday 8-7pm, Sunday 8-7pm, total of 6 subjects, 3 classes for both days)
After work, assuming you get off work at 5pm, you have two options: one is to wait it out until there's no traffic anymore, or two, you brave the congested streets of Manila).
In a more practical approach, I suggest you wait the traffic out and read until it is safe to get home, say until 8pm. From 5-8pm, you at least managed to squeeze in 3 hours of reading time. Assuming you travel for at least 30mins, as soon as you get home at 8:30, I suggest that you sleep immediately so as to complete at least 5-7 hrs of rem sleep. When you wake up at 3:30, you can start reading again up to 6am, or another option is if you have work for the day, get ready as soon as you wake up, study until it is time to go to work, then leave for work. During work, squeeze in as much as you can read so as not to fall behind with your studies.
SOCRATIC METHOD
If your undergraduate is Bachelors of Arts, then, like me, you have never heard of the SOCRATIC METHOD. In College, the norm is that when a teacher asks you a question, as soon as you know the answer, you raise your hand VOLUNTARILY and then when you're called, you answer the question.
In law school, anticipation and dread is the normal feeling. Every damn day is GRADED RECITATION. On a good day, you get to have at least 80 points. On a bad day, the norm is 65 points or even less if you got one of those TERROR professors.
In a normal scenario, a professor shuffles your class cards before you and then asks a question. The name called will be the first sacrifice of the day. In socratic method, you get called randomly so the anticipation alone can induce stress. If you can't answer properly, there is a tendency that the professor will make fun of you or even say harsh things because you did not study enough. Some professors may shout at you for being so stupid (This is not even an exaggeration because it is so normal, you just have to suck an egg). Crying after class is normal if you are not emotionally strong to take the harsh criticism.
DIFFERENT KINDS OF PROFESSORS and their RECITATION METHODS:
Level 1: LECTURER style
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
The first category are those professors who just lectures everything. The class is so chill that sometimes, you don't even bother reading the assigned books anymore because he never calls anyone during class time.
BUT... here's the thing. Majority of the time, if your professor is a lecturer, their examination is CRAZY HARD. Why? They have to get a chunk of the class standing on your midterms/final grades. So my advice? Don't take their subjects TOO LIGHTLY.
Level 2: Bridge style
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
The second category are those professors who call on people and when you can't answer, they will try to help you out so you can at least answer his question. Hence the word BRIDGE, or in tagalog, itatawid ka niya. If your teacher is like this, good for you, because you get to experience a RARE kind of professor. WARNING: 60% of the time, the bridge is only for days when he or she is in a good mood. Good news, most of the time, they give the EASIEST examination.
Level 3: One time big time recitation style
Difficulty: Moderate to Hard
You only have to study super hard until the professor calls you because after that recitation, he or she will never call you again and you can stay seated in relief for the remainder of the subject. Most of the time, the professor is lenient so you can glance or peek on your notes when the question gets too difficult. The only downside is that you will be answering his or her questions for at least an hour or two but then again, afterwards, you'll be free from the anxiety of waiting for your turn. So, make that one time recitation count because you don't get to redeem yourself after that.
Level 4: What you bring, is what you get style
Difficulty: Extremely Hard
The fourth level is for professors who does NOT allow any open books on the table during class. So basically, all you have is what you just studied and there is no chance for you to check whether you are right or wrong. This kind of professor is the hardest type because you will ONLY rely on your memorization skills and stock knowledge. For me, this is the most effective kind. Why? Because you have no choice but to study the material as if your life depended on it.
Level 5: Stand up, go in front, and face your classmate style
Difficulty: Extremely Hard
This is the most difficult because this feels like a thesis defense. You answer your professor's question with all the eyes of your classmates staring holes in your face. You have no book to guide you, and no classmate to help you because your teacher is so strict and scary that they don't even have the time to sympathize with you for fear of being called next. Your only ally is prayers and extreme stock knowledge... but mostly, prayers.
TYPES OF HOMEWORK
There are three types: PER CHAPTER, PER ARTICLES, PER CASES.
PER CHAPTER
Most professors who have an assigned book gives at least a minimum of 3 chapters to read for your first graded recitation. So that's around a hundred or so pages. The sad part is, that's only ONE subject.
PER ARTICLE
Well, this category is kind of tricky. Why? They usually assign you a minimum of 20 on a good day, or in a bad day at least 50 articles. Don't be deceived though, other than reading the articles, you have to rely on an annotated version of the articles because you're not SAVANT enough to understand those articles without annotations. You still need the thoughts of people like Bernas, Jurado, Gregorio, and the likes.
PER CASES
The norm is at least 60 cases per meeting. That is on a good day. Do not rely solely on case digests. BUT, if you're here because of MY case digests, well you are sort of safe because most of it came from my efforts of digesting the full text cases. BUT THEN AGAIN, if you have the time, I suggest you read also the cases in full text. Some professors even ask the most unimportant details like the color of the car, how many policemen, what is the profession of the plaintiff, etc. So yeah, you don't get to see that kind of details in case digests.
-*-
And so there you have it. These are the essential things you need to know and have to make your first week in law school so damn easy. I will be posting another entry in the future about how to digest, and how to use the SCRA. So, until then!
I hope this entry helps you all aspiring lawyers out there. You can do it! Best of luck to you! AJA!
What you will need for this to work is:
1. Your USB LED Desk Light
2. Power bank
WHAT TO EXPECT ON YOUR FIRST WEEK:
Law school is like a jungle. It is a completely different entity from what you may have experienced in your College or University days. The pacing is different, the work flow heavy, and believe me or not, 40% of the time, by the end of the first semester, only a few of you will be remaining because the majority have already given up and realized they just couldn't do it. Passion is not enough to keep you going. It will be hard work and so many missed opportunities and occasions. This entails SACRIFICE. You have a lonely journey ahead of you.
The first hurdle is to squish in a lot of reading/studying time and dividing it to at least 7-8 subjects (if you are a full load student) or 4-6 subjects (if you're part of an executive class). Basically, if you are LAZY, this is not the right profession for you.
TIME MANAGEMENT is the key for your success. My method is right after class and as soon as I return home, I sleep. Assuming I get home at 7:30pm, I sleep at 8pm and then wake up at 3am to start reviewing for class. I read somewhere that the best time to study is right after you have woken up. For those who are working, this is also a great way to manage your time.
Example:
Executive Class (Saturday 8-7pm, Sunday 8-7pm, total of 6 subjects, 3 classes for both days)
After work, assuming you get off work at 5pm, you have two options: one is to wait it out until there's no traffic anymore, or two, you brave the congested streets of Manila).
In a more practical approach, I suggest you wait the traffic out and read until it is safe to get home, say until 8pm. From 5-8pm, you at least managed to squeeze in 3 hours of reading time. Assuming you travel for at least 30mins, as soon as you get home at 8:30, I suggest that you sleep immediately so as to complete at least 5-7 hrs of rem sleep. When you wake up at 3:30, you can start reading again up to 6am, or another option is if you have work for the day, get ready as soon as you wake up, study until it is time to go to work, then leave for work. During work, squeeze in as much as you can read so as not to fall behind with your studies.
SOCRATIC METHOD
If your undergraduate is Bachelors of Arts, then, like me, you have never heard of the SOCRATIC METHOD. In College, the norm is that when a teacher asks you a question, as soon as you know the answer, you raise your hand VOLUNTARILY and then when you're called, you answer the question.
In law school, anticipation and dread is the normal feeling. Every damn day is GRADED RECITATION. On a good day, you get to have at least 80 points. On a bad day, the norm is 65 points or even less if you got one of those TERROR professors.
In a normal scenario, a professor shuffles your class cards before you and then asks a question. The name called will be the first sacrifice of the day. In socratic method, you get called randomly so the anticipation alone can induce stress. If you can't answer properly, there is a tendency that the professor will make fun of you or even say harsh things because you did not study enough. Some professors may shout at you for being so stupid (This is not even an exaggeration because it is so normal, you just have to suck an egg). Crying after class is normal if you are not emotionally strong to take the harsh criticism.
DIFFERENT KINDS OF PROFESSORS and their RECITATION METHODS:
Level 1: LECTURER style
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
The first category are those professors who just lectures everything. The class is so chill that sometimes, you don't even bother reading the assigned books anymore because he never calls anyone during class time.
BUT... here's the thing. Majority of the time, if your professor is a lecturer, their examination is CRAZY HARD. Why? They have to get a chunk of the class standing on your midterms/final grades. So my advice? Don't take their subjects TOO LIGHTLY.
Level 2: Bridge style
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
The second category are those professors who call on people and when you can't answer, they will try to help you out so you can at least answer his question. Hence the word BRIDGE, or in tagalog, itatawid ka niya. If your teacher is like this, good for you, because you get to experience a RARE kind of professor. WARNING: 60% of the time, the bridge is only for days when he or she is in a good mood. Good news, most of the time, they give the EASIEST examination.
Level 3: One time big time recitation style
Difficulty: Moderate to Hard
You only have to study super hard until the professor calls you because after that recitation, he or she will never call you again and you can stay seated in relief for the remainder of the subject. Most of the time, the professor is lenient so you can glance or peek on your notes when the question gets too difficult. The only downside is that you will be answering his or her questions for at least an hour or two but then again, afterwards, you'll be free from the anxiety of waiting for your turn. So, make that one time recitation count because you don't get to redeem yourself after that.
Level 4: What you bring, is what you get style
Difficulty: Extremely Hard
The fourth level is for professors who does NOT allow any open books on the table during class. So basically, all you have is what you just studied and there is no chance for you to check whether you are right or wrong. This kind of professor is the hardest type because you will ONLY rely on your memorization skills and stock knowledge. For me, this is the most effective kind. Why? Because you have no choice but to study the material as if your life depended on it.
Level 5: Stand up, go in front, and face your classmate style
Difficulty: Extremely Hard
This is the most difficult because this feels like a thesis defense. You answer your professor's question with all the eyes of your classmates staring holes in your face. You have no book to guide you, and no classmate to help you because your teacher is so strict and scary that they don't even have the time to sympathize with you for fear of being called next. Your only ally is prayers and extreme stock knowledge... but mostly, prayers.
TYPES OF HOMEWORK
There are three types: PER CHAPTER, PER ARTICLES, PER CASES.
PER CHAPTER
Most professors who have an assigned book gives at least a minimum of 3 chapters to read for your first graded recitation. So that's around a hundred or so pages. The sad part is, that's only ONE subject.
PER ARTICLE
Well, this category is kind of tricky. Why? They usually assign you a minimum of 20 on a good day, or in a bad day at least 50 articles. Don't be deceived though, other than reading the articles, you have to rely on an annotated version of the articles because you're not SAVANT enough to understand those articles without annotations. You still need the thoughts of people like Bernas, Jurado, Gregorio, and the likes.
PER CASES
The norm is at least 60 cases per meeting. That is on a good day. Do not rely solely on case digests. BUT, if you're here because of MY case digests, well you are sort of safe because most of it came from my efforts of digesting the full text cases. BUT THEN AGAIN, if you have the time, I suggest you read also the cases in full text. Some professors even ask the most unimportant details like the color of the car, how many policemen, what is the profession of the plaintiff, etc. So yeah, you don't get to see that kind of details in case digests.
-*-
And so there you have it. These are the essential things you need to know and have to make your first week in law school so damn easy. I will be posting another entry in the future about how to digest, and how to use the SCRA. So, until then!
I hope this entry helps you all aspiring lawyers out there. You can do it! Best of luck to you! AJA!
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