UPCOMING Bar exams takers need to trust themselves to keep going, even in times when they do not feel prepared, 2023 topnotcher Ephraim Bie said in a send-off ceremony on Aug. 27.
During a send-off ceremony at the Civil Law Lobby of the Main Building, Bie told UST law graduates that all efforts they had exerted made them ready to take the exams.
“Almost everyone feels unprepared until the very last moment. What matters is that you keep going. Even if you’re still reading until the very last minute, you are more ready than you think,” he said.
Bie also said an examinee has to learn the value of showing up, despite fear and tension in taking the exams.
“You don’t need to feel perfect to keep going. Even in weakness, even in fear, you can still rise to the occasion,” he said.
Bie also urged the Bar takers to finish the examinations with courage, and hold on to the lessons of law school.
“You have carried the weight of law school. You have endured its trials. You have sacrificed time, comfort, and even pieces of yourself. And yet here you are, still standing. That alone is proof of your strength,” he said.
Bie, an alumnus of the Faculty of Civil Law and Faculty of Arts and Letters, scored 89.26% in the 2023 Bar examinations, placing first.
Civil Law Dean Nilo Divina said the Bar examinations is “not only a question of memory, but also a question of character.”
“Trust in yourself. Believe in yourself. Don’t ever doubt for a second that you don’t have what it takes to pass the Bar Examination,” Divina said in his opening message.
“Everyone in you is a potential Bar topnotcher … I believe that everyone is capable of topping the Bar Examination,” he added.
Andrew Ambray, who was No. 12 in the 2024 Bar examinations, shared tips in his testimonial message.
“You just have to keep yourself composed, answer directly to the point, and keep your answers very short and concise,” he shared.
The send-off ceremony, titled “Fuerte: Golden Roar to the Bar,” was organized by the UST Civil Law Student Council in partnership with the UST Law Bar Operations, for Thomasian law graduates who will take the bar exams on Sept. 7, 10, and 14.
According to Leanne Dela Cruz, chair of the UST Law Bar Operations, the theme reflects the support given by the Thomasian community to the Bar examinees.
“Golden Roar echoes the solidarity and unwavering support from the Thomasian community, declaring our confidence that our future Thomasian lawyers will rise to the challenge and emerge victorious,” she said.
The event kicked off with Mass at Santísimo Rosario Parish Church, presided by Fr. Isidro Abaño, O.P., regent of Civil Law.
A total of 133 Thomasian law students will take the 2025 bar examinations.
Results are expected to be released in the first to second week of January 2026. Louisse Raye Shara C. Santos with reports from Alexandra S. Demaisip and Amador Denzel M. Teston
