IT WAS truly a historic moment for new lawyer Geramae Mata.Mata, a graduate of the University of San Carlos (USC), not only passed the first ever digitized and regionalized Bar exams last February, but was one among the 14 passers who were recognized for their “excellent performance” or for garnering an average grade of more than 90 percent, during the 2020-2021 Bar Examinations.She was among the 8,241 new lawyers in the country as announced by the Supreme Court of the Philippines on Tuesday, April 12, 2022.Mata, 27, who hails from Danao City, told SunStar Cebu on Wednesday, April 13, that passing the Bar exams had not fully sunk in, and being among the passers with excellent performance felt extremely bizarre for her.“I did not expect to be one of those who passed the Bar with excellent performance. My goal was to, at least, place in the exemplary performers and even that seemed like a fantasy for me,” Mata said.Mata shared that she almost lost hope in taking the Bar exams and stopped studying for 10 days.It was through a friend that she was convinced to resume her studies.Good habitsDeveloping a routine for studying during the very first day in law school was essential, said Mata.“My good habits consisted of routinely waking up early, praying, going out for a walk or jog, having breakfast, and always starting my study session at 7 am,” said Mata.Eventually, Mata said, this habit helped her finish the four years of law school and the review.Since time was essential during the review, Mata said it was important to manage one’s schedule religiously and allocate a specific time to study and to rest.Mata also disclosed that she preferred to study every day rather than allocating her weekends as a rest day or break from studying.The restrictions brought by the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic resulted in schools suspending face-to-face classes and moving to complicated and rigorous learning among teachers and students.But the circumstances did not discourage Mata as the wonders of technology still allowed her to study with her peers through online portals.Mata said virtual learning also allowed her to prepare for the 2020-2021 Bar Examination, which was the first to be conducted without any pen or paper since it was done digitally.However, Mata said it took time for them to adapt, especially since the human aspect of learning was removed by a significant degree.Keep the faithIn her message for aspiring lawyers, Mata said they should never give up, they should be active students, and always keep their faith.Mata also shared that to pass the bar, an act of courage must be found since it can be there that one can draw strength to carry through the biggest storm of being a lawyer.“While others saw the postponements as a delay, I chose to view them as a blessing. It was an extended time for me to adapt to the change of the syllabus, to extend my patience, and to strengthen my faith,” Mata added.Mata, fellow USC graduate Jeni Omamalin and Sandra Jane Soon of the University of Cebu were the only Cebuanos among the 14 recognized by the Supreme Court during the 2020-2021 Bar Exams.This year’s Bar Examination was the first to be conducted outside the National Capital Region and the first to be digitalized.The 2020-2021 Bar Examinations also produced the most number of lawyers with a 72.28 percent passing rate compared to the 27.36 percent passing rate during the 2019 examinations.