Hello and welcome to the first part in my Board Exam Series called #PreparetoPass. Over the next few blog posts, I'll be tackling different aspects of the board exam, specifically the Chemical Engineering board exam (because that is the only one I took), like:
- Choosing a review center. This will be about the different review centers and their advantages & disadvantages, and where to stay;
- Some superstitious and religious beliefs regarding the board exams because board exams are half-effort, half God's will, or so they say;
- Where to study for the board exam;
- Tips when taking the actual board exam;
- General FAQ, like should you work while taking the exam, should you answer ALL of the problems in your textbooks, should you take refresher courses, etc.
1. PREPARE, PREPARE, PREPARE. Before anything else, you have to condition yourself mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, financially, psychologically, lahat na!
- Physically.
- Eat well. Try not to rely on processed food. Sabi nga ng nutritionist ni Khloe Kardashian, don't eat food that lasts longer than you. Eating the right kind of food is important because that's where you're getting your nourishment.
- Sleep well. When I was a student, I really tried to get enough sleep. I did not stay up late when I had a major exam; I always made sure I was well-rested. To me, sleep is more important as it improves brain function, so you can think straight. What's the use of staying up all night studying when you can't think clearly during the exam? What's the use of studying all night if you fall asleep during the exam? I swear, staying up late IS counterproductive. Don't give me that excuse "but I'm busy", everyone gets 24 hours a day and other people run companies, exercise and still have time for their families, hobbies and volunteer work. Hindi sila supermen or women dahil kaya mo rin yan, you just have to get your priorities straight. I noticed that the reason most students stay up late is because they have time to be on social media instead of just focusing on what needs to be done. May time ka pang magreklamo sa Facebook at magbasa ng sandamakot na articles. I am not gonna be a hypocrite, I did indulge in those but when I took notice of how much time they consumed, I stopped, and it's worked wonders for me in terms of productivity and peace of mind. (Will also make a post about productivity tips soon!) Also try to wake up early to practice getting your brain to work during those times the board exam will be happening (8am-5pm).
- Exercise. It is the best way to get you out of a slump while burning extra calories and boosting your mood. When I felt too saturated, I took 15 minute walks, danced, did jumping jacks or 50 squats. I found that I can think better after.
- Emotionally. Sometimes, feelings can get in the way of our need to do something. Like "I don't want to study/work/clean, etc cause I don't feel like it" Truth is, we can do it but we choose to listen to our feelings. Feelings can be overcome. You can forget about your crush who has a boy/girlfriend, right? Feelings can be ignored. Feelings mo nga, naiignore ni crush, edi isagad mo na! Ignore mo na rin kaya sarili mong feelings? Para sa ikaka-engineer mo naman to #hugot
- Mentally. The most important! Mental preparedness is everything.
- Envision yourself passing, and if you want, topping the board. Di ba nakakagana? It's that mental image that will help you get through anything to get to your goal. "The Secret" says the 3 steps to getting your goal is to: VISUALIZE, BELIEVE and ACHIEVE.
- It also helps to have a positive disposition. Believe you will pass and you will! Even though my classmates were nervous, I wasn't, and I found it weird that I wasn't when I normally am naman na para bang, yung pinakamatalino nga sa amin ay nervous, bakit ako hindi? Yabang ko diba? Pero siyempre di ko pinagsigaw na "feel ko talaga papasa ako". I guess it was just confidence (there's a difference between confidence and arrogance, btw), that peace and assurance in your heart that you will make it. I did get nervous, but only after the exam, when everything wasn't in my control anymore.
- Part of developing good study habits is having a study schedule. I started out not having a strict one so what I did was to answer problems from our reviewer. I would try to finish reading a chapter per day and answering the exercises. Then on alternate days when I didn't have review, I did 50 math problems (about 1 chapter) in the 1001 Solved Problems in Engineering Math book, for fun. I like doing Math because it builds my confidence, especially after spending almost 2 days on a chapter for our major subjects. Chemical Engineering Principles was my weakest subject because I dunno, I'm not very technical (?? I just like Math and Chem kaya ako nagChE parang awa niyo na) so I felt really dumb when I solved ChE problems because I really take so long to get the answers! Kaya Math muna pampabuild ng confidence. (Confidence is important talaga)
Read the other posts on the #PreparetoPass Series:
#PreparetoPass Part 1: 3 Tips to Pass the Board Exam
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