An Instructional Essay
“A Letter to My Nephew – How to Prepare for a Major Exam”
To all my fellow Uncles,
and to all the Parents, Grandparents, Aunts, and Guardians out there,
please know that I also wrote this for your Children
– on behalf of You.
My Dearest Miguel,
Congratulations on your recent graduation from Mapua, and on your recent completion of your Cisco training. I am very proud of you, and I praise and thank God for your achievements.
Now that you are preparing for the board exam, I decided to write this article especially for you.
When the time comes for Mariz to take her own board exam, and when Luiz is old enough to take his own board and/or bar exam, please encourage them the way I am encouraging you now. (My Dearest Mariz and Luiz, This is of course also for you.)
Your Mama, Papa, Kid Sister (Mariz), Baby Brother (Luiz), Grandma (“Mommy”), and I love you very much. We pray for your success as regards your forthcoming board exam, and we will always pray for you as regards everything else in life.
God bless you always,
Tito Jun
Manila, July 7, 2011
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HOW TO PREPARE FOR A MAJOR EXAM
Rule No. 1 – Study one page at a time, solve exercises one paper at a time.
That is really all that you can do.
· There is no point in worrying about how well you will do with the exam. Worrying about it will not accomplish anything.
· All you can do now is to perform the simplest nature of your work, which is to read your review materials one page at a time, and to solve practice tests or solve exercises one paper at a time. Think of it this way, if you were a runner, then all you should be focusing on is “just putting one foot in front of the other.” Similarly therefore, “just study one page at a time, and solve exercises one paper at a time.” That’s all, no need to think about anything else.
· And remember that quality matters more than quantity. There is no point in having lots of books or review materials (to give yourself a false sense of security) if you cannot actually review all of them. Just choose the right amount of books and review materials that will really help you, and stick to them.
Rule No. 2 – Just focus on what you are doing, do not look around too much.
Do not worry about things beyond your control, and ignore the things around you that are not relevant to your review.
· If you have family, friends, or even former classmates who have already taken and passed the board exam, don’t let their achievements intimidate and pressure you.
· If you are attending a review school where you have classmates who came from other colleges or universities, and if these classmates seem brighter, faster, and better prepared, and the colleges or universities they came from seem more prestigious than your own, then just tell yourself,
- “Okay, fine, they seem brighter, and they come from schools that are apparently more prestigious, but they have absolutely nothing to do with me and my own performance. Therefore I will just ignore them and I will keep doing what I am doing, focusing on my own review, according to my own style, according to my own pace, and according to my own personal best.”
· Don’t keep looking around to see where you “stand in the race.” Don’t keep checking whether you are ahead, at par, or behind. (And this doesn’t only apply to the work of studying and preparing for a major exam, it also applies to life and career in general.)
Rule No. 3 – Study according to your own learning style.
Do what works for you, and be prepared to accept partial understanding while in the classroom.
· If you are reviewing for a board or bar exam, it means that you already have a level of intelligence and a style of learning that is adequate, simply because it was enough to enable you to finish college (or medical school or law school). Therefore it is best that you continue to remain confident about your capabilities.
· If for some reasons the teaching style at your review school is something that you are not used to, or is something that is not working entirely for you, then while you are in class be prepared to accept partial understanding. Just review by yourself at home, it’s as simple as that.
Rule no. 4 – Do plenty of seatworks and homeworks, and take plenty of practice tests.
The exercise of taking tests is a skill by itself. It is not enough to possess knowledge, you must also be conditioned to take tests.
· Therefore apart from reading books and reviewing materials, you must also practice taking tests by frequently solving problems and exercises, preferably under time pressure. Remember, “Practice makes perfect.”
· There will be good days and there will be bad days. Good days are the days you feel sharp and energetic, and you get good results from your practice tests. Bad days are the days that you feel dull and tired, and the results of your practice tests are not so great. It’s okay to have bad days, that’s normal. If you are the kind of person who has finished college, then most likely you are the kind of person whose good days significantly outnumber the bad, therefore you will be fine and you have nothing to worry about.
Rule No. 5 – Keep in mind, this is a marathon, not a sprint.
Therefore you need to sustain your energy, enthusiasm, and performance for a long period – which in your case is five months, because that is the length of your review.
· Eat properly, try to get some exercise, and enjoy your family and friends.
· Try not to overwork yourself from the very beginning. Just like in running a marathon, you don’t run too fast at the start, because you will immediately get exhausted and not anymore have any energy towards the end.
- In his recent advertisement for Hewlett Packard, Manny Pacquiao stated that he trains most intensively for the last eight weeks, right before his fight. I suggest you do the same. Please see
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ycv6ZGAMAf0&NR=1 or
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeTfuulqKQA.
- (Note: I'm not exactly a fan of boxing, but if the foregoing youtube videos will help get the message across, then I have no problem using them.)
· I’m not saying that you should relax and take it too easy for the first three months of your review and then work hard only during the last two months. You should do your best from the very start and all throughout. But be careful not to burn out and lose energy towards the end of your review up to the days of the board exam themselves, because that is when your performance will matter the most.
Rule No. 6 – In case you also happen to be working, then believe that it can still work out.
Someday, you might take another major exam, and by then you may already be working. Pertinently, if you happen to be working while you are also reviewing for a board or a bar exam, don’t think of it as a hindrance.
· Keep in mind that a lot of people finish college (as well as medical school or law school or graduate school), and they eventually pass their respective board exams (or their bar exams or comprehensive exams) by attending school only in the evening because they have to work and make a living during the day. Therefore, if they can do it, then you can do it. It is not impossible.
· Accept the fact that you need to work to make a living, in fact be glad that you have work and are able to make a living. Then just do your best with your review. It’s really as simple as that.
Rule No. 7 – On the last couple of days before the exam, just relax.
Try to get some rest the last couple of days before the exam.
· It may be difficult to stay away from your books and completely stop reviewing, but at least try to be more relaxed. Five months of review, the last eight weeks being more intensive (the way Manny Pacquiao does it), will be adequate. On the last couple of days right before the day of the exam itself, try to relax. Get some rest, watch a movie, eat well.
· The day before the exam, be sure to prepare your exam permits, be ready with your pens and calculators or whatever other materials you will need, be ready with money and/or food you will have to bring, and be sure to know where you will be taking your test and how you will get there (n.b., indeed it is better if you visit the place several days in advance).
· You may hear about tips or leaks about the exam. Ignore them. They will only cause anxiety and confusion. If you have responsibly done your best during the several months of review, then that is already more than enough and you’ll be fine.
Rule No. 8 – On the day of the exam itself, again, just relax, and focus.
When the day of the exam finally arrives, just try to relax.
· If you get a bit nervous, that’s okay, it’s normal.
- Miguel, You can talk to you Papa or Mama or Grandma or me in case any concern bothers you. And on the days of your board exam, you can count on us to pray for you, even offer Holy Mass at church and light candles at home for you. And if you want, your Papa or I can even accompany you to the place where you will take your exam, and we will standby there the whole day, so that we are there any time you need us. Okay?
· Inside the classroom where you will actually finally take the exam, don’t be surprised if you see some bizarre behavior on the part of your fellow examinees. Some of them may talk too much, some will be too optimistic, some will be pessimistic, and some will do something simply unusual (like doing yoga in the middle of the classroom in order to reduce their anxiety). Just accept and respect them for who they are, be friendly and civil, but remain personally detached (let’s face it, you hardly know these people and you may never meet them again after the board exam), and most importantly just focus on doing your best with your exam.
· If you finish ahead of time, stay and review your work. There is no point in being the first to stand up and hand in your paper for all to see, just to show how much faster and smarter you are. That’s just silly, and in fact is not a smart move at all. Stay in your seat and review your work. More often than not, you will find a mistake among your answers and you will therefore have the chance to correct it.
Rule No. 9 – Do not worry about the results of the exam.
I pray that you pass your board exam, and I believe that you will. With the kind of abilities, self-discipline, academic training, and upbringing that you have had, I am confident that you will pass any major exam that you take.
· However, if for some reasons, you do not pass a particular major exam, then no problem, just rest a while and then take it again. (Or if you never want to take it again because you would rather do something else, then that is fine too). Don’t let it discourage you, don’t let it cause you to believe less in yourself and make you doubt your potential. It’s just an exam, and one single exam cannot define you.
· Notice that I entitled this article “How to Prepare for a Major Exam” and not “How to Pass a Major Exam.” Sometimes things happen that are beyond your control, for instance you may unexpectedly get sick on the day of the exam, therefore despite months of diligent preparation you may end up performing not as well as you hoped to (i.e., still passing the exam but not attaining that high grade you aimed for), or perhaps end up actually failing the exam. If that happens it would be natural to feel sad, but you shouldn’t let that leave a permanent scar on your self esteem. You as a person are still far more important than any exam.
- Most of all, your Mama, Papa, Sister, Brother, Grandma, and I will always love you very much no matter how you perform in any exam, whether it pertains to this forthcoming board exam, or to any other exam or challenge that you may have to hurdle in the course of your life.
Rule No. 10 – Pray
Most of all, pray. Always pray.
· Pray often, to seek and receive help from God. Meditate, to remain calm and focused.
- I suggest praying the Holy Rosary. Miguel, Do you remember the Rosary I gave you last November 2010 as one of my pasalubongs (presents) for you after Mommy and I returned from the Holy Land? Why don’t you start using it now? Up to this day, whenever I pray the Rosary, I use the Rosary that Mommy gave me more than twenty years ago (after I finished college). You might want to start doing the same with the Rosary I gave you.”
· The saying goes, “Do your best, and let God do the rest.” This saying holds true. And it will always hold true, not only with regard to your board exam, but also with regard to everything else in your life.
For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the Lord,
plans for your welfare, not for woe!
plans to give you a future full of hope.
When you call me, when you go to pray to me, I will listen to you.
Yes, when you seek me with all your heart,
you will find me with you, says the Lord.
Jeremiah 29 : 11-14
Take delight in the Lord,
and He will grant you your heart’s requests.
Psalm 37: 4
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REFERENCES:
· RECOMMENDED VIDEOS
Miguel, Please view these videos if you can spare the time.
- Identity and Stereotype Threat, Lecture at Columbia University by Dr. Claude M. Steele, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1fzIuuXlkk
This video is relevant to my advice on not letting the abilities and backgrounds of other people affect or intimidate you (see Rule No. 2).
- Anxious Students Gain on Tests by Writing About Fears, ( Based on Dr. Sian Beilock’s research on “Choking,” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjyC2m7k4MI
This video teaches you the anxiety-reducing technique of writing about your worries, so that you don’t choke or under-perform on the day of your board exam (see Rule No. 8).
· BOOKS
Miguel, You don’t have to read these books (someday perhaps, but not now). I have already read them myself, and everything I wrote in “How to Prepare for a Major Exam” is based on what I learned from them, apart from what I have learned from my own experience.
- Study Smart (The Princeton Review) by Theodore Silver, M.D., J.D.
- The Psychology of Learning Mathematics by Richard R. Skemp, PhD
- Overachievement: The New Model for Exceptional Performance by John Eliot, Ph.D.
- Choke: What the Secrets of the Brain Reveal About Getting It Right When You Have To by Sian Beilock, Ph.D.
- Overcoming Procrastination: Or How To Think And Act Rationally In Spite of Life’s Inevitable Hassles by Albert Ellis, Ph.D., and William J. Knaus, Ed.D.
- Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy by David D. Burns, M.D.
- Stress/Unstress: How You Can Control Stress At Home And On The Job by Keith W. Sehnert, M.D.
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