Right Mindset Plus Commitment
Everything starts with the right mindset. It should be important that you are ready to willingly commit in this journey without anyone forcing you. It is difficult to immediately have a right mindset for someone that is just starting out. What you can do instead is ease into it slowly and give yourself a one week of adjustment period. Let this time be the time to read about board exam success stories and tips. This helps with the self-motivation in the long run.
Self-discipline will not be a problem as long as you have put your whole mind and heart with your review. Your motivation to study will come naturally if you have set your priorities straight. You have to take it in your mind that the time you spend during the 3-5 months period is solely for the purpose of reviewing. It should be the top priority other than your own health. Family, friends and other relationships and responsibilities should come secondary. It is a small sacrifice to make compared to a lifelong reward of having your own license.
Enroll In A Review Center
The board exam is not just a 2-3 days event, but instead is a marathon that takes 3-5 months including all of your preparations prior to the date of the actual examinations. The board exam starts when you start your review. Nothing is worse than a bad preparation that is why it is important to enroll in a Review Center that will help you in your journey.
Enrolling in a review center is probably the best choice you’ll make when you’re planning to take the board exam. Review Centers have a comprehensive program which will make your review process much easier. You’ll get access to hundreds to thousands of resources including textbooks, learning guides or modules, and test banks. Some also offer in-house tutorials and consultations which you can attend to.
Pick the review center that best suits your style of studying. Do you prefer online or one-on-one session? How about podcasts? Pick the one that caters to your needs and what you’re most comfortable with. Do not choose a Review Center that prides themselves by having exclusive examination leaks because it clearly is a bogus.
Although Review Centers are a good choice, they sometimes become overwhelming especially when you are given access to hundreds of resources. You still must be careful on what you choose to study by prioritizing on the most important topics.
The Importance of Note-taking
Notes, notes, and notes. Nothing is more important than note-taking during your review. Do not rely on your already failing memory to store all of your precious learnings. At some point you will forget something especially when presented with a new information. Having your own notes is like safekeeping of all that information you have learned throughout your review period. In case you forget something, a quick scan will help you remember.
Although note-taking is important, some reviewers make a mistake of taking too much of their time creating and perfecting their notes to make them look pretty. This is not recommended as you are racing against time. A perfect note is something that is well-structured, readable and concise. You won’t pass the exams with glitters and different-colored pens.
After making your notes, it’s a good practice to read or skim them every day. It will help refresh your memory and retain information. Notes are useless when you’re just going to leave them lying around. If you aren’t going to use them then what’s the point of making one?
Good Time Management
Let’s admit, there is only so much you can do in a day. Condensing your five years of engineering degree into just 3-5 months of review requires very good time management skills. It is important that you should follow a plan or study schedule that works best for you. This will help guide your day so you would know what to do. It will also prevent you from having back logs and will keep you on track.
When planning your study schedule, consider all the factors that affects your day. Such as your sleep schedule, review classes, time of eating or even errands like laundry, washing the dishes and cleaning your room. Include them in your schedule so that even if you have to do such things, you are still following the plan you have set your day. This will also prevent you from skipping on your schedule and ditching them altogether.
Also, don’t forget to allot time for a break. Break time helps your brain take a rest from information overload and gives you a pass to collect yourself when it becomes overwhelming.
Set Mini Goals
As mentioned earlier, the board exam is a marathon. Setting yourself short-term and long-term goals will help you along the way in achieving the ultimate goal. Plan out the things you have to do in the span of your review. Set daily, weekly and monthly goals and incorporate this in your schedule so that you can hit these goals. On each goal, assess yourself if you have hit your objectives or if you have done enough. If there are any backlogs, finish it as early as possible.
Here is an example that you can follow:
Daily Goals
- Answer at least 200 Concept Questions Try our quiz generator!
- Solve at least 50 Problems
- Study for at least 2 subjects
- Read at least 50 pages of learning material
- Read/Write notes
Weekly Goals
- Finish all your backlogs
- Take Weekly Exams
- Attend extra classes or consultations
Monthly Goals
- Take Monthly Exams
- Finish reading at least 1 book
Believe in Yourself
This probably goes with the right mindset but I want to emphasize on this one. Having faith in yourself is crucial on your journey towards the ultimate dream of becoming a licensed engineer. One of the keys in passing the board exam is being confident in your abilities. This will help you become more optimistic in accomplishing your goal. Passing the board exam is not impossible for you. It is something that you can achieve through perseverance and right preparation.
Final Thoughts
There is no shortcut in passing the Board Exam. If there is, it’s probably illegal. It takes the right preparation, perseverance and a small sacrifice of your time. The fact that you are here means that you are taking your review seriously. There is nothing to be worried about when you know in yourself that you are doing your best during your review. The fruit of your labor is a sweet lifelong reward of becoming a licensed engineer. Use the tips you have learned here and apply it in your review journey.
Do you have any tips that is not listed here? Share it below!
So helpful, thank you.
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