Study Tips and Preparation Guide

 💡 STUDY TIPS

Hello #BLEPPnatics! (pauso LOL!😂) Honestly, I’m just an average individual who is not fond of studying at all. 😝 Might as well reading became my fastest way to sleep. 😅 But of course, taking the BLEPP is a battle so I do need to eliminate these bad habits and I pursued big time to keep motivated and focused! (Oftentimes I get easily distracted by the thoughts in my mind while reading.. like have you also experience reading an entire paragraph but didn’t comprehend any of it? Ugh! 😣). Fortunately, I will share some study tips that may help and inspire you in doing so. I included some links you can read more about as well.

1. Books to Read 📚 . You don't need a lot of books in doing your review, just 2 books are enough for you to cope up. You don't want to spend all your time reading several books containing the same thing. It will eat your time. So choose a reference that suits you. Some books can be too technical and some books are too simple. (You may visit my blog about references I used.. see My References).

2. Suitable time to read ⌚. Actually, it depends on what time of studying suits you! We vary because each of us has our most productive time each day. (You may visit this site for more info. Best Time to Study). In my case, I do my review every afternoon and night since it was my most convenient time as a mother - parenting, you know. 😅 (see photos by Oxford Learning)..

3. Study Habits. You may find it difficult to keep yourself motivated and focused especially if the topic seems boring and new to you. You should have discovered what type of learner you are. In the picture below, I would say I'm a combination of the visual-auditory-scribble type of learner. But I am more of a scribble type (probably, scribble-aesthetic type). I really love to write things📝 (even my emotions and realizations - I wrote them). Taking notes is necessary but if you are too tired to do that, you may at least highlighted the terms or watch animated videos on the topics you needed to familiarize yourself with. And oh! don't forget to take practice tests and exam drills that will definitely give you ideas not to fooled by tricky questions, help you sustain information and discover what topics you are still uncomfortable to deal with. Moreover, it helps you determine if you're too slow answering an entire test (too quick is ok but not too slow!). In that case, you can study more about your weak topics, learn more about them, and improve your answering time!

4. Familiarize not memorize. Test items in the board exam do not require memorization word per word. At least familiarize yourself with the concepts especially those that are common in the field. Memorizing will overload your memory so it is good to familiarize the concept and master it. (until you learn how to explain it in your own words!💬). Remember, "Overlearning is the key to retention!"

5. Rest if you need it 😴. The brain 🧠 needs rest to recharge and absorb new information. You cannot focus well when your brain is tired and exhausted. So if you feel you need to take a nap before or after studying, DO IT! 😉😊

6. Brain foods 🧠. Eating chocolates🍫, sweets and nuts🥜 can be necessary since it gives energy to our brain. I have also read about chewing gums improve our concentration because it increases alertness and affects visual memory. There are lots of styles you may want to try when you do your review. Some students don't want to eat when they study. Some may have their recess schedule after 15-40 minutes of studying while others eat before or after going to read. There are several students that prefer to eat while studying. (Count me in!🙋‍♀️) I love eating in between because I like sweets. That's all. 😅😆

7. Learning is fun!. Yes, learning can be fun too! You may search for #studygram on instagram or study posts in tumblr for some aesthetic way of studying. You can get inspiration and motivation by looking at them. Or you want to try to do it yourself. (I did it and it works for me. Might as well may work for you.😊) I became obsessed with highlighters and colorful pens because of it. 🖍🖋🖊💛💙💚💜🧡😂😅 Aside from writing and jotting down notes, I'm fond of making diagrams or flow charts for me to easily understand and recall. Associating ideas help your memory to retain the information longer as well.

8. Set your goals. Have an outline or schedule of review you will take each day. You should have a list of things you need to accomplish ✍ (for example, reading one chapter per day or watch videos/sessions every night). So you can determine what you need to take next. Also, it will be easier for you to settle what you had been skipped. ✍ List the things you need to prioritize so you can finish them first. Hence, the POMODORO TECHNIQUE. 📝

9. Dare yourself. Give yourself a reward when accomplishing things. Do the "Premack Principle" to keep you motivated. Make yourself study for the sake of something else. You may treat yourself after an hour of studying or try to dare yourself for the things you do not want after the BLEPP results. I actually dare myself that if I passed the boards, I will get my hair rebonded (because my hair sucks really!) but if I failed, I would get an army cut!💁‍♀️

10. Review Center, needed or not? In my opinion, there is no guarantee for an absolute possibility to pass once you enrolled in a review center. Still, you must learn on your own halfway. Your study habits will tell how much you prepared for the board exam. Review Centers can only support you throughout your learning. They can provide you all the materials and teachings you might need; although you can gather it on your own if you are resourceful enough (books and the internet may do!). The only advantage of having a review center is they can provide an immediate answer to your immediate questions! So if you are not patient enough to look for an answer on your own, might as well you will need to enroll in any review center. Another thing to consider is the type of personality you have. How? If you have a type of personality who is fond of learning through other people, enjoy to be surrounded by many individuals, and is not comfortable to learn by yourself, it might be applicable for you to have it (you can enroll in as many review centers as you want!). Otherwise, if you are the type of person who gets easily bored and sleepy (like me ☹) whenever staying in a classroom and most comfortable to learn on your own, then it is better not to. So it's really important to discover yourself in making decisions because you may spend a lot of money and time when going to a review center. You should also consider the distance of the review center's location. You don't want to waste several hours traveling when in fact you may use your time reviewing comfortably in your room.

     If you want to review on your own but don't have time to gather resources, provide everything you needed to cope and mostly care for the costs (calculation between the review center's cost plus traveling versus the cost in buying resources, transportation, and time to find sellers), there are review centers offering a service where you can immediately have the materials to do a self-paced review. It is actually a budget friendly service where they provide you several hand-outs, e-books, videos, and practice exams! (🗒exam drills are so important!) If that so, I recommend Spark Review Center for the services you needed! They have an extra web conference where a professor can meet you and teach you more and answer your questions. They now offer a FREE REVIEW BOOK, No hidden Charges, ALL YOU NEED IS TO CLICK 👉SPARK here. Highly recommended because of their advocacy to support you beyond your expectations on your entire career planning! 😍🤗

11. Trust God and Believe in yourself!. Last but best of all, always ask for His guidance and wisdom in everything you do. Have faith in God ☝ and think "YOU ARE CAPABLE". 🤓. Do your best 👍 and give your ❤heart to every action you do! I'm holding onto these words since Day 1. Let this be your guide too! 👇👇👇😇

(Source: bibleversetogo.com)

      I hope, I was able to help you so far. If you have something to share with us other than the aforementioned, you may comment below.💬

 🗒 PREPARATION GUIDE

📍Before BLEPP:

• Finish your application early to avoid prolong waiting.
• Weeks before the actual exam, I stopped my heavy review and start taking the practice tests to learn what can be my weak topics and focus more on them. 
• You may rest for the whole week or refresh all the information you acquired during the previous months of heavy studying. 
• Do not cram! Cramming never helps. It can mix up the information in your memory. You might just get confused and become emotional. Just keep faith in what you have learned. 
• Wait for your Room Assignment. You can check the map or ask a colleague for the rides and locations.
• Prepare the requirements the day/night before. It can never make you panic! Just make sure to have it on the actual day.
• Get enough sleep. Even the night before the board exam, I was not able to complete my hours of sleep because my son got a fever. I feel so tired since I need to wake up earlier that day. I felt so drained and exhausted until the last day. So get enough sleep and try to control your excitement!
• If you have faith in Superstitious Beliefs, I respect that. But you do not need any of them. It's your preparedness that can tell. I did not use or follow any (even wearing RED undies since I don't have one!), all I did was to have faith in my knowledge and trust the rest to the Lord!☝😇
• Telling other people that you will take the board exam causes a lot of pressure. I didn't tell anyone except my family and loved ones. I've read a saying before but I don't remember the exact words, it tells that "when you are heading to your success, you must do things in silence, if your enemies have known, perhaps, they will pray for your failure." Prayers are powerful, so be careful. 😝😜

📍During the Board Exam:

• Set an alarm.
• Pack your lunch. It will become convenient for you on that day. Like, you don't need to search for the canteen and restaurants. You can also use the remaining time to rest or take a nap.
• DO NOT BUY METERED-STAMP ENVELOPE not directly to PRC! There are lots of vendors selling it outside the school you are assigned to. PRC can only detect that they are fake! You may end up buying again to PRC.
• Avoid too many erasures. It is the machine that will check the papers. The stain on your exam sheet can cause errors. You can actually write the answer first on your questionnaire. Or draw a line in your exam sheet then shade it after ensuring your answer.
• Follow instructions given by the proctor. Do not hesitate to ask them if you get confused. It's better to be confident than leave an impeccable mark on the exam sheets.
• You can actually bring food and eat munchies or finger foods (candies, chocolates, and nuts) while answering the exam.
• If you don't know the answer, try to guess it. Don't leave the item blank. There is a probability that you guess it right.
• The exam format is Multiple-Choice. You can use techniques such as selecting the best answers, eliminating wrong choices, looking for the unique option, and understanding the question.
• Take the whole time (per subject) to recheck your answers! Do not panic if you are the last one answering. You are not in a race! It's a matter of choosing the correct answer. But don't take it slower, you may end up guessing the remaining items because the time is shorter!

📍After the Boards:

• Rest in peace! Joke! 😜✌ Have a rest. It has been a tough day for you so better rest. Treat yourself.
• Wait for the results patiently and keep calm. The waiting game can give different reactions and emotions (also, triggers insanity! 😝) but learn to keep cool and most importantly, be positive! You can pass it! Claim it! Come on! 💪😊😉
• Pray. You have done all your best with all your ❤heart until the last day. Now, give the rest to HIM! He will bless your hard work. In case you fail, He just wanted you to be stronger and better, NOT BITTER! Do not quit easily! Try one more time. Failure is always one step away to S-U-C-C-E-S-S!!😉😊

   SO OH THAT'S IT! Hope that your hopes and spirit rise higher so you are able to start in a positive way! Remember, your hard work will surely be paid off! Keep motivated. 🤗😍 Lot's of Love! Claim it!!!! 😊😚❤

GOOD NEWS!!!

 I will share a copy of my REVIEWER Notes to those who will follow and share my blog! 

Lots of love! 🤞

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Good Luck Future Psychometrician!!! 

📚For References click 👉here.

📝For My Review Schedules and Outlining courses 👉here.