Here are the preparations that I took before the Board Exams:
1. Attend an ACKNOWLEDGE review center.
Sabi daw nila you would only choose 3 namely EDGE (which I attended
), EXCEL, and PERCDC. But if you would be looking for a review center here are the qualities you should be looking in them (1) Number of Board Top Notchers and Board Passers, (2) Review Program, (3) Instructors, and (4) Facilities. Eventhough masakit sa bulsa, I bet you guys hindi kayo magsisi once you have attended a review center, hindi kakayanin ng self-review lang.
2. DISCIPLINE yourself.
Off course we have our own vices (DOTA, CS, NBA, gimick, chicks, alak etc...
) but I do have to say once you are committed in one thing you should be concentrated on it di ba? I bet you iba ang feeling ng nakapasa sa board exams, it feels like all of the hardships you have made during the review period paid-off. At syempre we make our family proud of us, our relatives, our school, our friends, and above all the Lord.
Honestly this was my dilemma, during the first three months of my review (kasi minsan lang ako mag-aral). I was failing my evaluation examinations
. There was even a point that there was doubt in my mind if I should really be taking the board examinations. But there was this turning point in my life wherein I said to myself "what would become of me if I failed the board exams?" andami kung naisip na "basta bahala na and come what may reactions."
But I did'nt want to become a LOSER
...kasi nakakahiya talaga.
You know what I did? I made my own review schedule 24/7...
iba din kasi ung may sinusunod kang routine. Eventhough at first it is really hard to follow, but after a few days I felt comfortable with it (kasi paulit-ulit nga).
Guys if you would like to have a copy of my review schedule, just e-mail me at
mpdeveza@yahoo.com and I'll send it to you.
3. Answer at least 100 test questions EVERYDAY.
Eventhough it is classified as easy or difficult, still try to manage answering and understanding all of them. Because in the board exams the test questions are very undpredictable (100% sure ako diyan
). And btw the board exams consist of 4 topics namely Mathematics, Electronics, GEAS, and ESAT. As much as possible try to balance your knowledge in the 4 subjects in your personal review.
In the review centers they are also selling books for each different subject, try to at least answering them all.
4. KNOW your calculator well.
It would be of very big aid to you come Mathematics and GEAS. All sorts of problems may be given like solving for the resultant of 3 or more vectors, converting polar form to rectangular form and vice-versa, integration, differentiation, solving for an unknown, statistics, problems involving compounded interest, time-rates, unit conversion, newton's law of cooling etc...
5. Pray to GOD.
Count him in because you would be facing a tall task. I bet you, you cannot do it yourself alone. If you think your smart, there is someone smarter than you. You cannot do it by yourself guys, it is improbable to pass the board examinations without his help.
What I did was, 3 weeks before the board exams I took a confession (iba din kasi ung magaan ang pakiramdam). Then the days wherein I had no classes I always manage to attend masses. My mom also took the liberty of going to St. Claire, to the Pink Sister's, Daughter's of MHC, and in Quiapo church. I also had my novena praying to St. Claire, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, to St. Cupertino, to St. John Bosco, and to Mary Help of Christian.
6. Have CONFIDENCE in yourself.
Syempre naman, this is a test of will. Be brave enough to face it. Pero normal lang naman ang kabahan (it means that you're human also). But the tension will be replaced by confidence if you could be able to build momentum as you continue answering the board examinations.
7. In the board exams be VERY CAREFUL with your answer sheet.
Just follow the instructions that would be given by the examiner. Don't be too excited in marking the answer sheet. I remember the mistake that I made, in the answer sheet you would be require to write the topic of the test, since it was the first day of examinations and the first subject to be taken was mathematics, instead of writing the exact words M-A-T-H-E-M-A-T-I-C-S I wrote my first name since it was also starting with M (Miguel)
naku po patay kang bata ka! But I prompted immidiately the examiner and told her that it was an honest mistake (sorry kabado lang po
) and she told me that I should place mathematics on top of it. And also mark your proper set letter (A or B lang).
You could start answering in the test questionnaire first (kahit anong isulat niyo puwede). Just give an allotment 1 hour before the time duration expires so you can transfer properly your answers in the answer sheet. Guys, you CAN erase your previous answers you have mark in the answer sheet if you think that it is wrong, just erase them properly and avoid it being messy.
Hope this helps and God bless future Electronics Engineers!!!
Paulo Deveza, ECE
