A Little Background
I have spent the majority of my 23 years in school preparing for a quiz; a test; an exam of some sort. Through middle school, high school, and my undergraduate career at Springfield College, I have been in classes trying my best to absorb and learn information to then demonstrate my knowledge of this information on an exam to earn a good grade. I’ve spent countless hours studying for good grades to eventually earn my undergraduate degree. And now, I’m in the process of studying to earn my master’s degree and my certification in TR. Putting it into this perspective makes me think, “wow, I’ve spent most of my life learning information for the sake of being tested on it.”
Once I began my undergraduate career, I found more meaning to studying for tests than merely to ace the test. I was studying to be a physical therapist, and the academic work was certainly difficult. I knew that the information I was being taught was information I would need for my career as a physical therapist, so I put more time and effort into studying and actually retaining the information long after the test was over.
This time, it’ll be different. Studying and preparing for the NCTRC exam is the equivalent of studying for life. Let me explain. This exam will determine a huge part of my future as a professional. It will declare me more qualified for jobs specific to TR. It will give me a professional title. It will be my first time being viewed by others as a colleague rather than a student. All of that is why I say that studying for the NCTRC exam is the equivalent of studying for life. I will be studying to ensure that in my professional career, I can consistently offer high-quality TR service to my participants whether it be just after certification, or years from my initial certification. This idea makes a world of difference when conceptualizing reasons for studying. Absorbing information for the sake of passing one test to then forget it all the second I walk out of the classroom is a thing of the past.
I expect to take the NCTRC exam in the late spring of 2021 after I finish my internship.
How I Plan to Study
To put it simply, my plan for studying for the NCTRC exam is to take several practice exams. I have found that I benefit from highlighting or circling questions I get wrong and then going back to those questions and doing some diving into those subject areas. For example, I still need to learn more about the administrative side of TR in the areas of insurance and acronyms for various organizations and methods. I also need to refresh and expand my knowledge of various assessment methods and titles/conditions of these methods. Additionally, I plan to review some chapters from Therapeutic Recreation Practice: A Strengths Approach to make sure I still have a strong foundation of the main ideas and methods covered in that book. I am going to start a document that contains all the information from the questions I’ve answered incorrectly and any focus areas I feel are important so that I can keep track of my weaker areas and most critical information moving forward. I also plan to make physical flashcards of the most important information or information that I struggle with, because, in all my years of school and studying, physical flashcards have never done me wrong.
What Steps I’ve Taken So Far and How It Has Been Going
So far, my studying has consisted of absorbing (the best that I can) the information and experiences I have learned and acquired in my TR classes and taking the practice exams in the Study Guide for the Therapeutic Recreation Specialist Examination book. Even just completing two practice exams in the last few weeks I was able to feel a difference in my comfortability in taking the exam and understanding and becoming accustomed to the wording of the questions. The good news is I passed both of them! This was a major relief to know that I can pass the practice exams now before I have gone on my internship and finished all my coursework. Of course, I am still going to be nervous when I sit down on my official exam day, but as of now, I think my NCTRC nerves are definitely manageable. I am still on the upward climb but once I reach the top, I will have an amazing view of opportunities and choices. I have also taken the first step in creating those physical flashcards I mentioned in the previous section by-- purchasing colorful flashcards. I am excited to begin using them and organizing them by category and color. I’m a very visual learner, so hopefully, this will help me visualize my flashcards in my head when I’m sitting at the computer at the testing site.
My Game Plan From Now Until Exam Day
The game plan as of now is to keep doing what I’m doing which is continuing to take practice exams and executing my plans for studying as I mentioned before. I think that continuing to take practice exams can only help me, particularly when I add in the factor of a timer. That will be my next challenge; finishing an entire 150 question practice exam in 3 hours. Once I finish my third practice exam, I will compile all my missed questions and selected important information/topics into a document that I will consistently update and review. I also think it would be a good idea to create my own Quizlet of questions directly from this document so that I am presenting the same information to myself in a new way, to help it stick better. In short, I will keep working hard and try my best to stay focused on the future!
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