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We all go through tests in life. Learning new skills, applying for licenses, acceptance into an organization or board. How do you do it? Some people don’t mind a simple quiz and some enjoy the challenge, and others simply detest tests. In Apositiva’s skills training, we answer the call to help you students in life who want to perform better in your study skills and life, remembering, recalling, and testing. Want to learn the useful learning secret? Here is how.
Call to Learning
First, a personal example. Last week, I received a call from a colleague on Monday morning. She said she needed to get a hold of me, because there was a deadline for taking a test on a program for which I volunteer.
“Test?” I asked. Hmmm.
“Yes, it’s a test our volunteer coaches are required to complete and Friday is the last day.” She suggested I go online and take it right away. She would resend the link to the online site in an email.
Thanking her, I explained that I was taking Monday to relax for peace of mind, and wouldn’t be on the computer, and would get to it by the end of the week. She encouraged me to check it out soon. I was confident and assured her I would check the site.
Train the Brain
You want to know something? Humans were built for success. We have all kind of memory devices naturally working for us. Eyes see, ears hear, muscle memory kicks in when you practice, and your mind is totally amazing. Nerves keep us on our toes to remind us, and the tricky part is not to let self-talk get in the way. Rather … train the brain to be our loyal friend and servant.
Tests and study are not a concern when you do something regularly and own your knowing. This particular test was for a volunteer program that I am involved in for helping Vets of the military with post traumatic stress disorder, utilizing a special process called EFT, Emotional Freedom Technique. I’ve been helping people with this process for over 10 years, and feel pretty confident in using it. When I was told there was a test, I felt confident I could handle this one. You may remember when it came time to do a driving test for your license renewal; as a driver who knew the rules of the road you had this one down. However, just to be safe you pick up a handy, dandy “driver’s manual and rules of the road” at the local license location (DMV) or go online and skim through the rules … just to make sure you’re covered for anything new. Right? Simple. No problem. Easy peasy.
Time Warp
Now, let me ask you about the speed of time. Have you ever had a week that whisked by and before you knew it, Friday was here? Well, that was my week! Work and life. I’d been in a time warp. I hadn’t worried or given the test any negative thought, because I use EFT regularly and confidently with clients and myself, and I’m familiar in the nature of the process. A quick online test would be easy for me. It wouldn’t take much to prepare. Or so I thought.
Happily, I met with all the wonderful people who come to Apositiva and in online meetings. Then prepared for teaching on the weekend, so. I didn’t get to the email that my colleague sent with the link until Friday afternoon. Rich and I were teaching Neuro Linguistic Programming that weekend and after greeting students, I took a break to check email while Rich was with our class. I quickly found the reminder message to do the test for the volunteer group with reminder that the deadline was that day. Since I had already reviewed the material I figured I could handle it. My bandwidth was available. Logging on to the site, I clicked through the links to the area of the test.
Surprise
Uh, oh! Not what I expected.
I called my contact who send me the link, and asked her how long this test would normally take a person, as it was made up of about twelve (12) modules with separate quizzes. At 5:00 p.m. I was a little concerned.
“Oh, maybe four hours,” she said. I gulped. “Or more.”
“Four hours?! Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?” I asked.
“Well, don’t worry about it. It’s late now. We may still be able to use your help in some way, but we can’t call upon you for the research, because Research Coaches have to have completed and passed this course with a minimum score of 85 {8b3a2f999ba59642dfe826ddd554f6c9ff0174d7b182d4f1913e29042ced5c7c}. We appreciate your wanting to help.”
She was really nice and encouraging and told me that it was okay. We chatted a bit more and I figured it wasn’t in the cards for me to do this program. I wasn’t on the line anymore to do the work if I didn’t do the course and test. I didn’t need to stress about taking the course and test, and I was off the hook.
Thoughts
It was okay. I could let go of this fish. I was involved in other volunteer programs helping kids and had enough on my plate. Yet … if the online course and test took four hours, I could try it. This was an important program. Then again, 85{8b3a2f999ba59642dfe826ddd554f6c9ff0174d7b182d4f1913e29042ced5c7c} score overall with that many modules? Maybe better to know I had let it go and freed up the time commitment. Then again, we are located so close to the Veteran’s Hospital and who knows what vet could be helped? In the Hero’s Journey this archetype is called the “Wanderer / Seeker.” (Ask us about our next Hero’s Journey workshop.) However, I was ready to move to “Hero/Heroine.”
This online course and test had now become my mission! I would try it! I made it through university courses as a working single mother. I could call up that memory, that resource, and do it again. This ability lived inside me.
Study and Test Prep
- Set a comfortable, successful environment
- Play music by Bach
- Fill tall glass of water
- Walk up and down stairs to get blood moving
- Do a couple rounds of EFT to clear negative thoughts
- Imagine myself finishing test and how good it would feel
- Sit upright at computer and use Learning State to focus
- Begin with a meaningful state.
Ready, Set, Go!
Module one. Belmont Report. An important document of several pages on legal and professional protocol and ethics. Studying the document slowly and wanting to be sure I had it clearly in muscle memory I made notes using different colors. Keeping a close watch on time, I kept myself moving and even stood up a couple times to jog in place. Then I took quiz one. Done! 100{8b3a2f999ba59642dfe826ddd554f6c9ff0174d7b182d4f1913e29042ced5c7c}. Time? One hour. Hmmm… Only 10 or 11 more of these module. Looking at the time, I realized it was already after 6:00. Breathe.
Study Better, Speed It Up!
In my mind, training my brain, I thought, “Use my skills. Imagine finishing the course and celebrating. Eyes up! Clear mind! Go!”
The race was on and the horse was out of the gate! I read through the module and once again found it involved legal jargon and analytical thinking and history, so I read fast! Yet relaxed. I took the quiz and felt encouraged by 100{8b3a2f999ba59642dfe826ddd554f6c9ff0174d7b182d4f1913e29042ced5c7c}. Keep moving. Module two took less than an hour, but I needed to be done by midnight. This mission had become a challenge and one with a positive drive to help people, which is my highest value, so I continued with my Heroine intact. Breathe.
Each module ticked by. I read quickly and efficiently, speed reading and using my focus. My partner Rich stuck his head in several times, and I saw him in my peripheral vision, but quietly said, “I’m in the zone.” He understood and closed up, leaving me in my office to focus. Clock ticked. I continued part of the test standing. Jogged. Used The Learning State. Breathe.
Eventually, I got through the dozen modules, the dozen quizzes, and passed with a 98{8b3a2f999ba59642dfe826ddd554f6c9ff0174d7b182d4f1913e29042ced5c7c} score. Finishing the final steps and filing the report of my exam, I then emailed my contact about the test to let her know I’d finished! Closing up and heading home I realized it was after 10:00 pm.
You might imagine the exhilaration of this run! I felt like a runner who had completed a 10K race! When I arrived home, my partner was waiting up. Jabbering on, I told him about my race with time and the course, my head filled with information and protocol. Feeling the glow of knowing I could continue helping in this research project felt good, too. My partner encouraged me to find my off switch now and get some rest. Smiling, I took his suggestion.
Happy and satisfied I slept soundly knowing I had tools to succeed and used them well!
Want Help to Learn Better?
You can come in and learn these study secrets, and it makes no difference if you are five (5), fifteen (15), fifty (50), in-between, or more. You can train your brain to succeed!
How do you begin? Read the points above to prepare and open a space for information to come in to you. Then open your brain and fill it. Feel free to call upon us for a guide. Apositiva Institute has several people who could help you get on the the path to your dreams in education and learning.
Discover how. Connect with us. Call us at Apositiva for Counseling, Coaching and Training at 503-525-0595. Text 503-816-5104, or email us. We look forward to being your guide.