Don’t study for the BCBA® Exam alone, study with a community! The community around you will be what pushes you to the end.
Hi. My name is Hannah and I recently obtained my BCBA this June. The road of studying was hard. I often found myself feeling like a failure, and would suddenly begin crying and feel sorry for myself.
Initially, I felt so alone. I would see others online talking about how many hours they were spending studying, and I felt doomed. The task list seemed interminable (XX items!) and I knew I couldn’t cut back on my work hours to gain more study time. Instead, I continued to work 40 hours a week and tried fitting in study time while maintaining a barely human existence. I imagine many of you may share this narrative. Months would go by, seasons changed yet I still felt like I was on a treadmill, hardly making any progress through the task list. This couldn’t continue – so, I made a change. At the time, it felt kind of small, but in retrospect, I believe it was the key to my success. This invaluable change, I believe, is the reason I passed my exam while still maintaining a strong relationship with my family.
I asked for help.
While I am calling this a support community, it doesn’t have to be giant! I only needed two other people: my husband and a long-distance stranger. But asking for help was the first step to create this much-needed community.
A community is “a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.” I knew that if I wanted to be successful, I needed people who would encourage, challenge, and carry some of my burden. Looking back, each member in my support community played a different, yet integral role. Having people who cared about me and complemented one another was important. In fact, it was the community comprised of each individual, along with the grace of God, that gave me the courage to continue in the face of a terribly insecurity.
My initial member recruited was Joshua, my husband of four years. For 4 months of this he helped me study every single Saturday evening. I still vividly remember how I felt as I entered his office and sheepishly asked, “Would you be up for replacing our date nights with study nights? You are the person I am most comfortable around. I need to boost up my studying.” I was embarrassed and scared of what might happen. Imagine my delight when he cheerfully replied “yes” rather than negotiating with me or belting out a sigh (I was certain one of those things would happen). For four months he faithfully pushed me to learn the differences between shaping and fading, experimental designs, and verbal behavior. When I tried to give short answers, he would insist, “Don’t be lazy, you need to tell me the small details.” I remember getting so frustrated at him. Who knew you could be so in love and so angry at someone at the same time. Joshua proved to be the heart of this community I was building around me.
The second member recruited was Sheena, once a stranger, now my long-distance friend. I met her in an online study group approximately 6 months ago. I remember posting a message requesting for a “study partner.” Sheena was the only one who replied. Looking back, I thank the exam gods that she showed up for me. We met twice a week for roughly 1 month (right before our exams). She helped clarify response and stimulus generalization, made me laugh at the end of a long and stressful work day, and was the first person I texted after leaving the exam. Sheena reminded me to smile when I felt tired and because of her, I learned to let myself enjoy copious amounts of kettle popcorn. Without her ability to get me through the week days, and without Joshua’s support on the weekend, I don’t think I would have made it.
A community can be big or small, but what really matters is that you build a group that helps you stay connected to your study plan and allows you to work towards mastering your craft. I joined Rogue because I wanted to help others who may feel like I did prior to the exam by teaching and encouraging them through their hard work. At Rogue are excited to help you create your own, smaller supportive community that will give you the perseverance needed to successfully study, pass the exam, and lead you to a fulfilling career changing lives. We can’t wait to work with you.
Hannah Nurnberger, MA, BCBA
*Are you looking for a community to study with? If so, Welcome to the Rogue Tribe! The best way to join a study community is to purchase a seat to our 4-week “Tackle the Task List” Exam Prep course. It will surround you with 18 new study partners and a whole new community you never knew existed.
Studying for the BCBA exam? Pass the ABA exam with our ABA exam prep materials: ABA exam prep audio, BCBA exam prep flashcards, ABA study groups, and so much more!
Do you have questions for us about our ABA study materials? Contact us here.
Pin