Studying for the ABA exam is no joke. There are moments where you will feel discouraged. You might not have received the score that you wanted on a quiz. You might not have answered a question correctly or messed up on the wording of one of your own questions.
I’ve been right there and done just that. And let me tell you: it’s a terrible feeling.
Think Positively
Now let me reverse that. You might have answered a bunch of other questions right. You might have explained an answer perfectly or finally conquered a section that is extremely difficult for you.
And let me tell you: it’s the best feeling in the world.
Don’t Give UP
I have seen people write messages of discouragement; feeling like they’re going to give up, maybe this isn’t for them, maybe they feel that they can’t do it. But let me tell you: you can, and YOU WILL! I know I’ve said it a billion times over, but I am telling the truth.
I get it. This exam is really f***ing hard. You’ll feel like ripping your hair out, crying incessantly, drinking an entire bottle of wine (or 5), and you might feel like giving up. But remember: you gotta give yourself the credit that YOU deserve.
It’s the end of October. You have spent countless hours studying for the exam and studied harder than you have in your entire life. You have come WAY too far to give up. I will personally NOT allow that.
Take a second to think about how far you’ve come between the minute you said “I’m going to sit for the BCBA exam!” versus right now. Give yourself a pat on the back and say “you know what, you are going to rock that exam.”
And the most important thing? Take care of yourself. Breathe. Take a break. Spoil yourself, whether that be with a bubble bath or a massage. Do something that will make you feel good.
My Challenge to You
My challenge? I challenge you to do something that makes you feel good. I’ll tell you an example of what I did:
The day before I sat for the August exam, I had an anxiety attack. Corrie talked me off the ledge and she gave me a much-needed pep talk. After that, I laid on my bed and binge watched RuPaul’s Drag Race for 2 hours. I felt great after that and was ready to do one last study session.
Please give your studying behavior some positive reinforcement. You deserve it.
Good luck!
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Thank you for posting this. I just took BAS’s 5 question “mock” freebie and bombed it. I had an anxiety attack from a mock, which made me feel awful about the real one. This was after studying for 3.5 hours. I am going to go take a needed break, and calm down. You guys are the best kind of cheerleaders- and I love you all for what you do. Thank you Rogue.