If you’re about to begin preparing for the NBCOT® Exam, chances are, you’re dreading the experience, and rightfully so. Can studying for this exam be fun? Not really, but at least it can be more enjoyable than it used to be.
Making studying fun not only increases your motivation to actually start studying, but it also makes the time go by faster. That hour chunk you carved out to learn developmental milestones suddenly flies by. The best part is, with the games that Pass the OT now offers, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of the content, not just the most top-level knowledge. You’ll fine tune the critical thinking skills needed to reason through the NBCOT® Exam questions quickly and accurately, learn which areas you need to improve upon and, as you delve deeper into studying, have a way to quickly review previously studied content.
Games are also great for kinetic learning. When playing them, you’ll get quick feedback on your progress. If you’re like me, you will also have ample opportunities to learn from your mistakes. There will be many chances to see the content in different ways, and the engaging nature of the games ensures that you learn the content to your personal best.
When you look at it in most ways, studying is grueling. The last adjective you would ever associate it with is fun–until now. Here are 5 ways to make studying as fun as it is productive.
- Move around: As someone with a lot of energy, I found myself walking around my apartment while going over content. Not only did it let me get the excess nerves out of my system, but it also added an element of fun to the process. I wasn’t just stuck at a desk all day. Using audio recordings while doing things you enjoy like exercising, running, and even walking in the park can make studying much more enjoyable.
- Use a reward system: If you get X questions right, or good scores on X practice quizzes, give yourself a break to watch a cat video or have a solo dance party. That extra incentive will motivate you to stay on your A-Game, yet also give you some much needed breaks.
- Rewrite material with your own flair: As someone with a dry sense of humor, rewriting my notes with my own commentary made learning dry topics such as developmental milestones more personal. I often made comparisons to familiar situations and added my tongue in cheek sense of sarcasm to keep it light. Not only did I end up enjoying the process of writing the notes, but I also remembered them a lot better.
- Use activities or songs that matter to you as a means to learn content: I learned the origins and insertions of the shoulder muscles only because I sang them to the tune of Taylor Swift’s “You Belong with Me” and recorded it on my iPhone. To this day, I still find myself singing the song I wrote in a moment of desperation. While I didn’t have the creativity to do this for the NBCOT® Exam, I don’t have a single doubt that it would have made my life easier if I did. Connect difficult content to things that you care about and learning it will be a much faster and more enjoyable process.
This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to how to make studying for the NBCOT® Exam fun.
For example, Pass the OT has now launched a new matching game to help students learn hands and splints, the code of ethics, and frames of reference. While they may not include Taylor Swift lyrics, the games will certainly keep you engaged and entertained as you continue to learn. The only feeling that is better than that regarding the NBCOT® Exam is the one you’ll get when you pass!
Visit passtheot.com to learn more about their new games. There is no doubt that they will not only help more students pass, but they will also help colleges and universities improve their first time passing rates.
