5 Non-Study Tips to Help You Pass the NBCOT Exam

Yes, I know what you’re thinking.  What do mean non-study?  I must study all day!  I need to study for 10 hours, take a 30-second break, never eat, never have fun, just study study study!  #TEAMNOSLEEP. 

Well first and foremost I am #TEAMSLEEP #TEAMNAPS #TEAM SELFCARE #TEAMNETFLIX etc.

When I began my preparation for the NBOT exam, I promised myself that I would study 6 days a week, for 7 hours a day.  I would take a one-hour lunch break and never use social media.  Well after about 5…no maybe 10 minutes of doing this, I realized it wasn’t for me.  Of course, I studied, I studied ALOT.  However, there were other avenues I took that I think really believed helped me to pass.  
 

 
You Are What You Eat

I eat great sometimes, but other times I just don’t.  It is something I’m working on and a daily struggle.  However, leading up to my exam date, I wanted to avoid feeling sluggish and tired.  It’s true what they say about spinach, it really does give you energy.  Popeye was so right.  Every meal, breakfast, lunch and dinner I incorporated a heap full of spinach.  I ate spinach omelets, sandwiches, salads, you name it.  I also took one Vitamin B-12 tablet a day.  Vitamin B12 is known to boost energy levels, improve overall brain health, help with memory and it's also good for your skin and hair (for those who care).  

Netflix

Did you think I was joking about Netflix?  I binged watched so many shows during my studies.  Netflix is great because it suggests certain titles to watch after you’ve watched a specific category.  When I was truly sick of studying, I would watch movies with characters who had illnesses or disabilities.  For example, I watched a movie about a teenager who had muscular dystrophy and just took note of the limitations he had in ADLs, community mobility etc.  Netflix suggests the movie “Fundamentals of Hope” as well the documentary “My Broken Brain.”  I also typed “autism” into the search box and watch another show called “Autism is Me.”

Talk It Out

I have a good friend who is a Respiratory Therapist and my mother is Registered Nurse.  I also have another good acquaintance that is a Social Worker.  Occasionally I would bring up random OT related questions to get their opinions.  Most the time they got the questions right.  They always chose the answer that they thought made the most sense.  Once I figured this out I realized that understanding general concepts worked better for me as opposed to memorizing every detail.  My RN mother gave me some great insight when it came to learning about medication side effects.  On the other hand, my RT friend helped me with the cardiopulmonary concepts and my SW friend helped me with mental health.  See how that works?!  It takes a village.

Take It To The Streets

When I say, OT is life, OT is really your LIFE.  After a while, I couldn’t see a scooter or a standard wheelchair while I was out without thinking about how wide the buildings door frames were.  One day I was in the grocery store and I said to myself “hmm I could see how someone with difficulties with spatial awareness would freak out in here.”  So basically, what I’m trying to say is, find ways to apply what you learned to real life when possible.

Read About It

Ok, so I know what you’re thinking.  Why would I want to read after hours of studying?  However, if you are an AOTA member you probably receive a monthly subscription to the OT Practice magazine.  There are some good articles in there.  Give it a try.

Thank you very much for reading, I hope it helps. If you have any other suggest then please share in the comment section below.