How I Survived NMAT?

          Fifteen days ago, the battle to become an MD started with a 360-item examination, lasted 5 and a half hours. I was in fact so excited to take the exam then. Not that I was so prepared, rather, I’d like to end my agony. Preparing for an examination which defines your future is definitely not an easy one. You have to devour your insecurities and uncertainties, do a lot of time management the fact also that SC stuffs were at its height weeks before the exam. But right after I shaded the last circle and closed the booklet, I was sure I didn’t perform well and I told myself “I’m dead!”

          I wasn’t pretty confident with my performance. Of all the exams I had to take, why NMAT!  Here's one fact, I only had less than two hours of sleep the day I took the exam. Since the exam starts 7am, we had to lodge at any near pension house. I was with my co-majs. Before midnight, all of us went to sleep after a slight review on physics and quantitative. Then the clock started to tick. Until 1 am, I was still wide awake while my friends were already snoring. And I told myself “I have to sleep. I can’t take the exam without enough sleep.” But it was a struggle – a struggle so horrible the fact that I was thinking of the NMAT the next day. Then I texted Rox and Hafsah and told them I had an insomnia attack at one of my important nights in my life. Both of them were awake and replied. They were really supportive. They gave me suggestions or things to do to make me fall asleep. Rox even suggested of counting sheep, thinking it may eventually be effective. Whereas Hafsah told me to read a boring book. Since I don’t have a book that time, I read Aiman’s review notebook, not to review but just to tire my eyes and mind so that I’ll fall asleep. I even went out of the room and stayed half an hour sitting near the stairs. But none of these seemed effective. See my struggle?!

          I was like my position was really unfit for me so I kept on moving around while lying in bed. And I felt like it was so hot. I even you know….. Then Aiman woke up and joined my struggle. The thought that my friends are sleeping made me feel so helpless. I constantly seek for Allah’s help and begged to give me even only two hours of sleep. “Ya Allah, apiya bo two hours! Pakatorog ako nga, di ako paka-attend sa exam a da torog akn. Kapdiin ako nga. Titu a ska bo e pakatabang rakn.” Then it was 3am and I lost track of time. I forced myself to go to sleep.

        I proved I was really that unfortunate when I woke up second to RC. It was almost 5am. I was supposed to be the very last person to wake up. I tried to go back to sleep, but I can’t. Then to fast forward, I took the exam sleepy, with headache, and unsure if my brain still works. I practically don’t have the energy – and answering an exam certainly requires a lot of energy. Then comes the test booklets and my headache starts to become my problem. I answered Verbal, the Inductive Reasoning, then Quantitative, then Perceptual Acuity. I wasn’t really feeling well so was like hopping from one subtest to other subtest. I remember while answering the PA, I had to pull my hair while my left elbow is at the table just to feel the pain and eventually force my eyes to open. It did work. The only problem was the examiner was looking at me. I felt like it was doomsday! I survived the first part, unsure of my answers. 

         Then we took our lunch at McDonalds. Seeing a lot of people, having them around, made me uncomfortable. I was of course still feeling so sleepy. My hands were always at my chin, supporting my weak head. I eat my lunch though I didn’t feel so hungry. Then we went back to Xavier University. While waiting, I took the chance of getting a nap. I was sitting at the floor outside our room. Imagine how pitiful I looked. 

        Then the second part started. First subtest Biology, 1^st question, I don’t know. It was about sclerenchyma cell. Plant biology, hell, I have no idea. To tell you, this is the only question I can remember out of the 200 questions. I know it sounds weird and unbelievable, but it is true. This is why I submitted my test paper unsure of all of my answers. The exam ended. I met my co-majs outside. They were all smiling and happy because they answered well in Part II. While I? Emotionless. No facial expression. Nothing at all. RC asked me if I performed better than the Part I. And my emotionless face spoke of my response.

          And you know what, right after the exam, I wasn’t feeling so sleepy. WOW! In fact, I still had so much energy to roam around the city. Then we went back to MSU Monday afternoon. Then SC stuffs made me busy. NMAT was a nightmare. I want to forget everything about it.

         Fifteen days later, the result is out. Within 15 days, I was preparing myself to get disappointed. How did I prepare? Every time, some random people asked me about NMAT, in the back of my mind, I was so sure I will take the exam next year and redeem myself.

          December 21, 2012. It’s the end of the world according to the Mayan civilization. It was doomsday for every person who took the NMAT as well. 4pm, I checked my exam results.

 NOW I’M SMILING. Happy and very satisfied. This proves prayer still is the best weapon. Allahuakbar! :D