OVERJOYED 

OVERJOYED

by AIREEN TAMAYO PARDILLO, RPm

Everyone I know who aspired to become a registered Psychometrician has been preparing for the board exam since June. Review Centers here in Davao City were already welcoming reviewees. I wanted to enroll because customarily, that is what board exam takers primarily do. Too bad the situation I am in did not permit me to. I experienced financial constraint which hampered me from enrolling in a review center. Not just some financial constraint where I cannot pay for the enrollment, but it is more of a survival game. I cannot even pay for my tuition in school! On top of that, my salary is like “Coke” (as what they say). If it’s not sakto, it’s zero. Why is that? I got 3 loans to pay for to assist my father in financing the building of our new tiny house.  It was even difficult to buy a sumptuous meal for lunch so I struggled with noodles and luncheon meat alternately.

So there, my friends started reviewing while I was busy preparing for my upcoming wedding on October 20. My fiancé was still in KSA while I was attending to all the details for our big day. I did not get me a wedding planner/organizer because we are really trying to save, again due to financial constraint. So I did all the planning (credits to my fiancé for his little efforts and for financing the wedding though :P)

It was one week before the exam, and I was not even finished reading the whole book of Theories of Personality! That’s one subject there. I ordered a reviewer from SPARK but was not able to read it because I was too busy. I work from 8am-5pm from Mondays to Fridays and attended school every Saturdays from 8am-9pm. All the details for the wedding were to be attended before I sleep. My only review time is every morning while taking a doze of early morning coffee.

For the whole month of September, I was busy doing school works. Doing reports, preparing TNA, practicing counseling skills, writing modules for every topic we had discussed in one subject.

The following month came. October 20, big day for me! From being Ms. Pardillo to Mrs. de Lara. Next day, I felt relieved (credits to all who helped us prepare the program, to MSYS team who beautifully and perfectly decorated the place for the wedding). Thank God for the successful day. So there, done with all that décor thingy, photoshoots, dress ups. Next in line, the upcoming board exam. From the bottom of my soul I wanted to be a registered Psychometrician. I was hopeful. Well, I got no other choice because if I fail the exam, I might lose my work.

Me, and my ex-boyfie (my husband) left Davao on October 26 at 7:45pm. Due to traffic, we arrived at NAIA at around 10PM. Since we are both unfamiliar with the place, and because our budget is only good for a 2-night stay in a hotel (plus food allowance), we decided to stay in the airport until October 27 early morning. We slept on the floor of NAIA, with all other passengers passing by. While having our goodnight sleep, a security guard from the airport woke us up telling us to transfer because their utility will be cleaning the vicinity. We transferred to another area, still within the lobby, and continued to doze off on the floor. We left the airport at 4am and traveled to Recto where UE is located.

I spent the whole afternoon of October 27 reviewing DSM-IV TR on my laptop while hubby was enjoying the NATGEO channel. After scanning through my e-book, I forced myself to read and answer the reviewer I got from SPARK. It was too painful for me since I know I only got so little time. It was the only time I seriously studied the board subjects. Tired, I stopped reading and said to myself “bahala na, gikapoy na ko ug basa”.

The following day. This is it! I felt jitters all over my body. I experienced stomach ache and been into the bathroom twice before I left the hotel for the first subject of the first ever board exam in the Philippines! PT was given first. I’ve studied this well. After reading question number 1, I was like, OMG! I scanned all the other questions and felt even jitterier. It was difficult. Well at least for me. The questions were tricky as well as the stems. Plus, I am not too familiar with those theories. I felt hopeless after completing the first test. After the second day, I was hopeful that I would pass the exam but I could not gather enough courage and belief for myself. Only God can do what I cannot do. What we cannot do. I continuously prayed even after the exam. We went back to Davao on November 3.

A friend told me that the results will be released on November 4, at 8pm. I painstakingly waited. I refreshed a lot of pages for a hundred times, eager to see the results until I gave up and slept. The following morning, my husband woke me up and told me that a friend in fb posted a screenshot of his name being on the list of roll of successful examinees. He then opened my account and checked first my inbox after seeing 6 notifications of messages. There it is! After opening one of the messages, we read a CONGRATULATIONS! I was in disbelief! All the pain and the tears I’d been through paid off! But hey, I was still in disbelief! Yet together we thanked God for this success! If I try to look back, I got all the reasons not to pass the board exam due to the challenges I’d been through. I cannot even describe it well here. But God has made a way and made me victorious. For the nth time, He showed me His grace and His faithfulness to His promises. In just a month, I got two things in a row now connected to my name: Aireen Pardillo – “DE LARA”, “RPm”. 

To my friends who were not able to pass the exam, may you hold on to your hopes and continue to strive hard. God bless us all! 

(Aireen is 26 years old, with a degree in BS in Psychology from Holy Cross of Davao College, batch 2009. She is currently working as a Psychometrician in a private testing center in Davao City.  Among the great psychologists, she both like Carl Rogers and Maslow. Aireen enjoys reading detective stories, sometimes playing DOTA as a stress-busting hobby. Her plan for the future is to finish masters degree by 2015 and take up the board exam for psychologists.)

Never Losing Hope

Never Losing Hope

by Irene Victoria F. Gabiana 

Notre Dame University 

Cotabato City

I was one of the test-takers of BLEPP specifically for Psychometricians. I am a fresh March 2014 graduate of Notre Dame University, holding a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. I’m from the province of Cotabato City which made my preparations longer because of many factors i.e. getting the CAV from Marbel which is a three to four hour bus ride away, applying to PRC Davao, and flying to Manila. In short, it was a bit expensive and time-consuming but it made me really want to pass the board exam.

I was a self-reviewer. I tried to think of many strategies in order to finish my review within six months’ time. Having only the PRC table of  specifications and a more detailed outline, I found it stressful. The problem

lay not in the lack of resource materials, but the large number of it (books, notes, online resources such as youtube videos, quizzes, and reviewers). In short, I was overwhelmed. As a self-reviewer, I began to think that it was better to read as much as I can. That proved to be futile, because I wasn’t able to finish my tasks and I couldn’t remember most of what I’ve read. And more importantly, I did not have an efficient guide that will prepare me for the exam. I saw the importance of review centers for future examinations. I realized that it is better to find a useful reviewer online. There are no reviewers available in any stores yet, and if ever, they won’t be outcome-based because BLEPP is the first PRC outcome-based assessment board examination in Philippine history.

It was my first board exam experience and I was glad that I familiarized myself on the requirements of PRC because I felt ready for what I must do during the exam. I felt grateful for all the resources and links that psychometricpinas.blogspot.com posted for free access to online materials. They helped me review and retain information. 

The exam proper was nerve-wracking because it was what I had anticipated for for six months and it was that moment where I can determine how much my preparations will pay off. For the non-disclosure oath, I won’t share any of the test items nor the choices, rather I will share my opinions on the test material. It was difficult. I hold a bachelor’s degree in Psychology but I am without enough hands on experience in psychometrics and the other three subjects, and most of the items demand skills in applying the theories on different situations. What I did have was an introduction on psychological testing/assessment and the other three subjects, and an on-the-job training at our guidance and testing center. 

However, I still lacked the practical knowledge that I needed. I did not pass the exam, but along the way I can honestly say that me failing the exam made me see the vast number of opportunities within my reach to further my journey into becoming a licensed psychologist and psychometrician. The BLEPP is indeed a rare occurrence in a person’s life. It takes a lot of preparation and good faith for someone to pass the exam. Luck must also be a factor in the whole thing - even a few brilliant test-takers who took the exam did not pass, but hope springs. 

In conclusion, I am happy to be part of the first batch of BLEPP. The experience was worth all the hard work. And one thing I must add: Never lose hope. There’s a time for everything, especially passing the board exam. *wink*

November 11, 2014

7:20 PM

Si Icasiam ay si Ikapito rin!

Si Icasiam ay si Ikapito rin!

ni Herwin E. Icasiam
4:05 AM
November 10, 2014
Sa aking kwarto

Ako si Herwin E. Icasiam, 21 na taong gulang at isa sa mga pinalad na makapasa sa Psychometrician Board Exam. Nais ko lamang ibahagi ang mala- “roller coaster ride” kong istorya bago ako makapasa.

Bago pa man ako tumuntong ng kolehiyo, naranasan ko ang isa sa pinakamalungkot na pangyayari sa aking buhay. Hindi ako nakadalo sa graduation exercises namin noong high school at muntik pa akong hini maka-graduate dahil sa mga pansariling pinagdaraanan. Sobra akong nalugmok noon na para bang wala nang kinabukasang patutunguhan. Mapalad pa rin ako at biniyayaan ako ng isang pamilya at mga totoong kaibigan na tumulong sa akin upang muling bumangon sa pagkadarapa. Sila ang mga taong nagtulak sa akin upang mag-aral muli at kumuha ng kurso sa kolehiyo. Pinalad akong makapasa sa pagsusulit sa Unibersidad ng Pilipinas ngunit nahuli ako sap ag-aasikaso ng mga kinakailangan dokumento dahil sa mga oras ding iyon, hindi ko pa talaga mapagtanto ang mga gagawin sa buhay ko.

Hunyo ng taong 2010 nang yayain ako ng isang malapit na kaibigan (Jayven Bernardino) upang magpalista sa isang unibersidad sa lalawigan ng Quezon (SLSU). Pagdating naming doon, napag-alaman naming wala nang bakante sa halos lahat ng mga kurso sa College of Arts and Sciences (hindi pa namain alam noon na marami pa palang ibang colleges o departments maliban sa CAS). Ang natitra na lamang ay Agriculture at Forestry. Dahil hindi pa rin namin mawari kung ano talaga ang aming gusting kurso, isinulat na lang naming ang mga nasabing courses na may slots pa. Habnag papunta sa isang building para isumite ang mga requirements, may nakausap kaming isang guro na sinabing maaari pa raw magpalista sa kursong Sikolohiya. Sabi namin pareho, “Ano baa ng Psychology? Mukahang maganda naman pakinggan kaya ito na lang ang ilagay natin na course!” Dito na nagsimula ang aking relasyon sa Sikolohiya. Dito ko natutunan na ang pagpasok sa kolehiyo ay isang malaking tandang pananong at kahit gaano pa ka-aksidente ang kursong iyong napili, darating ang panahon na matututunan mo itong mahalin at pahalagahan.

Nagtagal ako ng isang semester sa SLSU. Nakatagpo ako ngmga bagong kaibigan at nagkaroon ng ika nga “puppy love” na pagtutunguhan sa Sikolohiya. Gayunpaman, napagkasunduan namin ng aking mga magulang na lumipat sa Laguna College (Siyudad ng San Pablo) nang sa gayo’y mas malapit ako sa lugar na kanilang pinagtatrabahuhan. Nasa tanggapan ako noon ng kolehiyong aking lilipatan nang tanungin ako’y tanungin kung anong nais kong kursonng kunin. Nakatapos na rin naman ako ng isang sem sa kurssong Sikolohiya kaya’t ninais kong ipagpatuloy na lamang ito. 

Unang linggo ko sa Laguna College nang aking malaman na ang kinukuha kong kurso ay bago’t papasibol pa lamang sa kolehiyong iyon (pangalawang batch kami). Kaya naman, hindi hihigit sa dalawampu ang mga mag-aaral na kumukuha nito. Ganoon pa man, mas pinili kong manatili sa kursong ito sa paniniwalang Malaki ang maitutulong nito sa akin. Lalo pang umigting ang aking pagkagusto sa Sikolohiya nang aming talakayin ang asignaturang “Theories of Personality” kung saan natuklasan kong ang mga nagtaguyod at sumikat sa larangan na ito ay kapwa may kanyang-kanyang dagok ring naranasan noong kanilang kabataan. Nagsilbing lundayan ang kanilang mga kwento upang pagningasin ang akin malungkot na karanasan sa isang makislap na kinabukasan. Ito ang nagtulak rin sa akin upang pag-ibayuhin ang pag-aaral.

From left to right: Tricia Ann Villanueva, Krizza Tan, RPm;
Mia Bisa, RPm; Herwin Icasiam, RPm

Lumipas ang apat na taon ng pagsusumikap, mga taong puno ng paghihirap at yaong galak. Nakatutuwang isipin na tapos na ang mga panahong nag-aaral ka sa dyip habang halos dalawang oras ka nagbibyahe makapasok lang sa paaralan. Ang mg oras ng pagpupuyat, pagninilay-nilay, at pagsusunog ng kilay ay nagbunga na! Naitawid at natapos ko rin ang kursong Sikolohiya! Tila hindi pa nahinto ang pagkakaloob sa akin ng Panginoon sapagkat pinalad pa akong makapagtapos nang may karangalan sa aking kolehiyo. Hindi mapagsidlan ang aking kasiyahan dahil sa loob ng walong taong paghihintay, ako’y muling nakamartsa suot-suot ang toga. Ramdam ko ang kagalakang nadama ng aking mga minamahal sa araw na ibinibigay ko ang petisyong pananalita. Ngunit sabi nga nila, ang pagtatapos ay isa ring panimula, isang pagbubukas ng pinto para sa mas mabigat na hamon ng buhay. 

“UNEMPLOYED”, salitang bumagabag sa akin ilang buwan makaraan ang aming graduation. Marami naman akong plano sa buhay at alam ko na naman ang aking mga gusto ngunit hindi ko alam kung paano ko sisimulan. Hanggang isang araw, napagkasunduan naming apat (Mia, Krizza, at Nelson) na maglakas-loob na kumuha ng Psychometrician Board Exam. Naisipan din naming na maghanap ng review center bilang paghahanda sa pagsusulit. Nahirapan kami maghanap ngunit buti na lang natanggap kami sa SPARK (waitlisted kami). 

Bago pa man mag-review, naiingit ako sa mga ka-batch ko na may trabaho  habang ako, “nga nga” pa rin sa bahay. Ganon pa man, pinayuhan ako ng aking mga magulang na mag-focus muna ako sa review at saka na muna maghanap ng trabaho dahil ayaw na nila maulit pa ang nangyari sa akin noong high school. May kaunting kirot man sa puso, hindi ko muna tinaggap ang ilang mga alok sa akin sa trabaho. Naniwala ako sa aking mga magulang at sinabi ko sa aking sarili na, “Kaunting sakripisyo muna at ilang buwan lamang ang pagtitiyagaan ko ay magkakatrabaho na rin ako!” 

Naging buo ang aking loob na magpursigi sa pagrereview gaya ng aking pagsusumikap noong kolehiyo. Ngayon naman, “PRESSURE” ang salitang di mawaglit sa aking isipan. Pressure dahil minsa’y ninais kong maihanay ang pangalan ng aming kolehiyo sa TOP 10 at pressure dahil ayokong bumagsak. Pinili kong huwag pangibabawan ng negatibong pag-iisip kaya ginawa kong “chill” ang pagrereview. Ganon pa man, dumating ako sa punto na halos hindi ko na masunod ang schedule ng pag-aaral. Napadalas din ang paglabas-labas  at pagliliwaliw kasama ang mga kaibigan, napatuon ang aking atensyon sa pakikipagchat at pakikipag-text. Nawalan talaga ako ng focus sa pagrereview. Dumating din sa punto na yung mga kaibigan ko (Lalo na si Lisette at Charisse) ay kinukuha na nag aking cell phone at ayaw na makipagkita sa akin dahil gusto nila na magreview ako. Lahat ng payo ay binigay nila para lang tumimo sa aking isip na kailangan ko na mag-aral talaga. Umaabot ako ng alas-Siyete ng umaga na gising pa at walang tulog na wala akong ginagawa kundi magbabad sa TV, cell phone, at computer. 

Napagtanto ko lamang na magseryoso na noong nagkarron kami ng Achievement exam sa SPARK. Halos manghula talaga ako dahil hindi ko alam yung mga sagot sa pagsusulit. Syempre, bumagsak ako at nadismaya pero hindi ako nawalan ng pag-asa at mas nabuhayan pa ng loob na mag-aral nang mabuti. Gumawa ulit ako ng panibagong schedule. Lunes hanggang Biyernes ay nag-self review ako. Tuwing Sabado naman ay lumuluwas ako ng QC para mag-aral sa SPARK. Itinaon ko namang araw ng Linggo ay “chill” at “cheat” day! 

Naging maayos naman ang unang buwan ko ng pagrereview pero heto na naman ang kampon ng katamaran at muli na naman akong nabihag sa buslo ni Juan Tamad. Hindi Hindi ko na naman nasunod ang schedule. Umabot pa nga ako sa punto na makiki-seat in ako sa UPLB, kasama ang mga kaibigan kong doon nag-aaral (Ameenah, Carol, at Tetet), dahil tinatamad ako magreview at gusto ko lang mag-ubos ng oras. 

Habang papalapit nang papalapit ang araw ng totoong pagsusulit ay papalayo nang papalayo ang tsanya ng aking pagpasa. BUMAGSAK AKO SA PRE-BOARD (Theories of Personality lang ang naipasa ko). Nawawalan na ako ng pag-asa talaga noon. Inisip ko nga na hindi na talaga ako papasa kasi kulang na kulang pa talaga ang inaral ko. Dalawang linggo na lamang ang natititra, hindi na ako nagpatinag kahit “CRAMMING” na, aral, basa, aral, basa, aral, na talaga ako. Daig ko pa ang Fast and Furious 6 sa bilis ko sa pagbabasa. Sinugurado ko na sa loob ng dalawang linggo ay naintindihan ko nang lubos ang mga aklat at handouts na aking binasa. Tinanong pa ako ng aking mama kung kaya ko ba daw ba? Ang sabi ko, parang babagsak ako sa exam. Ang sabi niya, “Okay lang yan anak, at least na-experience mo.” May punto ang aking nanay kaya mas ginanahan ako mag-aral dahil para sa kanila itong ginagawa ko. Doon ko rin nabuo ang motto na, “Hindi sa haba ng review nasusukat ang pagpasa kundi sa lalim ng iyong ginawang pag-aaral.”

Tatlo o apat na araw na lang ay “JUDGEMENT DAY” na, hindi na ako mapakali. Sinabi ko sa sarili ko na ayoko na magreview at masakit na sa hippocampus. Kaya naman, pinilit ko na lang mag-“chill” ulit. Pero sa totoo lang, kabadong-kabado na ako. Lahat na ng santo at santa ay dinasalan ko at maraming simbahan ang aking pinuntahan. Sa mga nalalabing araw na iyon, tanging dasal na lang talaga ang aking nagging sandigan. 

Dumating na ang unang araw ng exam at hindi ako nilubayan ng kamalasan. Dahil sa kaba, halos nabutas ko yung information sheet ko kasi napadiin ang pagsusulat ko ng pangalan. Nagkamali pa ako ng paglalagay ng subject heading sa answer sheet kasi dapat sa huling page magsisimula. Sinabihan pa ako ng proctor naming na, “Toy, relax lang.” Sa loob loob ko, sobra talaga akong kinakabahan at hindi ko nagustuhan ang pagtawag niya sa akin ng “Toy” (Kung “Nene pa yon, pde pa! HAHA). Nang ibigay na ang test questions, nagsimula na ako magsagot at magsimula ring mabura. Hindi ko napansin na “Strictly no erasures” pala kaya lalo ako kinabahan na baka ma-invalid ang answer sheet ko. Dahil sa hirap ng exam tapos hinaluan pa ng kaba, hindi ko na alam kung maipapasa ko baa ng exam pero pinilit kong sagutan lahat, intindihin ang mga tanong, guhitan at bilugan ang mga keywords, at mag-eliminate ng choices. Kung makikita niyo ang test questionnaires ko, sobrang dumi dahil sa guhit at bilog at kung anu-ano pang sulat. 

Dalawang araw ng pakikipaglaban sa pagpasa at ito’y hindi nagging madali para sa akin. Sadyang naging mapagbigay ang kapalaran sa isang taong tulad ko na tanging pagsusumikap at dasal ang naging sandata. Maraming maraming salamat sa aking pamilya, mga kabigan, mga guro, at sa mga institusyong aking kinabilanagn (SCES, PGMNHS, SLSU, LAGUNA COLLEGE, BIR, IRRI, Kidscove International), na tumulong at nagpatibay sa aking kaalaman at pagkatao. Higit sa lahat, tigib ang aking pasasalamat sa Panginoong Maykapal na hindi-hindi ako iniwan mula sa pinakamadilim hanggang sa pinakamaliwanag na bahagi ng aking buhay. 

Ngayon, masasabi ko na nga na si Icasiam ay si Ikapito na rin! 

Sa panulat ni:

Herwin E. Icasiam
Bachelor of Science in Psychology
Laguna College (Batch 2014)

Lone Survivor

Lone Survivor

by Ironsaint21, RPm

For five long straight days before the licensure examinations, my co-reviewees and I decided to have a group review and stayed together almost every night for it. Brought together by one single dream we slept, ate, went to different churches and trained together all for one final goal to pass the first ever Philippine Psychometrician licensure board examination. It’s like a new family for each and every one of us, for as psyche practitioners we we’re able to understand and know each other very well even for a short period of time. 

I can say that it was a very productive group review, since we were able to discuss and understand different theories, concepts, rules, and terminologies about the different areas of psychology. We were also able to share our review materials with one another and reconcile some inconsistencies from different resources. Since they knew that I’m already having my graduate studies for Industrial Psychology they asked me to supervise every review sessions we’ve had, and even though I’m not willing to, I was obliged to. Every day since we’ve started our group review sessions, aside from working as an HR assistant, studying for my master’s degree and reviewing for the boards, I’m also preparing different materials for our group review every night. Even though I was not able to give my 100% due to some extraneous variables, I can say that we were able to meet each other’s expectations, and needs. Honestly I learned a lot more from them, than as I think they learned from me. I’m confident that all of us will pass this test. That’s why when the result unfolds, even though I was able to identify myself as one of the board passers, I can’t calm myself from looking over and over for their names. I even downloaded the list from two different sources and search for their names again; however, no matter how hard I press the search button for their names, no one appeared.

I can’t decide or plan on how I should rejoice for my victory, when my comrades who trusted me to prepare them for this battle fell one by one. I can’t even smile, for I can see devastation from their faces. What distresses me most was their initial decision not to take the boards again. I was so devastated, kept on asking myself what went wrong during our group reviews. Maybe I was not able to share enough and equip them with enough ammunition to survive the battle. For that night, I kept on blaming and asking myself for their failure. They were bright and intelligent individuals, maybe more than the man I am, but how come they were not able to make it.

After a couple of days, I was able to talk to them and I was shocked about their messages. It’s like they were resurrected; full of energy, fighting spirit and motivation. And then a smile appeared onto my face when I’ve heard that finally they’ve decided to take the boards again. I’ve realize that they were real warriors who won’t give up for their dreams, they may fall once, twice but they know how to stand up for their dreams, face the challenge and reach for their goals once again.

“To God be the Glory.”

(Note: The author tells his dilemma of passing alone, he will not be celebrating with his co-reviewees the victory that they all prepared to achieve. Like war the board exam is a battle there are victors and casualties of war. But then he is hopeful that his co-warriors will regain and win the battle in the future.) 

Psych Living a Balanced Life

Psych Living a Balanced Life
by Jennifer Francia Pugao Villanueva, RPm
11042014

“Tunay ngang maaaring pagsabayin ang: PAGTATRABAHO, PAG-AARAL, PAG-IBIG, PAGGALA kasama ng mga kaibigan at PAGTUPAD NG TUNGKULIN sa Dakilang Lumikha.”

Apat na taon na magmula nang ako ay nagtapos sa Sikolohiya sa mataas na Unibersidad ng Santo Tomas. Ako ay nagtrabaho bilang bangkera (Teller) sa BPI Kamias-Anonas. Akala ko ay hindi ko makakayanan sa Banking Industry dahil ang kurso ko ay Sikolohiya at hindi kursong pang Teller. Subalit sa biyaya ng Dakilang Lumikha, nagkamit ako ng pinakamataas na pwesto sa BPI Teller’s Certification na may markang 91%. Nagtrabaho ako bilang Customer Service Associate (CSA) sa loob ng dalawang taon. Ninais kong mag-aral muli, kung kaya’t nagdesisyon akong huminto sa pagtatrabaho at kumuha ng MS Human Resource Management sa UST Graduate School bilang isang full-time graduate student. Subalit, dahil na rin sa kalagayang pinansiyal, ako ay huminto sa pag-aaral at naghanap muli ng trabaho. Ako ay kasalukuyang nagtatrabaho bilang Customer Service Assistant sa PLDT Balara. Bagaman mahirap na trabaho ang isang frontliner, masaya ako sa trabaho ko.

May FRANZ’ TIPS akong ibabahagi sa mga nais kumuha ng Psychometrician:

1. HINDI HADLANG ANG PAGTRATRABAHO.

“Kung nakaya ko, makakaya niyo rin! Maaari mong pagsabayin ang pag-aaral at pagtatrabaho kung gugustuhin at didisiplinahin ang sarili.”

Ang istilo ko kasi, dahil sa pagod na ako pagkagaling sa work, matapos ang hapunan, natutulog muna ako at gigising sa madaling araw para mag-agahan at mag-aral. Inilalatag ko na lahat ng mga aaralin ko at mga kakailanganin ko para tipid sa oras, maiidlip ulit at maghahanda para pumasok sa trabaho. At ito pa, maaari mo ring dalhin ang mga reviewers mo sa work para during break, may binabasa ka. Maiintindihan ka naman ng mga kasama mo na nag-aaral ka. 

2. KUNG IKAW AY MAY GIRLFRIEND/BOYFRIEND HUWAG MAKIPAGBREAK KAPAG NAGREREVIEW.

Mas maigi na alam ng girlfriend/boyfriend mo na nagrereview ka para sa Board Exam. Kailangan malawak ang pang-unawa niya para hindi siya demanding sa time mo. Makabubuti kung ang date niyo ay “DATE REVIEW”. Maganda na siya ay iyo ring STUDY BUDDY, yung tipong kahit nakaupo lang siya sa tabi mo ay nararamdaman mo ang moral support niya – kahit hindi siya nagsasalita at nagpe-facebook lang siya.

3. POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT REALLY WORKS.

Hindi lang hanggang libro sina Skinner – nagagamit talaga ang kaniyang teorya sa tunay na buhay. Tuwing pagkatapos ng Mock exams ko sa UST, bumibili ako ng paborito kong pagkain. At motivating rin ang masarap na luto ni Inay pagkauwi ko galing review – HAPPY TUMMY! 

4. KELANGAN MO RIN GUMALA WITH FRIENDS

Siyempre! You need to take a break once in a while specially when studying. Nakakaurat kayang mag-aral nang mag-aral. Kelangan rin tumawa at makipagkulitan sa mga kaibigan. At ang GROUPIE na pang FB. =))

5. HUWAG MONG IDEDEACTIVATE ANG FB, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM O ANUMANG SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES

Maximize your resources. Actually, ang social networking sites ay mayaman sa kaalaman kung gagamitin natin sa tama. Tsaka pang tanggal umay sa pag-aaral. Ako, I personally use my FB as a motivator. Nagpopost ako ng mga larawan ng activity ko, in line sa mga napag-aralan ko in Psych and I feel motivated sa positive feedback nila for every post. Same as goal-setting: Goals stated in public are more motivating than the ones stated in private. Kasi may other people na pwedeng makamonitor ng progress mo towards attaining your goal. At ang goal ko nung during review ay makapasa sa 1st Psych Board Exam and it pays well.

6. START AND END YOUR DAY WITH A PRAYER AND WITH A SMILE

"Masaya sa pakiramdam na motivated kang mag-aral. Yung sigurado kang gigising ka kasi bigla kang mapapaigtad sa kama, "OMG, marami pa pala akong aaralain!" Masarap basahin ang iba't ibang teorya ng Personalidad lalo na ang pagkakadepinisyon nila ng PAG-IBIG. Para kang nagbabasa ng isang romantic novel nang hindi mo namamalayan napapangiti ka na pala.

7. HUWAG KANG MAGPAPAGUTOM 

"Hindi bale nang mataba, basta't busog habang nag-aaral."

LAMESA ang study area ko. No wonder biglang lobo ako after review. Walang papasok sa isip kapag gutom. Lagi mo lang uulitin sa isip mo, "Gutom na ako, gutom na ako, gutom na ako.. (to the nth power)

8. MAINTAIN A PEACEFUL HEART

Kahit sinong irate subs, walang makakapagpaiyak saken. Kahit anong galit nila, napapangiti ko sila pa rin sila at friends kami pagkaalis niya ng business office. Iyon ang bentahe natin PSYCH PEOPLE - kaya natin ihandle each personality types. Sa araw-araw na problems na naeencounter mo sa trabaho, just leave them all in your work place. Pag-alis ng office, may ibang buhay ka pa - pamilya, kaibigan, pag-ibig, pag-aaral at paglinang ng talento't kakayahan (mahilig akong sumayaw, gumuhit at gumawa ng art journal with reflections. Pinapaunlakan ko rin ang mga imbitasyon na makapagbahagi ako sa mga espesyal na talakayim sa kasaysayan at boluntaryong pagtuturo sa mga kabataan)

9. HAVE A POSITIVE OUTLOOK.

Umpisa pa lang, sinasabi ko na sa sarili ko, "Kapag ako hindi pumasa, masaya pa rin ako. Iba ang ligaya na dulot sa akin ng pag-aaral na ito. Binigyan niya ng buhay ang routinary kong buhay. At ang lahat ng ito ay para sa mas ikabubuti ng aking tatahakin sa buhay." Kaya buo na ang desisyon ko na ako ay magtutuloy sa UST Graduate School ng MA Clinical Psychology para mas malawak na mundo na ang aking galawan at maibahagi ko ang likas na talento kong pagmamahal at pagtulong sa paglinang ng kakayahan ng bawat kapwa ko Pilipino. Ang motto ngayon ay: PROMOTING POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING IN EVERY FILIPINO. 

© Jennifer Francia Pugao Villanueva, RPm

(Note: Jennifer graduated in 2010 at UST. She is currently working as a CSA at PLDT.  Among her numerous hobbies include, Dancing, Painting, Art Journaling with JFPV Reflections.  She is interested in serving as volunteer lecturer of CUFI and teacher of KISLAP (Youth Org).  Albert Bandura is her fave psychologist (I personally chose his Behavior Modeling in our thesis - Cinematherapy on the Aggression Level of Male Juvenile Delinquents. His theory is holistic!  Whenever I do volunteer teachings, I use Filipino movies/clips in order to instill Filipino Values in my participants and his theory works best!). For her  future plans, "I want to be a Psychologist". I dream of helping my Filipino men to heal their self - holistically. I love giving advice and uplifting my friends, loved ones and students. I believe that I was born to help others discover and develop their God-given gifts. Especially nowadays that people in social networking sites develop low self-esteem, depression, experiencing being bullied, I believe I can help in my own simple ways.) 

Poor performance in the BLEPP 2014, whose fault?

(Note: The article below was submitted to us by one of our readers. A reflection and constructive feedback to schools, department heads and teachers offering course in Psychology. We hope you can share your sentiments and feedback if you resonate or dissent/disagree to the article contributor.)

"The board exam performance of our school says a lot about their Psychology program," my friend who is currently working in the Middle East told me. He has a point. After all, he graduated in one of the best schools in the Philippines - a school that enjoys a passing rate of 80%-96% on a yearly basis and always included among the  top 10 schools of good performance in most licensure examinations. Both of us graduated from the same school,  known as "Home of the Topnotchers" in our city. But the passing rate of the Psychology graduates who took the BLEPP 2014 is such an eye sore compared to the glorious passing records that other programs or courses enjoy.

I rationalized "first time pa naman kasi, nasa establishing at transition stage pa lang." But then, after seeing the national passing rate of 39%, and comparing and contrasting the passing rates of other colleges, I know that something is not right. 

After much thought, I decided to write a list of the things that the various Psychology Departments here in the Philippines should improve on. This is based on my personal experiences and observations of the various schools I've visited and attended. It is also informed by anecdotes and experiences of my friends who are Psychology graduates from other schools. I am not fond of sugar-coating since it does not lead to  improvement. So, here it goes:

1. Lack of regular and competent instructors to teach the fundamental Psychology subjects

Our batch from our school struggled on fundamental Psychology and other important subjects (namely Statistics). Teachers were either part-time, always late or  absent, or too incompetent or too lazy to teach. My close friend from another colleges also said the same thing of their teachers.  She said that their teacher in Abnormal Psychology would even ask them what their topic when they have class. What also affected us is that some teachers were forced to teach subjects they  have no interest or no strong knowledge or background to begin with.  And it negatively affected the way they taught the subject. In the end, we learned almost nothing about the subjects except for the personality quirks, nuances, and life stories of our teachers.

2. Reading fundamental Psychology books are not encouraged or properly utilized.

Some students have stated that they were not properly taught on how to use the DSM (!) in their college years. Other students would say that they would buy books, yet end up not using it. Some would not use books, and instead, resort to photocopies, powerpoint slides, and handouts given to them.

3. Too much focus on the Clinical aspect of Psychology, less focus on the other fields of Psychology

Many Psychology students are confident in the field of Abnormal Psychology, but struggle in understanding the concepts and terminologies in I/O Psychology, Psychological Assessment, and etc. Many graduates desire to work in the clinical setting, but ended up working in the I/O field. However, their knowledge in the I/O field of Psychology is not as strong compared to their knowledge in the clinical field.

4. Lack of practical application training in Psychological Assessment

Some schools offer Psych Assessment for one semester only, while other schools offer it for two semesters. Psych Assessment is a wide field and one semester is not enough to learn the theoretical and practical implications of Psychological tests. Many students know the value of reliability and validity of tests, yet still 

struggle on making psychological reports, interpreting and correlating different results from different tests, and on administering exams to a group.

5. Review centers are helpful, but are more beneficial if the Psychology graduate has a strong conceptual knowledge and application to begin with.

Many students enrolled themselves in review centers, paid fees, yet failed. Review centers reinforce, enhance and strengthen knowledge in Psychology, but can be rendered useless if the graduate has a weak knowledge base to begin with.

I hope Psychology Department heads and teachers who read this piece would make ways to improve their Psychology Programs in their respective schools. I would also hope that students and graduates who would take the BLEPP 2015 would improve their knowledge and skills in Psychology to better prepare themselves in the exam and in their career.

Thank you guys and God bless.

- The French Baker

In the Philippines there are only three universities that are considered Center of Excellence for their Psychology Program and one university as Center for Development.

From the above list of universities categorized as Centers of Excellence and Development for their Psychology Program, the following schools produced students who made it to top 10 highest places in the exam:

1) Ateneo de Davao University

2) Saint Paul University - Tuguegarao

3) Manila Tytana Colleges

4) Trinity University of Asia

5) Mirriam College

6) Laguna College

7) Saint Louis University

8) Centro Escolar University

9) Canossa College

10) University of the Philippines - Angeles City

Sources/Related Links:

http://www.ched.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/CMO-No.50-s2012.pdf 
(20 December 2012)

http://www.ched.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/CMO-No.16-s2012.pdf
(Implementing Guidelines for COE)

http://prc.gov.ph

http://psychometricpinas.blogspot.com/2014/11/official-result-from-prc-website.html

Fallen but not defeated

Fallen but not defeated

by Elay Tawano
AB Psychology graduate
La Consolacion College Manila

Three nights ago, PRC announced that 1,290 out of 3,283 passed in the first-ever Psychometrician board exam. 1,993 didn't make it and I was one of them.

Embarassment. Shame. Depression. Disappointment. Loss of direction. Diminished self worth.

When I discovered it, the natural instinct was to run away. The experience was psychologically paralyzing. Man, I wanted to vanish. All of my efforts were wasted. I consider this as the first failure that really affected me given the fact that I had many people in my life awaiting for the board exam results, and I had to tell them that I failed. The thing that I am most afraid of was that everyone would think I'm dumb or stupid. I immediately compared myself to others who passed which even made me feel down. I spent a couple of hours grieving over what I could have done differently; what I wish I could change. I wanted to isolate myself from those around me, not wanting to bother them with negativity about my failure for I know letting them down is more painful than letting myself down. 

After hours of being distant, I realized that at the end of the day, it is merely just a test. A result does not change who I am. I'm still proud of myself for I was brave enough to even be one of the thousands who courageously took the risk in taking the first Board exam for Psychometricians. I took the chance, I put myself out there and my ability to confront fear and doubt was really something. I'm still part of history and that will never change. I stopped wondering if things would have been different if I made it. I learned that the board exam has absolutely no bearing on whether I will be good at administering psychological tests or not. Also, I've discerned that my family, closest friends and significant other still believe in me and that they don't see me any differently today than they did yesterday.

From that surreal experience came a fresh realization that goals are just goals; dreams are just dreams. They are important, but we should not be totally dependent on them. Life goes on. The one who falls and gets up is much stronger than the one who has never fallen.