Narrative prompt: Think of a time that you felt prepared for a test. Tell a true story with specific details about what you did to prepare for the test, and how it felt to be prepared on the day of the test.
Accomplished
Has there ever been a time in your life that you felt so accomplishment, which at the time any bad news that were to come your way it couldn’t bring you down? Or a time when you went into something, such as a test, not knowing how you’re going to do and then come out of it feeling better than ever before? This happened to me when I took my math final on January 31, 2013. The thing that amazed me the most is who would have known studying actually helped. The three things that truly got me a good grade on the final was making a study schedule, start as soon as possible, how I prepared myself the day of the final and how I felt. The way I prepared for this final test was truly the key to my success. It all started a week before the final. I planned out how I was going to study for this test. The first step for me was to make a study schedule, time management is the key to studying. This truly got me out of making sure that nothing collapsed on top of each other, with my varsity soccer schedule and personal life, I was able to avoid a Sunday night, and 1 am cram session. Since this test was going to decide whether I pass or fail the course, I planned to study over the course of a week, not just one night. There were 11 units that I was responsible of knowing for the final. These 11 units were solving equations, graphing equations, writing equations, systems of equations, inequalities, relations and functions, exponents and monomials, quadratic equations, introduction to polynomials, statistics, and last but of course no least since I actually still need to study this is probability. The way I had it set up was to try to study a math unit every day and little extra leading up to the actual final. I couldn’t procrastinate for this test and I had to start studying as soon as possible. What’s a study schedule if you’re not going to follow it? The goal for me was that if I could stay on top of everything, I wouldn’t have to worry about catching up. Which lead me to start telling myself to start studying as soon as possible. From the start of the week tell the day of the final, I cracked open my textbook to start reading the chapters I was a little shaky on over again. I organized a section in my notebook and a folder for every unit taught in class. I redid past homework assignments, and he is a new one actually go to class. The way I set it up and the studying I did on my own time made much easier for me to stay on top of things since it is finals week and I had other finals to prepare for. I never prepared so well in my life before. The key for me was that I made studying actually fun. I figured out what truly made me study better which was making note cards and then decorate them. It made studying easy and entertaining. I was amazed how calm I was studying, being able to have fun was a really shock to me. The urgency I had since the final would determine if it was a pass or fail was up the roof. I was proud of myself because I didn’t panic; no negative thoughts, and most importantly I believed in myself that I could do it. Which this lead me to the day of the final where I couldn’t have felt more accomplished in my life. I woke up that morning at 7 am all jittery, and surprisingly excited to go to school. I jumped out of bed and started my daily routine which is taking a shower, brushing my teeth, pick my outfit of the day, and most importantly make time for a healthy breakfast. I had freshly squeezed orange juice with a bowl of honey and oats cereal to eating an apple right before the test. I noticed the clock was at 7:45 am and I got lucky because usually that’s the time school starts but because its finals week, school starts at 8 am. I packed all my text books and notebooks in my backpack and was ready to head off to school in my Toyota rav4. I finally arrived at school. Walking through those Southridge high school doors and walking into my math class with the utmost confidence. I sat at my seat and kept tell myself that I got this and I’m ready. Finally the clock hit 8 and the teacher started passing out the final I came into the final with the utmost confidence and walked out feeling accomplished in my life.
The urgency I had is what truly made me prepare for this test. I didn’t realize how bad my study habits were until I was actually in trouble with my grades. The feeling that I had the day of my final was a feeling to me was unexplainable. I have never felt so prepared and proud of myself in my life. From that point on, I truly figured out how I am supposed to study for future tests and the results came back the way I was expecting them too.