For me, it is officially summer!! Classes are done, and the livin's easy!! :) It is nice to have more time to blog ideas and create more products for my TeachersPayTeachers store that I will share later in the post!!
This summer, I will be taking my School Counselor Licensure Exam :) This is happening so fast, and my future as a school counselor is so close that I can taste it! With other counseling students taking exams, I thought I would share some things to keep in mind when preparing and studying:
1. Take advantage of the resources available at your fingertips: There is much information available on the internet for licensure exams including practice tests, breakdown of the test, number of questions, etc. It is important to be knowledgable on how it is laid out and the content of the test as well (it can help you prepare). As for practice tests, there are many study guides available for many of the licensure exams out there!! In addition, be sure to check amazon for books that pertain to your test (i.e. The Encyclopedia of Counseling is a great resource for many). The books will cost money, but there are many free resources available to study as well-Check out the website for the exam that you are studying for!
2. Practice what you preach! In Practicum, I ran a study skills group where we discussed test prep, goal setting, good and bad study habits, etc. All of those are great study skills for success that I helped the students with, and applying them to my own studying for these exams can really go a long way!
3. Take advantage of your "bored" and/or free time! During the time that you are not working or doing work for summer classes, take some time (around 20 min each day) to go over resources and information a few months before the exam!! This can be helpful in preventing a crazy cram session for the important test day!
4. Stay Organized!! I like to have a place for everything, and study material for the exams is no exception for me :) I keep my course material from each course in a binder, and I have dividers to seperate for each class. With the comprehensive exam, I can study for one class at a time, and the information is seperated. I also write down the date for my licensure exam in my calendar so I can visually see how much time I have to study and prepare for the exam. When registering for the exam, be sure to do it well in advance and give yourself as much time as you feel you need to study. For me, I am scheduled for August, which gives me the majority of the summer to study and prepare!
5. Group Study Buddies!! If you are the kind of the person who likes to study in groups, this can really help you study! When studying with other classmates in the program before the exam, you can help refresh each other memories and recite information from the course material. Remember: you know this stuff, but you may need a few friendly reminders!
6. Most of all, Relax!! Remember to take some time for yourself while still studying and preparing! Self-care is a great skill to master as an Intern and for those entering the counseling profession. I am working on it, and getting better at it!
I hope that these tips will be useful to someone taking their comprehensive or licensure exam soon!! I have uploaded 2 awesome new ways to stay organized. First, is my School Counseling Internship Kit that you can purchase for $2.50. This product comes with a binder cover page, contact information form, dates to remember, internship schedule, notes page, and an icebreaker dice activity!
Second is my School Counselor Planner Pack is filled with cute printables that look great in a binder also!! This pack is also $2.50 and comes with "School Counselor Planner" binder cover, weekly planning sheet, dates to remember, to-do list, small group info sheet, notes page, and counselor ideas page! Great materials for putting together your own DIY Planner :) If you wish to include monthly calendars in your planner, you can download my 12-month calendar set for free HERE.
I also uploaded a "How I Feel" Chart Freebie that includes 3 columns that read: "How I feel", "How I want to feel", and "things or people that can help me" :)
Have a great week everyone!! I am now on Twitter AND Facebook so be sure to like/follow me!! You may also e-mail me at cheerfulcounseling@yahoo.com or facebook message me!
~Nicole
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