Despite overlapping schedules and many responsibilities, a 25-year-old mom from Tadian, Mountain Province lands number 10 in the May 2022 Philippine Nurse Licensure Examination.
Majie Criss Astudillo Dao-wan – Kadatar finished her degree in Nursing at the Mountain Province State Polytechnic College in 2020. She had a rating of 87.40%.
In an interview with Majie, she said she almost didn’t take the board exam last May 29, 2022 due to conflict of schedule.
She is a wife and a mom to a one-year-old boy. She is also currently studying medicine at the Mariano Marcos State University in Batac City, Ilocos Norte.
She barely had time to read for the board exam that she asked herself, “’yung budget ko na one hour or more every day for review sa board kasya kaya ‘yun?”
Majie’s way to manage her time
Majie first had reservations on whether to take the board exam since she was already a first-year medical student.
When face-to-face classes were approved at their university on February 7, 2022, Majie had to leave her family in Mountain Province and go to Ilocos Norte. Majie fought off nostalgia by answering formative exam questions and watching lectures.
“I was separated from my family, and I took that as a motivation to make them proud. Every day, I always miss them, especially my son, but as I miss him, I open my books and read,” she recounted.
She recalled she cried out many times due to exhaustion, doubting if she could pass the board since she didn’t have enough time to review.
“There are times na napapaiyak na lang ako dahil sa pagod, naghahabol ng mga deadline na activity sa med school, mga backlog lessons na kailangang aralin. Then sabi ko paano na kaya ‘yung boards ko?” she recounted.
Majie said she held on to her faith and maximized the little time she had.
Almost unable to take the exam
As the May board examination approaches, medical school requirements, backlogs, and university examination bothered her.
She initially thought she had at least a week to prepare for the board exam on May 29 when their school suddenly changed the schedule of their university test to May 27.
“I decided not to take na lang [the board exam] because I had to focus sa current studies ko. I cried for a night dahil dun,” she narrated.
What changed her mind was the uneasiness she felt, saying that she knew she would resent herself if she didn’t take the board.
“'Yung routine ko gising umaga, aral for boards pag walang quiz or exam, then pasok sa school pag face-to-face class or Zoom pag online, then after aral na naman. Ganun lang ako until May,” she said.
Just after she finished her school examination on May 27, she immediately travelled to Baguio to take the board exam on May 29.
Prayer as a weapon
While she dreamed to top the exam, she didn’t expect she could make it to top 10 due to her limited time to prepare and divided attention.
“I already offered everything to God. Nag-cling ako to this verse if ‘God brings you to it, He will bring you through it’,” she shared.
With her experience, Majie advises those who will be taking licensure examinations to draw strength from their loved ones and from the people rooting for them.
Apart from being a Topnotcher, Majie was the Valedictorian of her class from elementary to high school.
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