Sometimes, there are moments when it takes quite a long time before you see the results of your perseverance and reaching your goal, so the values of patience are necessary.
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| Photo courtesy: via Outsmart The Board Exam (Facebook) |
Just like Vicente Valencia, an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW), who, after failing his first attempt at the Civil Engineering Board Exam in 2002, finally passed in 2019—17 years later; and in June 2024, he ranked 3rd in the Master Plumbers Special Professional Licensure Examination.
"My first take of the exam was last November 2002. I did not make it,” Engr. Valencia said on “Outsmart The Board Exam” Facebook page.
"Since then, I have always wanted to take it again. But for reasons such as work, family, finances -- and also the fear of failing -- I managed to convince myself to not take it again. In 2018, I was contemplating on taking the exam again. I got curious and googled ‘how to pass the civil engineering board exam.’”
Until he came across and read the blog of Engr. Rucel Virata, who is also the person behind the mentioned page. He diligently studied one of the content pieces there, which discussed how to pass the board exam.
“There were three things he mentioned about how to prepare for the board exam: LEARN SMART, LEARN HARD and STAY MOTIVATED,” he said.
During his second attempt, he shared that his inspiration was his late father, his own family, and Jesus Christ.
“The 3rd tip, in my opinion, was the most critical one. In my first take, I took the exam relying on myself. But on my second take, I took inspiration from my father (who passed away 2014), my family and Jesus.”
“My motivation was a picture of my wife, 2 kids and me, and the passage from the Bible, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’ This was the first paper I put up on my wall. And around it was Engr. Virata's preparation tips.”
“Last August 2019, I passed the Civil Engineering board exam in Qatar. The eight-month review was –epic- (for a working person in a toxic environment) but was worth every single second,” he said.
He also shared his struggles during his studies and reviews.
“For working people who want to take the board exam, the main problem is managing your time and energy. Arriving from work, your brain is already drained. In my experience, I hardly made progress studying after working hours. What worked for me was, from work, I would answer practice problems as much as I could and when I got sleepy (usually after 3-5 problems), I went to sleep. That would be around 9-9:30 PM.”
“Then I would wake up around 3-3:30 AM, then study up to 6 AM. Yes, mas nare-retain yung inaral kapag fresh yung mind. Also, after arriving at work in the morning, I would write formulas, especially for geotech and hydraulics.”
“And of course, I made full use of my weekends to study. This is extremely important. One more very good tip I got from co-workers and instructors is to go for a 100% grade in Hydraulics and Geotech.”
Congratulations, Engr. Valencia!
— Noel Ed Richards, The Summit Express
