From studying up to 12 hours a day to memorizing over 8,000 flashcards for the nursing licensure examination, a student from Western Visayas, Criz Vinz Tomboc, shared his struggles and steps to top the board exams.

On December 3, Tomboc narrated the obstacles that he faced as he reviewed for the board and shared how he conditioned himself to strive for the best in topping the examination.

According to the top notcher, he allotted eight to 12 hours each day to study so he could digest the topics for the exam. “I adhered to a strict daily study schedule, mindful of every hour. I often remind my friends that if I’m working hard, there’s someone out there working even harder, so I must strive to work the hardest,” he said.

Aside from being strict with his schedule, Tomboc also prepared himself by answering 20,000 to 30,000 questions related to the exams and memorizing over 8,000 nursing flashcards to help him enhance his long-term memory about the terms.

Seeing his name as the top contender for the nursing licensure exam has delivered mixed emotions to him, hence giving a flashback to all the hard work that he experienced to achieve his goal of leading the board exam.

“I was overwhelmed with joy, relief, gratitude, pride, and disbelief. I cried uncontrollably as I shared this moment with my family. I didn’t care about anything else. I felt like I had won the lottery. I felt like I had conquered the world. I felt like I had earned this moment,” he said.

With the achievement that he got, Tomboc expressed his gratitude to his support system as he is on the journey of becoming a licensed nurse. As expressed by the top notcher, he shared that it is very important to surround yourself with a good support system for you to achieve your dream.

“This was not just a personal achievement, but a collective one. I wouldn’t have done this alone without the wonderful people who have stood by me since day one,” he said.

The said board examination was done from November 11 to 12 and had its exam passers announced during the first week of December. Out of its more than 32,000 examinees, the Professional Regulation Commission verified that 25,761 examinees passed.

Photo credit:
https://www.facebook.com/vinztomboc