I have to say that when I received my textbook I found that there was so much more Science than I was expecting. I was horrible at Math and Science while I was in school which is why I obtained my degree in English.
I really buckled down during the last few months and I studied like crazy. I also purchased NASM’s practice test bundle. The first time I took a practice test I got a 40%. I became really discouraged. I continued to study though and I will say the practice exams did help me realize what I needed to focus on. I took all three practice exams (one came with the self-study course and the other two I purchased) over and over again. Every time I got an answer wrong I went back in the text and studied that concept.
Two weeks before I took my exam I saw a friend of mine on Instagram had just taken his exam and he passed. I commented on his photo and within an hour he had sent me an email with some tips. I was extremely grateful! Thanks again, Austin!
This was my view all day Monday. I hate to admit it but I was definitely stressing AND stress eating. I indulged in a Paleo cinnamon roll from Ryan Bros Coffee. I can’t even count how many cups of coffee I drank. I took all three practice exams and made out note cards for each answer I got wrong. I went over those note cards up until I walked in to take my exam.
There were 120 questions on the test, 20 are not scored but you don’t know which 20 those are. You are able to mark the questions that you’d like to go back to. This was my life saver. I went through and answered all the questions I was sure about and then I went back to the ones I had marked. Once I finished, I said a prayer and then went to tell the lady at the front desk that I was done. When I saw “Passed” on her computer screen I questioned her. I was shocked. I really thought I had failed. This was a very hard exam and I was incredibly relieved to know that I had passed.
So what’s next? I’d really like to work towards a nutrition certification. I love nutrition and I was actually disappointed when I found there was only one chapter on nutrition in the personal training textbook. I’m going to do some research before I decide which school to go through. My ultimate goal is to be a stay at home mom but I still want to be able to help others. If I can work with people and help them achieve their goals while still being able to be there for my babies - that would be the dream. That is still a little while down the road though. We have to get married first. Until then I'll just continue adding to my resume.
My parents treated me to coffee and lunch to celebrate.
Thank you to everyone who prayed for me, encouraged me, texted me, emailed me and congratulated me. All your kind words mean so much.
My Valentine’s Day blog will be up tomorrow. I planned on posting it on Monday but studying took over my entire day.
